Link4Skills Navigator (prototype)

FAQs

Getting started

  1. What is the Link4Skills Navigator?
    The Navigator is an online tool that helps you explore evidence on skills, jobs, and migration mostly in the EU with the reference to world regions. You can view data, build charts and dashboards, and export results for reports and presentations. You can also search Talent and Skill Mobility Partnerships and see case studies across Migration Skill Corridors (14 cases, e.g. Germany-Ghana). You can also use curated chatbot MIRA (Migration-Informed Recommendation Assistants) and ask questions regarding skill shortages, automation, re/upskilling, migration etc.
  2. Who is the Navigator for?
    It is designed for policymakers and public authorities, employer and employee organisations, vocational training stakeholders, researchers, and other labour market and migration actors.
  3. What can I do with it?
    You can explore indicators, compare countries and regions, build visualisations, save your work, and export or share outputs. You can also search Talent and Skill Mobility Partnerships and see case studies across Migration Skill Corridors (14 cases, e.g. Germany-Ghana). You can also use curated chatbot MIRA (Migration-Informed Recommendation Assistants) and ask questions regarding skill shortages, automation, re/upskilling, migration etc.
  4. How is the navigator organized?

The navigator is structured into six main tabs: Info, Migration Skills Corridors, Dashboards, Repository,Partnerships, and the MIRA Chatbot. The landing (welcome) page provides a brief introduction to the navigator and includes buttons linking to a Quick Guide and a Glossary to help users understand the platform and its terminology. The Info tab also provides access to the Quick Guide and contains additional sections describing the data sources and methodology used in the navigator.

  1. Do I need an account?
    Yes. Access is provided to registered users to support secure and responsible use.
  2. How do I register?
    On the landing page: navigator.link4skills.eu, choose “Register now” and enter your details. You also select a user type (for example researcher, recruiter, policy maker) to tailor the default view.
  3. What is the difference between user type and role?
    User type helps tailor what you see by default. Role and permissions control what you are allowed to do in the system.
  4. Can I change my user type later?
    Yes. The prototype documentation expects this to be adjustable in profile settings.
  5. Where can I check sources and definitions?
    The Navigator is designed to include an “About the data” section for sources and rules of use, and a “Methodology” section that explains how results are produced.
  6. Does it show data limitations?
    Yes. Showing limitations and how reliability is assessed is a stated requirement.
  7. How do I create a chart or map?
    Use the Charts Panel, select categories and filters, then click “Display charts” to generate charts, maps, or tables.
  8. What kinds of visualisations are available?
    The design includes common chart types and advanced options such as choropleth maps, heatmaps, network diagrams, symbol maps, and stacked area charts.
  9. Can I change chart types and customise them?
    Yes. You can switch chart types and customise elements such as legend, colours, and axes where supported.
  10. Can I export charts or data?
    Yes. Export options include formats such as CSV, SVG, PNG, and PDF.
  11. Can I share results with others?
    Yes. The Navigator is designed to support sharing outputs, including shareable links for visualisations.
  12. What is “My Workspace”?
    It is your personal area to save charts, build dashboards, view dashboards shared with you, and assemble items into reports.
  13. Can I build a report inside the Navigator?
    Yes. A feature is designed to create a document by selecting and arranging saved elements such as charts and tables.
  14. What is the chatbot for?
    It supports asking questions in natural language and receiving AI generated answers within a curated knowledge environment. It is also intended to guide users to relevant content and views.
  15. Will chatbot answers include sources?
    The approach is based on retrieval augmented generation over a curated knowledge base, with answers accompanied by document sources.
  16. Is there a chatbot disclaimer?
    Yes. Showing a disclaimer about purpose, authors, and data processing is part of the requirements.
  17. Where do I find a quick how to guide?
    A Quick Guide is available from the navigation bar, including a step-by-step guide and a downloadable PDF.
  18. What is the Repository?
    It is a central place for scientific publications and Link4Skills project outputs, supporting the Navigator knowledge base and improving chatbot responses.
  19. How do I search the Repository?
    You can filter by author, year, APA citation, title, and tags. If you do not apply filters, you can list all studies.
  20. Can I download documents from the Repository?
    If a file is available in the database, the download button is active. If not, the button is greyed out.
  21. Who can add or edit Repository records?
    Only users with extended permissions can use the Data Control panel for importing and editing records.
  22. Who do I contact for Repository permissions?
    The user manual points to Katarzyna Makohon (katarzyna.makohon@itti.com.pl) for access to advanced Repository features.
  23. I am a policymaker. How do I get presentation ready outputs fast?
    Create a few key charts, save them in My Workspace inside of Navigator, and export them or assemble them into a dashboard or report. You can also search Talent and Skill Mobility Partnerships and see case studies across Migration Skill Corridors (14 cases, e.g. Germany-Ghana). You can also use curated chatbot MIRA (Migration-Informed Recommendation Assistants) and ask questions regarding skill shortages, automation, re/upskilling, migration etc.
  24. I am a recruiter or employer organisation. Can I compare countries or regions?
    Yes. Comparing geographic areas and selecting reference years is a core use case. You can also search Talent and Skill Mobility Partnerships and see case studies across Migration Skill Corridors (14 cases, e.g. Germany-Ghana). You can also use curated chatbot MIRA (Migration-Informed Recommendation Assistants) and ask questions regarding skill shortages, automation, re/upskilling, migration etc.
  25. I am a researcher. Can I do deeper analysis?
    The design anticipates advanced features for research users, including richer operations on charts and possibly working with own data, depending on permissions. You can also search Talent and Skill Mobility Partnerships and see case studies across Migration Skill Corridors (14 cases, e.g. Germany-Ghana). You can also use curated chatbot MIRA (Migration-Informed Recommendation Assistants) and ask questions regarding skill shortages, automation, re/upskilling, migration etc.
  26. How are the dashboards in the Navigator organized?

