Deutsche Welle: Germany in crisis, it needs millions of workers

German enterprises may soon lack millions of workers. The Federal Employment Agency wants to take countermass above all with further training. No one should lose his job, says the head of the Nuremberg authorities.

In the fight against the large shortage of qualified workers on the German job market, experts say how many more people should continue to work, including those with fewer qualifications.

It is important that we gain as many potential workers in Germany as possible and not lose anyone”, said Federal Employment Agency Chairman Detlef Scheele.

In the future, as many new jobs will be opened that will be eliminated as a result of the automation and transformation process, but workers must have another profile.

People who are threatened by unemployment because of the restructuring of the economy may lose their jobs, but this workforce should be maintained and re-qualified for other jobs.

“Must train”, Scheele stressed. The Federal Agency has a fund of about 900m euros for further training programmes of employees for 2022.

The “that money must be used to cope with structural changes, transformation of the economy and to keep people at work”, Scheele said.

First of all, employers are the ones who have to react and act because they have to determine which direction to requalify the workforce. The Federal Agency sees itself in the next ten years as a kind of moderator in this process.

“Pilot projects for various fields, industries, and crafts have already been made. “We are learning to be the center of transformation”, Scheele said.

The number of economically active persons in Germany who are subject to social security contributions is already at a record level of 34.3 million. Federal Employment Agency assumes that if nothing is taken by 2035 Germany will have a shortage of seven million workers.

Searching for the Work Force in Other Countries

That's why Germany needs to bring in skilled workforce from European Union countries, but also countries outside the EU that now come nurses and employees who care for elderly people from countries like Colombia, Mexico, or Indonesia. Germany urgently needs these employees coming from the EU and from third countries. If they did not come in sufficient numbers, Germany could face difficulties in economic growth. The absence of foreign arrival can curb economic growth.

In addition, efforts must be made to return to the work process at least some of the approximately one million long - term unemployed in Germany. A proper step in this direction is also the part of the Coalition Agreement, where changes are envisioned in this area, Scheele said. Even considerable subsidies for employment of long - term unemployed can help.

Fewer taxes required for qualified foreign workers

Foreign Trade Chamber Chairman Dirk Jandura has asked the federal government to temporarily reduce the tax burden for qualified foreign workers coming to Germany. “I could imagine that to make Germany attractive to them, qualified workers were given a tax cut for the first two or three years as a kind of arrival drive here”, Jardura told the Rheinsche Post newspaper.

The lack of qualified workers is that today a decisive disadvantage in competition. Therefore, the federal government must quickly increase its authenticity and make a more appropriate policy toward immigrants. For him, very unclear are the formulas in the coalition agreement. I would like a systemic approach with clear rules like crystal, who should come to us, what professional qualifications and what will be the appropriate incentives for these people. The global battle for the wisest heads has long begun. We are risking to lose this battle”

Trade unions are very important

There is no doubt that further professional preparation should be an essential area of structural change. But who should be responsible for it? Unions see the government as responsible. It should support employees in structural changes, for example with the right to qualifications and teaching, says DGB chief Reiner Hoffman.

Employers' Association Chairman Rainer Dulger, on the other hand, says: “Companies do not need unco-ordinated bureaucratic legal rules”. The treatments are “tomorrow” of enterprises, and the workforce should be as flexible as possible. “Companies and their employees may well decide for individual options and conditions required. ”

Further training is one of the challenges that bring structural change, Dulger said. “We need a further educational revolution that should happen and take place in the company.” Dugler thinks the amount of about 41 billion euros companies have already invested in further training will continue to grow. / DW/