EU skills profile tool for third country nationals.
Date: 2017-12-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Subjects: EU employment policy, Internet, computer, continuing vocational training, digital technology, education policy, information technology, job mobility, mobile phone, professional qualifications, third country, vocational guidance, vocational training

EU Skills Profile Tool 
for Third Country 
Nationals

Social Europe

© Shutterstock, 2017Manuscript completed in May 2017

1st edition

Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission 
is responsible for the use that might be made of the following information.

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2017

© European Union, 2017 
Reuse is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. 

The reuse policy of European Commission documents is regulated by Decision 2011/833/EU (OJ 
L 330, 14.12.2011, p. 39).

For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the EU copyright, 
permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders.

Print 
PDF 

ISBN 978-92-79-69004-4 
ISBN 978-92-79-68997-0 

doi10.2767/503033 
doi:10.2767/766535 

KE-01-17-513-EN-C
KE-01-17-513-EN-N

EU Skills Profile Tool 
for Third Country 
Nationals

4        EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals

What is the EU Skills Profile Tool 
for Third Country Nationals?

The EU Skills Profile Tool is a multilingual online editor that makes 
it  possible  for  third  country  nationals  to  present  their  skills, 
qualifications,  and  experiences  in  a  way  that  is  understood  across 
the European Union. It helps organisations offering services to third 
country nationals to identify specific needs, such as language tuition, 
employment advice or further training and ultimately simplifies the 
process of matching jobseekers to vacancies.

A Skills Profile can be completed online or offline and can be accessed 
from most devices, including desktops, mobiles and tablets. 

© Shutterstock, 2017EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals        5  

Who can use the EU Skills Profile 
Tool for Third Country Nationals?

The EU Skills Profile Tool can be used by national authorities and other services 
in  (early)  contact  situations  with  third  country  nationals  (asylum  applicants, 
refugees,  beneficiaries  of  international  protection  and  other  categories  of 
migrants).  Advisers  or  staff  within  these  organisations  should  complete  the 
form with input from the individual.

“

In  today’s  world  of  work  we  need  all  people  on  board  to  fully  use  their 
skills in our labour markets. Also the talents of third country nationals can’t 
be  wasted.  The  ‘Skills  Profile  Tool’  will  facilitate  their  way  towards  work, 
allowing  national  administrations  to  have  a  clear  understanding  of  their 
skills  and  qualifications.  It  is  a  first  necessary  step  to  further  guide  them 
towards training, education or employment. With this tool, it will be easier to 
tackle the challenges and to seize the opportunities of integrating refugees 
and asylum seekers into the labour market, making it a win-win for all.

“

Marianne Thyssen
Commissioner for Employment, 
Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility  

© Shutterstock, 2017© European Union, 20176        EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals

Why do we need an EU Skills Profile 
Tool for Third Country Nationals?

Giving  visibility  to  the  valuable  skills  and  experiences 
of third country nationals is crucial for their integration, 
offering them the best opportunity to participate fully 
in society and the world of work.

But often people fleeing from their country do not come 
with their diplomas in hand, so it’s important that their 
skills can be presented in a way that can help them to 
get recognition for what they have done before.

How does the EU Skills Profile Tool 
for Third Country Nationals work?

The EU Skills Profile Tool is made up of questions that 
will create an overall picture of an individual’s skills, work 
and education experiences. 

The  tool  allows  users  to  systematically  identify  and 
document  the  range  of  skills  an  individual  may  have 
acquired in different settings – including formal education, 
informal training, work experience and beyond.

The  tool  is  multilingual  to  ensure  individuals  can 
accurately  understand,  identify  and  communicate  their 
skills.  It  will  be  available  in  all  official  EU  languages, 
Arabic,  Farsi,  Pashto,  Sorani,  Somali  and  Tigrinya,  and 
can display any two of these at one time on screen. 

EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals        7  

What are the main sections 
of the EU Skills Profile Tool?

The main sections of the EU Skills Profile Tool are:

Personal Information
covering  personal  details,  contact  information  and 
migration information. 

Expectations 
including immediate goals, such as language learning, 
integration courses or finding a job or  self-employment.

Skills identification 
encompassing a summary of language skills, education and 
training,  literacy,  numeracy,  digital  and  professional  skills, 
skills  acquired  outside  the  workplace,  other  skills  such  as 
team  working  or  problem  solving  skills  and  driving  license 
information.

Overall appraisal and recommended next steps 
includes  the  advisor’s  comments  following  the  skills 
identification  exercise,  e.g.  (self)  employment  advice, 
priorities  for  further  education  and  training,  referrals  to 
other services, relevant to the expectations expressed. 

The third country national will receive a digital and hard copy summary of their Skills Profile. 
And if they give their consent it can be forwarded to agencies which can provide support to 
help with the next steps identified, such as public employment services or training bodies.

8        EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals

How can the EU Skills Profile Tool 
help organisations offering services 
to third country nationals?

 ■ The  EU  Skills  Profile  Tool  makes  it  easier  and  quicker  to  understand  and  present 

individuals’ skills and their skills needs. 

