Introduction to the Special Issue: European youth migration: human capital outcomes, skills and competences

Abstract

Human capital has been long an exceedingly important concept in migration research. Over time there have been attempts to provide more nuanced, and less economistic interpretations of human capital. Based on outputs from the EU Horizon 2020 project YMOBILITY (2015-2018) and two additional papers, this Special Issue seeks to advance this agenda further by addressing the complexities of the mobility of human capital. Migration problematises human capital assumptions due to challenges in transferring human capital across national borders. In this introductory paper we propose rethinking the human capital of migrants in a threefold way. Firstly, we question the interpretation of skills and competences beyond the conventional divide of 'higher-skilled' and 'lower-skilled' through the concept of a 'knowledgeable migrant'. Secondly, we probe deeper into an understanding of the transferability of skills in relation to 'location', exploring the possibilities and constraints to the transfer of human capital in different spatial contexts. Thirdly, we theorise human capital in terms of new temporalities of migration and the role these play in skill acquisition. We illustrate our novel theoretical thinking with selected empirical data, both quantitative and qualitative, on youth mobility in Europe.

‘One improves here every day’: the occupational and learning journeys of ‘lower-skilled’ European migrants in the London region

“…Reflecting these critiques, our analysis of lower-educated Europeans in Britain illustrates the wide and versatile nature of 'skills', from technical to social and personal ones (Hagan, Demonsant, and Chávez 2014, 81), acquired within and beyond the workplace, as well as the learning potential of all migrants (Lulle, Janta, and Emilsson 2019). In addition, it calls attention to how migrants' own understanding and use of skills may redraw traditional distinctions and hierarchies.…”

“…Occupational mobility and career success are typically associated with 'high-skilled' migrants, most often defined as possessing university education or 'extensive experience in a given field' (Iredale 2000, 883). As widely documented, migrants often encounter difficulties in transferring their skills and qualifications abroad, getting jobs below their qualifications (Nowicka 2014;Parutis 2014;Lulle, Janta, and Emilsson 2019). Over time, developing language skills, knowledge and credentials specific to the place of settlement have been linked with improved access to higher-level occupations and earnings (Hagan, Lowe, and Quingla 2011, 152-153).…”

“…This polarised view not only misses the many 'in-between' categories of migrant workers (cf. Favell, Feldblum, and Smith 2006) but also projects a static and partial picture of skills, overlooking a whole range of other, social and personal skills, for example, related to communication, teamwork, leadership, initiative, conduct or presentation, which may be embodied and hardly gauged from one's education history, yet often valued by employers, and mobilised by migrants for career advancement (Newman 1999;Williams and Baláž 2005;McDowell, Batnitzky, and Dyer 2007;Hagan, Demonsant, and Chávez 2014;Hagan, Hernández-León, and Demonsant 2015;Nowicka 2014;Lulle, Janta, and Emilsson 2019). In fact, studies show that 'unskilled' jobs require multiple skills, which may be enhanced and utilised in the pursuit of better opportunities (e.g.…”

Dreifing efnahags- og menntunarauðs meðal foreldra í skólahverfum höfuðborgarsvæðisins 1997–2016

“…Menntunarstig foreldra hefur tvöfaldast á þessum 20 árum og er nú 60% enda eru þessi foreldrar sú kynslóð sem naut góðs af opnun framhalds-og háskólastigsins (Jón Torfi Jónasson 1997). Margir innflytjendur hafa háskólamenntun, sem samkvaemt rannsóknum er þó mun síður metin að verðleikum á vinnumarkaði en meðal innfaeddra (Lulle, Janta & Emilsson 2019). Þannig má segja að tölur um menntunarstig í hverfunum með laegst hlutfall á öllum víddum auðs hafi því talsvert aðra merkingu en á auðstéttasvaeðunum og stéttamunurinn sé í raun meiri.…”

Emigracioni potencijal mladih u Srbiji

“…Tako se u zemljama u razvoju kao primarni faktori izdvajaju oni ekonomske prirode -nedostatak osnovnih materijalnih sredstava za život, nezaposlenost i nemogućnost napredovanja u karijeri, nezadovoljstvo ekonomskom situacijom, profesijom, primanjima, ali i kvalitetom života uopšte. Sa druge strane, istraživanja sprovedena u razvijenim delovima sveta 2 ukazala su na značaj obrazovanja u oblikovanju migracionih obrazaca, kao i na to da su visokoobrazovana lica u većoj meri uključena u migracioni proces u odnosu na ostatak populacije (Duplantier i sur., 2017;Semela i Cochrane, 2019;Lulle, Janta i Emilsson, 2019;Milasi, 2020). Treba imati u vidu da mladi, pogotovo iz grupe zemalja u razvoju, dolaskom u državu destinacije neretko obavljaju niskokvalifikovane poslove, bez obzira na stepen obrazovanja (King i sur., 2016).…”