Many countries at various income levels around the world are suffering from a shortage of skilled personnel within key industries—healthcare; agriculture; information and communications technology (ICT) and electronics; apparel; tourism and hospitality—inhibiting the productivity and growth of their employers and economies. To meet these shortages, countries will need to experiment with different policy responses, from improving wages and working conditions, mobilizing the un- and under-employed, automating processes, and embracing offshoring and outsourcing. Yet it is increasingly acknowledged that these policy responses may not be able to meet the scale of the demand.

Legal immigration is one way in which to meet skilled labour needs, while also providing opportunities for a growing youth population and contributing to economic development in countries and communities of origin. But large questions remain. What precise skills are needed? Do people from countries of origin have these skills, or do they need to be trained? What should the proportional role of immigration be in meeting these shortages? And how should this immigration be facilitated in a rights-respecting way?

This event will aim to answer these questions as policymakers gather for the International Migration Review Forum and in light of recent findings highlighted in the forthcoming research report on ‘Strengthening Immigration Systems for the Future of Work and the Labour Market Needs of Tomorrow’ from CGD and IOM.

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mKAj_wMbRoS4RYx-jBhKkA#/registration