Developing a strategy for the implementation of talent policy in Lithuania

The Commission supported the drafting of a wealth of tailor-made recommendations for enhancing talent policies and institutional frameworks for attracting international talent to Lithuania.

Context

Demographic circumstances and the tight labour market in Lithuania, linked among others with emigration, have been affecting the country’s competitiveness and ability to attract foreign direct investment. Competition for talent has become an essential topic for businesses, which are increasingly active in introducing measures to both attract talents and better retain those they have attracted.

Between September 2019 and January 2021, the Commission provided technical expertise to help Lithuania develop and launch a new talent attraction strategy, aimed at attracting and retaining international skilled and highly skilled workers, international students, graduates, as well as Lithuanians established abroad.

Support delivered

Activities included:

• analysis of the talent attraction ecosystem and recommendations of effective measures to attract labour migration;

• design of a strategy for the coordination of labour migration policy at national and local level;

• study visits and training programme for the ten inter-institutional team members in relation to labour migration policies;

• benchmarking analysis for setting up a new government agency to coordinate and implement the new policy and recommendations.

Results achieved

The project provided a wealth of tailor made recommendations for enhancing talent policies and institutional frameworks for attracting international talent to Lithuania, based on international practices. The training programme reinforced Lithuania’s capacity to design and develop more robust policies and institutions. Taking inspiration from some of the project’s recommendations, Lithuania established the International House Vilnius in 2021 to act as a reference point for international talent and facilitating integration and inclusion of international workers and their families. By nurturing talent, Lithuania expects to help employers get better access to international skilled and highly skilled workers to match labour market needs thus contributing to the country’s economic growth.

More about the project

TALENTAS on The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)