IRU is supporting the Skilled Driver Mobility for Europe II (SDM4EU II) project as a technical partner to establish safe, legal and demand-driven labour mobility pathways for professional drivers between North Africa and the EU.

The project aims to train 600 professional drivers in Egypt and Morocco (300 in each country). A third of them (200 drivers, 100 per country), will then be facilitated into a mobility process to work in Italy and Romania to balance labour shortages. Drivers selected in Egypt will be prepared for opportunities in Romania, while candidates in Morocco will be connected with employers in Italy.

Demand for road transport and logistics services continues to grow across Europe, while the sector’s ageing workforce is retiring faster than it can be replaced. Attracting more young people and women remains essential, but these measures alone will not close the gap. SDM4EU II will also help elevate the skills and employment opportunities of professional drivers in Egypt and Morocco.

“The Skilled Driver Mobility 4 EU II project offers a clear win-win solution, helping Italy and Romania address their shortage of drivers while strengthening the skills and employment prospects of professional drivers in Egypt and Morocco,” said IRU Certification and Standards Director Patrick Philipp.

Drivers will receive continuous support before and after moving to their destination country, where IRU members FAI and UNTRR will play a key role in facilitating their integration.

The process will cover outreach and candidate selection, technical and language training, employer matching, legal labour mobility, integration support, employment and retention.

The project will also strengthen local training capacity by enhancing the skills of 30 trainers.

Running from June 2026 to December 2028, SDM4EU II is co-funded by the EU and contracted by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development through the Migration Partnership Facility. It is coordinated by GOPA PACE, with AASTMT, Soleterre and the ICAR Foundation as co-beneficiaries. IRU contributes as a technical partner responsible for training standards and advocacy.

SDM4EU II supports the EU’s wider Talent Partnerships agenda by demonstrating how skills development, ethical recruitment and public-private cooperation can create sustainable mobility pathways that benefit drivers, employers and participating countries.

This project is awarded and contracted in the framework of the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF), an EU-funded initiative implemented by ICMPD in support of the external dimension of the EU migration policy. Through its grants, the MPF facilitates the execution of projects to strengthen dialogue and cooperation on migration and mobility between Member States and partner countries outside the EU.