The Dashboards section of the Navigator contains three main dashboards: Population & Employment, Labour Market, SLAMYS (Skills-in-Literacy Adjusted Mean Years of Schooling) and MYS (Mean Years of Schooling). The Population & Employment and Labour Market sections also include comparative dashboards, allowing users to compare results across two scenarios for a selected country. The landing page of the Dashboards section provides a short overview of each subsection and direct links to the corresponding dashboards and their comparative versions.

  1. Which countries are covered by the dashboards?

The Labour Market and Population & Employment dashboards cover the EU-27, while the SLAMYS and MYS dashboard includes data for 185 countries worldwide.

  1. Do the dashboards in the Navigator use real time data?

No, the dashboards do not use real-time data or live data systems. They rely on previously collected datasets from international and national sources, which are integrated into modelling frameworks to generate the results presented.

  1. Are dashboards in the Navigator connected to statistical offices?

No, the dashboards are not directly connected to statistical offices or live data systems. They rely on previously collected datasets from international and national sources, which are integrated into modelling frameworks to generate the reliable and robust results presented.

  1. What data is used to produce the dashboard results?

For the Population & Employment and Labour market dashboards, the models rely on datasets compiled from multiple established sources. These include national census data, the EU Labour Force Survey (Eurostat, 2024) for the EU-27, and country-specific time series of labour demand estimates by occupation provided by CEDEFOP (2023). These datasets are integrated to support the modelling and analysis presented in the dashboards.

For the SLAMYS and MYS dashboard, multiple international sources were used. The MYS data is derived from the Wittgenstein Centre Human Capital Data Explorer, while the SLAMYS additionally also include adult literacy data from PIAAC, the World Bank STEP survey and to improve global coverage, especially for low- and middle-income countries, tested literacy data from DHS and MICS surveys is incorporated. Where direct data was unavailable, model-based estimates were used to insure consistent coverage across countries, age groups and time periods.

  1. How are skills defined in the context of the Dashboards?

In the context of the Population & Employment and Labour market dashboards, the term “skills” can refer to two related but distinct concepts. First, individual skills are proxied by educational attainment, based on ISCED classifications (low, medium, high education). This describes the qualifications of individuals in the population. Second, occupational skills refer to the skill level required by jobs, based on ISCO classifications (low-, medium-, and high-skill occupations). This describes the characteristics of jobs in the labour market.

The SLAMYS dashboard, which focuses on education, approaches skills from a human capital perspective. It adjusts mean years of schooling with observed or estimated adult literacy skills, providing a more comprehensive view of both the quantity and quality of skills in the population of a in a given country.

  1. How are job-skill levels defined?

In the dashboards, job-skill levels are classified according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO), based on the levels of skills required for different occupations.

