Representatives from IOM, Copenhagen Capacity and the European Commission exchange insights and best practices on talent retention and social inclusion with public and private stakeholders, Photo: ©IOM Denmark 2024/Alessandro Lira

Copenhagen, 15 May – Today, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) presented key recommendations for improving talent retention in Denmark, Germany, and other European Union (EU) Member States to public and private stakeholders involved in talent management.

Amid global competition for talent, IOM, in partnership with Copenhagen Capacity (CopCap) and the European Commission, is encouraging the expansion of existing intra-EU mobility initiatives for talent from abroad and the scale-up of best practices on social inclusion and retention.

“Enhancing the integration and social inclusion of skilled workers is essential for a dynamic economy. Our recommendations target a broad spectrum of stakeholders such as national authorities, municipalities, companies, and more,” said Barbara Rijks, IOM Chief of Mission in Denmark.

"We have to work towards a national talent strategy that makes things easier for candidates and employers in Denmark if we want to remain competitive with other EU countries - otherwise, there will most likely be an even more severe labor shortage within a few years," said Nikolaj Lubanski, Chief Operating Officer at Copenhagen Capacity. “Joining EU-level Talent initiatives such as the EU Blue Card would foster further intra-EU collaboration and strengthen the retention of talent in Denmark."

"Attracting and retaining global talent, including third-countries nationals, remains a priority for the European Union, as qualified workers contribute to driving growth, competitiveness, and innovation. Talent mobility plays a key role in addressing skills shortages in specific sectors and in mitigating the negative impacts of workforce ageing. We are proud to support Denmark, CopCap and other EU authorities in meeting their regional labour and skills needs," said Mario Nava, Director General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) in the European Commission.

The IOM recommendations presented today during the closing workshop of its Talent Hub project, in Copenhagen, encourage EU Member States to develop national talent strategies and coordination mechanisms to support talents and accompanying family members in accessing the labour market and relevant services. Such support promotes inclusion and participation in society and builds enabling environments free of discrimination.

To achieve this, the IOM offices in Denmark and Germany developed a guidebook showcasing examples and good practices on talent retention in selected EU Member States, and provided technical support to Danish and German public sector actors in the development and implementation of strategies for talent attraction and retention, in close collaboration with DG Reform.

The Talent Hub project is funded by the EU via its Technical Support Instrument.

Note to editors:

The project, aimed at strengthening policies and structures to facilitate retention and support the formulation of future-oriented integration policies and reforms to better attract and retain skilled workers from outside the EU in Denmark and the EU, is implemented by IOM offices in Denmark and Germany. This is a two-year partnership between IOM, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG Reform) and Copenhagen Capacity.

Project websites:

https://denmark.iom.int/talent-hub-eu

https://germany.iom.int/talent-hub-eu

For more information please contact:

In Copenhagen: Alessandro Lira, alira@iom.int, +45 23 66 76 33

In Berlin: Srdjan Tosic, stosic@iom.int, +49 160 969 102 18