Usually, when people migrate and move to host countries, their capabilities and educational credentials suffer a severe downgrade [Castles&Miller, 2020]. On the one hand, the professional sectors in which migrants can most likely enter seem to be the least qualified, the well-known “three D” jobs: dirty, dangerous, demeaning. On the other, achieving the recognition of one’s educational background is a long and onerous path that most frequently end in a deadlock. Aside from the highly qualified migrants, who benefit from separated recruitment procedures [Bailey&Mulder, 2017], the most common career path appears embedded in the so-called overqualification [Ponzo, 2018].

This overall situation results in a mutual loss: the host societies waste a relevant source of resources, in terms of talent, skills and expertise, while the migrant population face a substantial inequality in competences’ recognition and access to education. Moreover, often this inequality of treatment is passed on from one generation to another, so that immigrants’ descendants can encounter more difficulties in accessing higher education or high skilled jobs compared to their native peers [Alba&Holdaway, 2013].

Based on an ongoing project involving academic researchers, non-profit organizations and research institution, the proposal aims to reflect upon these inequalities and to propose some policy recommendations in order to deal with this problematic job and educational segregation.

The project, “Fatti Riconoscere” (be recognised), takes place in Italy and involves different actions, here briefly outlined: analysis and systematization of norms on recognition of qualifications, creation of information tools, training sessions addressed to operators and stakeholders, qualitative and quantitative research on the broader phenomenon. This proposal focuses on the findings resulting from the research, that addresses three primary axes: definition of the main characteristics of migrant population (both adults and minors) with respect to education and training pathways; analysis of the availability of information, services and offices dedicated to the recognition of foreign qualifications and to foster the resuming of education; inquiry of interviews and testimonies from migrants that have tried to achieve a formal recognition of their previous skills and studies, in order to outline the main resources and constraints observable in these pathways.

Although the project is centered in Italy, the findings presented are linked and compared to the overall European situation, in order to present a broader discussion which might pave the way for a wide-ranging debate, in which identify a set of effective policy indications applying in several contexts.

The analysis presented in this proposal is based on both quantitative and qualitative methods. In the one case, data collection on the main characteristics of migrant population with regards to educational and professional qualifications is drawn from different databases, from both national and international sources. Moreover, an inquiry of a local database, containing more than 900 cases of requests of educational qualifications recognition, is presented; these data represent the outcomes of a long-term project, carried out in north Italy, devoted to follow formal requests of recognition of foreign educational qualifications, and to provide information and support to migrants. Secondly, we will present the findings from the qualitative research, carried out through interviews and focus groups. The qualitative methodology is used to investigate two main aspects: on one hand, stakeholders, services and information provided; on the other, people with migrant background who have undertaken a recognition process for their educational and/or professional qualifications. Regarding stakeholders and services, the interview revolves around the following main topics: types and characteristics of users who address the service; available information on recognition procedures, critical issues and lack of knowledge; existing networks and consequent collaborations and/or partnerships with other services and offices; the presence of dedicated staff to follow these specific proceedings. With regard to foreigners citizens that have get recognition of their educational credentials, the key investigated issues concern the ways in which they have had access to the necessary information; the accessibility, or on the contrary the complexity and difficulty, of the procedures; the assistance and support they received, and from what kind of services; the costs and expenses of the entire process, as well as how long did it take; lastly, the reasons behind their choice to undertake the procedure. As for the qualitative part, the research participants – both stakeholders and migrants – reside in northern Italy, as the overall project mainly take part in Piedmont. All the findings resulting from interviews and focus groups will be presented and discussed linking them with international data and research.

The proposal intends to contribute to the broader debate around inequalities in the access of education and high skills jobs, in particular for what concern migrant population and their offspring. Starting from the analyses of the Italian case can represent an interesting perspective from which address the overall topic: although there are some signs of improvement, in Italy migrants are often relegated to the lowest positions in the labour market [IDOS, 2020], so investigating the ways in which people with migratory background get a formal recognition of their credentials in such a context, can shed light on the very resources and practices useful in the entire process. In this sense, the proposal identifies a set of best practices emerging from the analysis, reflecting upon their transferability from one context to another, connecting the findings with the international literature on the topic. Moreover, we intend to pinpoint the main areas of action to which policies and intervention should be addressed, highlighting the most important critical issues that require attention and consideration. In conclusion, the paper proposes some policy recommendations, with the intent of contribute to the process of inequality reduction, in order to foster a more inclusive access to education and recognition of skills and competences.

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