In the last week of April, partners of the PROMOTE project gathered in Bilbao, Spain, for two days of productive in-person meetings focused on strengthening opportunities for highly skilled migrant women across Europe. 

Hosted in the Basque Country, the meeting brought together consortium partners to review and further develop PROMOTE’s training programme for highly skilled migrant women and employers, as well as the project’s work-based learning and placement programme. 

The PROMOTE project addresses one of Europe’s pressing challenges: the underutilisation of highly skilled migrant women in the workforce. Despite their qualifications, expertise, and experience, many migrant women — particularly women from Ukraine — face barriers such as unrecognised qualifications, overqualification, and limited access to suitable career opportunities. 

Through tailored training, mentorship, and work placements, PROMOTE aims to support migrant women in realising their full career potential while contributing to a more inclusive, diverse, and dynamic European workforce. 

During the meeting in Bilbao, partners exchanged updates on the development of the training course modules and discussed the next steps for implementing the work-based learning programme with employers. On behalf of WECF, a communications strategy session was also facilitated to strengthen the project’s outreach, visibility, and engagement with stakeholders across Europe. 

Alongside the productive sessions, partners enjoyed the warm hospitality of the hosts, a tour around the vibrant city of Bilbao, and the opportunity to experience delicious Basque cuisine together.