 ■ The information collected through the EU Skills Profile Tool can be used to identify what 
skills assessment or validation is needed, what additional skills are needed, and what 
qualifications could be formally recognised. Furthermore, it can support better guidance, 
e.g. towards a job or self-employment. Advisers complement the collected information 
with targeted referrals for the next steps like web-links, contact information of relevant 
organisations and services. 

 ■ The tool captures information in a consistent way, using standardised terminology used 

across the European Union.

 ■ There is an option to attach files such as certificates and diplomas to the Skills Profile. 

 ■ Skills Profiles can be saved in many formats which, with clearly expressed consent by 
the individual/owner of the information, may be shared between support services. 

“

Migrants come with their own experience, talents and skills that can be real 
assets for our economies and societies overall. Investing in early labour market 
integration is therefore paramount. Our ‘Skills Profile’ will shorten the journey 
for  newly-arrived  third  country  nationals  to  employment  by  giving  them  a 
‘human’ and professional face through a first overview of their Skills Profiles.

“

Dimitris Avramopoulos
Commissioner for Migration, 
Home Affairs and Citizenship

© European Union, 2017EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals        9  

How can the EU Skills Profile Tool 
help third country nationals?

 ■ Completing a Skills Profile makes it possible for individuals to discuss and explain 

their skills and identify relevant validation, training or job opportunities. 

 ■ Third  country  nationals  can  show  their  Skills  Profiles  to  potential  training 
organisations, employers and other organisations. The multilingual nature of the 
document makes it easier to be understood across borders.

 ■ Alternatively third country nationals may request reception centres or agencies to 
send on their Skills Profiles to relevant organisations on their behalf. This provides 
a supportive structure all along their pathway to integration in the labour market.

 ■ Skills Profile data can be imported into other tools such as CV templates. 

 ■ The tool is completely flexible – individuals can enter as much or as little information 

as they wish, and may complete the form all in one go or in stages. 

© Shutterstock, 2017

10        EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals

What happens to the information 
stored in the EU Skills Profile Tool?

A range of personal information can be included in the EU Skills Profile 
Tool – however, as the vast majority of fields are optional, it is up to the 
discretion of individuals as to what data they choose to input into the tool. 

The  EU  Skills  Profile  Tool  is  hosted  and  managed  by  the  European 
Commission, but the Commission will only collect anonymised statistical 
data.  Completed  Skills  Profiles  are  not  stored  on  the  servers  of  the 
European Commission.

Any  sharing  of  Skills  Profiles  between  national  authorities  and  other 
services  supporting  third  country  nationals  must  be  done  with  the  full 
consent of the third country national. All information must be managed in 
compliance with national and EU data protection law. 

Where can I access the 
EU Skills Profile Tool?

The EU Skills Profile Tool has been developed by the European Commission 
and made available for all users free of charge. 

The EU Skills Profile Tool can be accessed here: ec.europa.eu/migrantskills

EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals        11  

Getting in touch with the EU

In person
All over the European Union there are hundreds of Europe Direct Information Centres. 
You can find the address of the centre nearest you at: 

http://europa.eu/contact

On the phone or by e-mail
Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European Union. 

You can contact this service 

– by freephone: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (certain operators may charge for these calls), 
– at the following standard number: +32 22999696 or 
– by electronic mail via: http://europa.eu/contact

Finding information about the EU

Online
Information  about  the  European  Union  in  all  the  official  languages  of  the  EU  is  available  on  the 
Europa website at: http://europa.eu  

EU Publications
You can download or order free and priced EU publications from EU Bookshop at:  
http://bookshop.europa.eu. Multiple copies of free publications may be obtained by contacting Europe 
Direct or your local information centre (see http://europa.eu/contact)

EU law and related documents
For access to legal information from the EU, including all EU law since 1951 in all the official language 
versions, go to EUR-Lex at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu

Open data from the EU
The EU Open Data Portal (http://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data) provides access to datasets from the 
EU. Data can be downloaded and reused for free, both for commercial and non-commercial purposes.

 
K
E
-
0
1
-
1
7
-
5
1
3
-
E
N
-
N

This brochure provides an overview of the EU Skills Profile Tool; a multilingual online editor 
that makes it possible for third country nationals to present their skills, qualifications, and 
experiences in a way that is understood across the European Union. It can be used by national 
authorities  and  other  services  in  (early)  contact  situations  with  third  country  nationals 
(asylum applicants, refugees, beneficiaries of international protection and other categories 
of  migrants).  Advisers  or  staff  within  these  organisations  should  complete  the  form  with 
input  from  the  individual.  The  EU  Skills  Profile  Tool  has  been  developed  by  the  European 
Commission and made available for all users free of charge.

You can download our publications or subscribe for free at ec.europa.eu/social/publications

If you would like to receive regular updates about the Directorate-General for Employment, 
Social  Affairs  and  Inclusion,  sign  up  to  receive  the  free  Social  Europe  e-newsletter  at  
ec.europa.eu/social/e-newsletter

www.facebook.com/socialeurope 

www.twitter.com/EU_Social