  • Low-skilled job: Elementary occupations (ISCO 9)
  • Medium-skilled job: ISCO categories 4 to 8; Clerical support workers (ISCO 4), Services and Sales Workers (ISCO 5), Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Workers (ISCO 6), Craft and related trades workers (ISCO 7), Plant and machine, Operators and assemblers (ISCO 8).
  • High-skilled job: ISCO 1-3 categories; Managers (ISCO 1), Professionals (ISCO 2), Technicians and Associate Professionals (ISCO 3)
  1. What do the Population and Employment Dashboards present?

The Population & Employment dashboard present projected population and workforce composition across multiple dimensions, including education, labour force status, occupation, age, sex, country of residence, and country of birth. They provide an integrated view of how demographic and socio-economic characteristics evolve over time and shape future labour supply in the EU-27.

These projections are based on the Link4Skills-Mic dynamic microsimulation model, which integrates demographic, educational, and labour force processes at the individual level.

  1. What do the Labour Market dashboard present?

The Labour Market dashboard present the development of labour demand and job vacancies over time. It presents projections of labour demand by skill level, as well as the number and distribution of job vacancies. The dashboard enables users to identify trends in increasing or decreasing labour demand and to determine occupations where vacancies are likely to grow.

  1. What comparative scenarios are available in the dashboards?

The Labour Market and Population and Employment Dashboards include eight scenarios, where users can compare two scenarios for a selected country. These what-if scenarios are designed with two objectives: to reduce the job vacancy rate and to reduce the share of underutilized workers (unemployed or overqualified).

In the Population and Employment Dashboard, users can further refine the analysis by selecting demographic characteristics, including age group, gender and educational level. The scenarios available are:

  1. Reference Scenario (baseline)
  2. Automation
  3. Better education
  4. Better selection
  5. High immigration
  6. Later retirement
  7. Mid-career training
  8. Upskilling

In addition, the dashboard includes eight combined scenarios that capture the joint effects of multiple interventions

  1. Which are the assumptions on which the scenarios are based on?
  2. Reference Scenario (baseline): Projections assume current demographic, educational, and demand trends continue, serving as the benchmark for comparison.
  3. Automation: Employers will gradually reduce labour demand by 15% by 2060 through increased use of robotics, AI and other automation technologies
  4. Better education: Expansion of access to post-secondary education for younger cohorts, raising the offs of obtaining higher education by 25% for cohorts still completing their studies.
  5. Better selection: The immigration volume remains unchanged but assumes all newcomers have the same favourable education and labour force integration profile as immigrants from North America/Other Europe.
  6. High immigration: Increases in total immigration to the EU by 50% from 2025 onward, boosting the working-age population as a demographic response to labour mismatches.
  7. Later retirement: Increases in labour force participation of workers aged 50+ to match Sweden’s current high levels, effectively postponing retirement.
  8. Mid-career training: Implementation of lifelong learning so that in every 5-year period starting 2025, 5% of medium-skilled workers move up to high-skilled and 5% of low-skilled workers move up to medium-skilled.
  9. Upskilling: Employers invest in in-house training, making workers 25% more likely to be hired into jobs above their formal qualification level.
  10. What do the SLAMYS and MYS Dashboard present?

The SLAMYS and MYS dashboard presents three main indicators:

  • Mean Years of Schooling (MYS): the average number of years spent in formal education
  • Skills-in-Literacy Adjusted Mean Years of Schooling (SLAMYS): years of schooling adjusted by literacy skill levels and benchmarked against the OECD average
  • Literacy rate: the share of the population able to read a full sentence, based on survey data

Users can explore MYS and SLAMYS for over 185 countries across the period 1970–2020, with results disaggregated by age group (20–39, 40–64, 20–64) and gender. Literacy rate data are available only for countries and years with survey observations. In cases where literacy was measured only for women, male literacy rates are estimated accordingly.

  1. Which is the scientific basis of the dashboards?

The dashboards are based on peer-reviewed research and datasets developed within the Link4Skills framework. References:

Marois, G. , Potančoková, M. , Bezat, A., & Crespo Cuaresma, J. (2026). Projecting Labour Market Imbalances and Skill Mismatch Under Demographic Change in the EU. European Journal of Population 42 e4. 10.1007/s10680-025-09758-2.

Marois, Guillaume , Potančoková, Michaela , Bezat, Agnieszka, & Crespo Cuaresma, Jesus (2025). Link4Skills-Mic. 10.5281/zenodo.17191028.

Potančoková, M. , Reiter, C. , & Spiegeler Castaneda, I. (2025). Skills-in-Literacy Adjusted Human Capital Dataset (SLAMYS). 10.5281/zenodo.16902375.

