As the EU grapples with an ageing workforce, IRU made the case for tapping third-country drivers to help ease growing shortages at the recent THAMM Plus event in Tunis, Tunisia.
The EU road transport sector is ramping up efforts to attract local talent, with a particular focus on young people and women. However, as the shortage remains acute and a significant portion of the current workforce nears retirement, the industry also needs skilled drivers from third countries, including Tunisia.
IRU is spearheading several initiatives to support EU transport companies in recruiting qualified third-country drivers. Among them is the Skilled Driver Mobility for Europe (SDM4EU) project, which is part of the technical assistance projects under the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF), funded by the EU.
In parallel, IRU has completed the “bus and truck drivers from third countries” study (STEER2EU), which was entrusted to IRU by the European Commission. The research examined the EU conditions for employing non-EU drivers and driver qualification frameworks in 20 non-EU countries, including Tunisia.
Speaking at the EU- and French Office for Immigration and Integration-backed “THAMM Plus: Labour migration governance and mobility in North Africa” event in Tunis, IRU Director of Certification and Standards Patrick Philipp said, “We need to tackle two interrelated issues: chronic driver shortages in the EU and the lack of professional qualification standards in many countries around the world.
“By harmonising professional qualification standards globally, we can ease driver shortages while enhancing qualification frameworks in partner countries like Tunisia. It's a mutually beneficial solution.”
The implementation of the ECMT Quality Charter, which recognises IRU Academy Professional Qualifications as a benchmark, is seen as a model for improving regional harmonisation and the recognition of driver qualifications.
The event included exchanges with government representatives on the need to establish an advanced examination methodology and improve capacity to ensure transparency and trust in driver qualification documents.
Discussions are also ongoing with institutional partners, including the IRU Academy Accredited Training Institute and Sectoral Training Center in Transport and Logistics of Borj Cédria, to establish the necessary standards to train, assess and certify local drivers. The aim is to strengthen access to local opportunities and, for some, open pathways to international careers.
