Skills Mobility Partnerships Towards a global approach to skills development and labour mobility

This IOM brief introduces Skills Mobility Partnerships (SMPs) as multi-stakeholder, skills-centred mobility arrangements designed to align training, skills recognition and labour migration. Page 1 explains how SMPs address demographic shifts, labour shortages and skills mismatches while avoiding the pitfalls of traditional skilled-migration systems. The brief identifies eight prerequisites for sustainable SMPs, including long-term planning, multi-stakeholder coordination, skills classification, social protection and cost-sharing. It outlines five core components—formalized State cooperation, multi-stakeholder involvement, training, skills recognition and migration pathways. Page 2 illustrates the SMP skills continuum, showing the sequence from training and certification to job search, employment, and stay/return options. Challenges noted include short-term policy vision, weak coordination, employer risk aversion and neglected migrant aspirations.