  1. What are Skill Mobility Partnerships (SMP)?

We consider Skills Mobility Partnership (SMP) as government-to-government, bilateral or multilateral partnerships between countries, aimed at creating mutually beneficial outcomes through the exchange of skilled workers. These partnerships link skills development with mobility, allowing migrants to enhance or acquire professional skills. Ultimately, such partnerships aim to foster mutual benefits: the origin country retains and builds its workforce’s skills, the destination country addresses labour shortages, migrants acquire new skills and opportunities that advance their professional growth, employers are supported in the acquisition of talent.

  1. What are Talent Partnerships?

The EU Talent Partnerships are a structured framework for EU cooperation with third countries, launched by the European Commission in 2021. Their aim is to promote labour mobility in a mutually beneficial manner, and to contribute to broader migration management goals, including in the area of return. Talent partnerships are established based on dialogue and jointly established objectives between EU Member States, the European Commission and private and public stakeholders, including in partner countries. As of 2026, Talent Partnerships have been launched with Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

  1. What is the Link4Skills Partnership Inventory?

The inventory is a mapping of SMPs that:

  • engage government bodies on both sides (at any level);
  • combine practical skills development with mobility for some or all participants;
  • were launched or in operation sometime between January 2015 and December 2025.

The inventory collects information of 18 data points about the design of the SMPs including on their general information (name, countries, years, participants numbers), governance (stakeholders, type of agreement, funding), focus (sector, skill level, mobility type) and implementation (recognition of skill, type of skilling, (re-)integration support).

  1. Which countries are included in the Link4Skills Partnership Inventory?

Partnerships were mapped that included at least one of the following:

  • at least one Link4Skills project country (Austria, Canada, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland, Ukraine) or the EU; and
  • a partner in the Western Balkan region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia);
  • a selected country in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan);
  • a selected country South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan);
  • a selected country in the middle east (Iraq Jordan, Lebanon);
  • a selected country in Africa (Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire).

As the Partnership Inventory includes partnerships concluded with at least one of the above, the broader inventory includes SMPs beyond these. In sum, these are:

Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo*, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Monaco, Montserrat, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, State of Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Zambia.

  1. What are Migration Skill Corridors?

Migration Skill Corridors (MSCs) are pathways that facilitate the movement of medium- and high-skilled migrants between origin and destination countries (Engbersen & Reinold, forthcoming; Triandafyllidou et al., 2024). Unlike traditional migration frameworks that focus solely on flows or border control, MSCs embed migration in broader transnational infrastructures acknowledging the role of numerous public and private actors and initiatives, including, for example, sector-specific partnerships, skill development, qualification recognition, return mechanisms, and recruitment practices. Accordingly, they can be more or less institutionalized and range from structured to rather ad hoc arrangements. In addition, it views migrants as active agents within these structures. Crucially, the corridor approach challenges the Eurocentric and Global North bias in migration studies and policies by integrating perspectives from both origin and destination countries. Depending on their history and dominant forms of actors and types of migration, MSCs can be established or newly emerging.  

  1. How many of Migration Skill Corridors are covered?

We cover 14 MSCs between seven countries of origin (Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines and Ukraine) and five countries of destination (Austria, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland).  

  • Ghana-Canada 
  • India-Austria  
  • India-Canada  
  • India-Germany  
  • India-Netherlands  
  • Indonesia-Austria 
  • Indonesia-Germany  
  • Morocco-Germany  
  • Morocco-Netherlands  
  • Nigeria-Canada 
  • Philippines-Germany 
  • Philippines-Poland 
  • Ukraine-Netherlands 
  • Ukraine-Poland 
  1. Why only these Migration Skill Corridors?

The Link4Skills consortium brings together partners from all 12 origin and destination countries. The countries vary in terms of size and migration history. The focus MSCs between were chosen based on theoretical relevance, covering different types of MSCs as regards, for example, historical origin, level of establishment and dominant actors shaping the corridors. At the same time, the choice had to be feasible. 

  1. How MSC relate do SMPs and Talent Partnerships?

SMPs and Talent Partnerships between two countries can contribute to the strengthening of MSCs. MSCs can also exist in the absence of state-led SMPs and Talent Partnerships, for example in countries like the Netherlands, where skilled migration is mostly demand-driven and therefore shaped mostly by private actors (e.g., employers and recruitment agencies).