ICT for the employability and integration of immigrants in the European Union: Results from a survey in three Member States

Abstract

This report presents the findings of a survey on the role played by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in supporting the employability and integration of immigrants in Europe. 1,500 immigrants in 3 Member States (Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Spain) were interviewed face-to-face from the end of 2012 to mid-2013 to identify their ICT skills, access and usage, with the aim to identify the role of ICT for their employability and integration in the host country and comparing connected and non-connected migrants. The statistical analysis carried out in this survey revealed that migrants differed in ICT usage, employability and integration in the 3 countries surveyed. Moreover, age, education, employment status, and type of occupation were clear sources of digital inequalities. The findings point to the implications for policies that aim to take advantage of the potential offered by immigration in the European Union, such as digital inclusion policies address specific groups of migrants (older and unemployed), supporting public libraries and other forms of public access, promoting digital skills, and migrant integration policies to raise awareness about how the Internet can help migrants to become more actively engaged in society.