Talent and Skills: Europe and Africa Confronting the Global War for Qualifications

This month, the management of skills and mobility unfolds against a backdrop of mounting tensions, ranging from integration policies in Europe to the structural challenges of the labour market in Africa. The European Commission has presented its "Fair Labour Mobility Package", aimed at accelerating the recognition of qualifications, including for third-country nationals, in order to counter labour shortages. This initiative reflects a drive towards targeted openness, which contrasts with the tightening of integration policies observed in Italy and Austria and with the persistent debates in Germany.

Meanwhile, the African continent, where nearly 60% of the population is under 25, sits at the heart of a major demographic and economic transformation. Local initiatives are proliferating to align skills with market needs, notably in the digital and agricultural sectors in South Africa and Nigeria. However, these efforts are offset by risks of fragmentation, as illustrated by the crisis of trade unionism in South Africa and protectionist measures in Kenya, which threaten regional integration and social cohesion. Finally, the persistence of human tragedies, with a fresh grim toll in the Channel, is a reminder of the critical dimension of irregular migratory flows.

The EU Seeks to Smooth Talent Mobility to Address Shortages

Faced with labour shortages that hamper its competitiveness, the European Commission unveiled, on 15 September, its "Fair Labour Mobility Package" (in English, Fair Labour Mobility package). The cornerstone of this initiative is a proposal aimed at accelerating and digitising the recognition of professional qualifications, including for workers from third countries (FAZ - Aktuell, 15/09). The objective is to simplify administrative procedures, notably via the future European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI-Wallet), and to strengthen the capacities of the European Labour Authority (ELA).

This move is part of a broader trend aimed at attracting and retaining global talent. A recent study comparing Luxembourg and Singapore highlights two distinct approaches (OpenAlex — Politiques publiques, 02/09), while noting, however, that graduate retention in Luxembourg lacks coordination across policy domains. Luxembourg's 2023 legislation offers a relatively permissive framework for third-country graduates, with a 12-month job-search period. Singapore, for its part, has refined its policy with the 2023 COMPASS reform to structure access to skilled employment for international graduates. These national strategies, coupled with the record interest in programmes such as the Commission's MSCA postdoctoral fellowships in 2026, testify to the fierce competition among economic hubs to capture skilled human capital (Commission européenne, 11/09).

Africa Facing the Twin Challenge of Skills and Regional Integration

The demographic potential of the African continent, where young people under 25 account for nearly 60% of the population, is both a promise and an immense challenge. Numerous local initiatives reflect a growing awareness of the need to align skills with economic needs. * In South Africa, the AgriSETA agency is stepping up its efforts to train young people for careers in agriculture in order to combat unemployment and food insecurity (Mail & Guardian, 17/09). At the same time, private-sector players such as Netstar are rolling out learning centres to equip young people from Johannesburg's disadvantaged neighbourhoods with digital and technological skills (Daily Maverick, 28/08). * In Nigeria, several federated states are taking the lead. Ogun State has enacted a law creating a trust fund for education and skills, guaranteeing sustainable financing beyond annual budgets (Premium Times Nigeria, 19/09). Abia State, for its part, has launched intensive training to prepare its teachers for new high-tech schools (Premium Times Nigeria, 11/09).

However, these positive signals are overshadowed by trends towards political and social fragmentation. Kenyan President William Ruto's decision to bar foreign nationals from operating small businesses has been sharply criticised as a threat to the integration of the East African Community (EAC) and a risk of fuelling xenophobia (Mail & Guardian, 10/09). In South Africa, the inability of the powerful trade union federation Cosatu to hold its conference owing to internal disputes is seen as a symptom of the "disintegration of broader national structures", liable to weaken social cohesion and complicate social dialogue for businesses (Daily Maverick, 15/09).

In Europe, the Debate on Integration Hardens

While the EU seeks to attract skills, several member states are adopting a tougher line on the cultural and social integration of migrants. * In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on 20 September her intention to introduce a bill aimed at banning the burqa and the niqab in schools and limiting the number of foreign pupils per class. She also raised the possibility of making Italian-language learning compulsory for the parents of pupils experiencing integration difficulties (FAZ - Aktuell, 20/09). * In Austria, Integration Minister Claudia Bauer firmly defended the ban on the headscarf for schoolgirls under 14, arguing that "the well-being of children takes precedence". Around 80 cases of non-compliance have been reported, resulting in fines of up to €800 per infringement for parents (FAZ - Aktuell, 21/09).

In Germany, the debate is more ambivalent. On the one hand, the country faces strong opposition to immigration, particularly in the eastern Länder, which fuels support for the AfD (FAZ - Aktuell, 04/09). On the other, local successes in integration are being praised, such as the "Integrationslotsen" (integration mediators) project in the town of Hattersheim, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary (FAZ - Aktuell, 05/09). The Bildungsmonitor 2026 reveals a paradox: the Land of Hesse ranks first for the integration of foreign pupils yet stands out as a "poor performer" in terms of digitisation, illustrating the multidimensional challenges of modernisation (FAZ - Aktuell, 14/09). This debate is complicated by controversies, such as in Cologne where the discovery of criminal records among a significant share of beneficiaries of a residence programme led to its complete overhaul (FAZ - Aktuell, 02/09).

Alerts and Weak Signals

The period was marked by the persistence of humanitarian tragedies linked to migration. The discovery of a man dead on a beach in the Pas-de-Calais on 23 September brings the toll to at least 17 deaths in the Channel since the start of the year. More than 17,480 people have successfully made the crossing to the United Kingdom over the same period, underscoring the failure of deterrence policies to stem these flows (Le Figaro, 23/09).

On the humanitarian front, the situation in Gaza, nearly three years after the outbreak of war, remains critical. The UN estimates that the conflict has caused the largest wave of child amputations in modern history, with roughly 6,000 amputations in total, a quarter of which involve minors. Access to prosthetics is severely hampered by Israeli restrictions on the import of "dual-use" materials (Al Jazeera English, 02/09).

Finally, a weak but noteworthy economic signal comes from Italy, where the Stellantis plant in Mirafiori has once again resorted to temporary layoffs owing to lower-than-expected demand for the 500 hybrid (Corriere della Sera, 22/09). This repeated reliance on public support to manage production under-capacity highlights the fragility of the industrial transition and its direct impacts on employment.

To Watch

• EU Mobility Package: The discussions in the European Parliament and the Council on the Commission's proposals to facilitate the recognition of qualifications and strengthen the European Labour Authority (ELA).
• Kenya: Potential retaliatory measures by the East African Community (EAC) partners following the Kenyan government's decision to restrict foreigners' access to small businesses.
• Italy: The tabling and examination of the bill announced by Giorgia Meloni on the wearing of the burqa and niqab in schools, as well as on quotas for foreign pupils.