„Let’s connect and match!“

Job Fair event format for matching (female) international skilled workers with employers in line with their levels of education.

Starting point/challenge

Despite recognition of their foreign qualifications and participation in job training projects, a large number of international skilled workers, including many women, are not employed in line with their levels of education. One major reason for this is the poor accuracy of existing matching formats, which are frequently large scale, too impersonal and only appropriate in a limited way for the specific needs of a (female) target group. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) also face the challenge of having to recruit new employees with limited personnel resources. Participating in major job fairs often makes little economic sense for these businesses as the cost and effort involved bear no relation to the benefit gained.

Implementation

The aim of the Berlin “Konsortium für die bildungsadäquate Beschäftigung von Migrant*innen” [Consortium for migrant employment appropriate to one‘s level of education], part of the Berlin Regional Integration Network (RIN), in cooperation with the La Red migrant organisation project “Internationale Fachkräfte: Berlin (IF:B)” [International skilled workers: Berlin (IF:B)] was to develop an innovative format entitled “Let‘s connect and match!” for placing qualified skilled workers in jobs appropriate to their level of education. The plan was to focus, as an example, on women with experience of migration and of being a refugee. The aim was to instigate a paradigm shift with companies seeing international skilled workers in terms of the potential they have to offer and skilled workers receiving a fair opportunity and the space to present all aspects of themselves. The Consortium project created an interdisciplinary focus group in which, among others, projects from RIN Berlin, recognition and job training advice centres, migrant organisations, chambers of industry and commerce, employment agencies, job centres and companies were represented. The stakeholders identified structural and complex barriers on the path to employment appropriate to one’s level of education and in doing so focused on matching.
The event concept was developed as part of the Consortium project. Initially, an online event was planned to prepare companies and to present potential solutions to barriers such as language acquisition and integration management. The next stage involved an intensive briefing and preparation of international skilled workers with the creation of anonymised profiles and revision of CVs. Subsequently, a first test phase for the job fair prototype began. An example matching event was carried out and was followed by an evaluation. The results and subsequent improvements were used to form the basis of a guide. This was further developed as part of a networking event involving stakeholders from the Federal Employment Agency, the chambers of industry and commerce, the Senate Department for Economic Affairs and Public Enterprises and other partners and civil society projects involved in the area of labour market integration in Berlin, and was disseminated via social media channels.

Conclusion

Following the event in 2024, it was clear that the “Let’s connect and match” job fair had been very well received by skilled workers, employers and counselling institutions. 93% of exhibitors reported that they were either extremely pleased or very pleased with the event. 67% of exhibitors had conducted specific matching interviews with more than 15 out of 65 individuals. For the initiators, it was clear that the intensive preparation of the international skilled workers in advance was critical. Employers must be well briefed in advance. This includes preparing specific job profiles or adverts which can be brought to the matching event as well as detailed information about the international skilled workers and clarification of the process and the levels of expectation.