Descriptive Summary:

Link4Skills Partnership Inventory

The Link4Skills Partnership Inventory maps 156 Skills Mobility Partnerships (SMPs) involving L4S countries and EU-level initiatives between 2015 and 2025. Based on extensive desk research conducted by ICMPD researchers, the paper provides a comparative overview of how governments are linking skills development and labour mobility to address growing labour shortages while seeking mutual benefits for countries of origin and destination.

The inventory reveals significant diversity in partnership models, sectors, mobility pathways, and target groups. It highlights key trends, including the prominence of healthcare, construction, and ICT partnerships, the strong focus on highly skilled and younger participants, and the limited attention currently paid to reintegration support and underrepresented groups.

The findings will feed into the interactive Link4Skills Navigator and support further analysis of migration skill corridors and fairer approaches to labour mobility.