How can Europe’s job brokers and employment professionals better connect refugees, job seekers, and employers—especially in fast-growing sectors like tourism?
That’s the question driving the MAAS – Match, Attach and Sustain project, which has completed a first validation phase. The results show that collaboration and shared learning across borders can transform employability support for both refugees and employers.
During 2025, MAAS partners engaged 57 professionals and participants (including job brokers, tourism employers, refugee-support organisations, and Ukrainian refugees) from Cyprus, Greece, Iceland, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine. Using a shared methodology, the validation tested how MAAS approaches can strengthen cooperation between employment services, the tourism sector, and refugee integration initiatives.
Findings confirm that the tourism sector offers an accessible entry point for refugees, especially women, even without full language fluency or formal qualification recognition. Ukrainian refugees are described as highly motivated, skilled, and ambitious, though often limited by language barriers and temporary employment conditions. Employers value their strong work ethic and adaptability, while job brokers underline the need for better systems to recognise qualifications, language training, and digital matching tools.
Participants also highlighted the crucial role of job brokers as connectors between refugees, employers, and support agencies, and endorsed the planned MAAS eGuide and eTracker as practical resources to enhance their work.
Our experts from the MAAS partnerships say: “The validation clearly shows that MAAS provides job brokers with the tools and inspiration they need to offer more inclusive, effective employment support,” and “It’s about sharing what works – and building bridges between people, professions, and countries.”
The validation process, coordinated by Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS) with contributions from all partners, demonstrates that MAAS has succeeded in combining practical learning with strategic impact. The initiative aligns with European priorities on inclusion, digital transition, and skills development, contributing valuable evidence and methods for future employment policies.
The next step will be the launch of the MAAS eGuide, a free digital resource that compiles lessons, tools, and expert insights from the MAAS Community of Practice. Designed especially for job brokers and employment professionals, it also includes materials for tourism employers, refugees, and researchers. +info soon at: www.maas-project.eu
The MAAS consortium brings together 9 organisations from 7 European countries:
Trim Tab (SE), the project coordinator, and Folkuniversitetet (SE); Rinova Málaga (ES) and Sextaplanta (ES); Vinnumálastofnun – VMST (IS); Larnaka Tourism Board (CY); DIMITRA Education (GR); Warsaw University of Life Sciences – WULS (PL); and VITE SUTE (UA). The consortium represents expertise in employment and training, social inclusion, tourism development, digital innovation, and refugee support. Together, they form a strong transnational network striving to enhance employability, inclusion, and sustainable growth within Europe’s tourism sector.
MAAS – Match, Attach and Sustain is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.