Improving job matching and career progression of Minimum Income Scheme (MIS) beneficiaries through digital solutions and AI

Despite some improvements in the labour market indicators over the past years and significant efforts by authorities to support vulnerable groups, gaps in labour market prospects across different socio-economic groups persist in Belgium and Greece. The beneficiaries of Minimum Income Schemes (MIS) tend to face particularly severe obstacles in their pathways to labour market integration. Digital solutions can help MIS beneficiaries better identify matching employment opportunities and career pathways. The use of AI can further improve this matching process by better aligning jobseekers’ skills and employer needs, including discovering skills needed for career progression.

Starting in September 2024 and for a period of two years, the OECD, in cooperation with the European Commission, will work with the authorities of Belgium and Greece to strengthen their capacity to develop digital solutions to support the job matching and career progression of vulnerable groups, particularly MIS beneficiaries. Such digital solutions can be utilised for example by job counsellors and social workers, as well as MIS beneficiaries themselves to guide job search and identify support needs, helping to shorten the duration of unemployment and leading to more sustainable, higher-quality career paths and improved social inclusion. In addition, the Project will explore opportunities to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to increase the performance of such digital solutions while minimising the associated risks. It will address the need for inclusive, sustainable, citizen-centric AI development, not only to transform the economy but also to tackle societal challenges like gender inequalities and the digital divide. The Project includes the following capacity-building activities.

• International workshop: Identifying employment obstacles and opportunities for vulnerable groups (Concept note, agenda and presentations)
• International workshop: Digital and AI-powered job matching and career recommendation tools (Concept note, agenda and presentations)

This type of support could be relevant for other countries seeking to harness digitalisation and AI to better support vulnerable groups in accessing good jobs. Particular areas that may be of interest to other countries include i) how to design, implement and use job matching and related tools to recommend jobs and career pathways; ii) how to harness AI in increasing effectiveness and user-friendliness of job matching and career recommendation tools while managing associated risks; and iii) how to integrate job matching and career recommendation tools in the service processes to support the beneficiaries of minimum income schemes.

• Employment services and active labour market policies
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