In Germany it is assumed that many Ukraine refugees will stay longer. The labor market is open, companies and associations want to integrate. But there are also warning voices.
Although the focus is currently on helping and protecting those who fled from the Ukraine before the Russian war of aggression, their integration into the German labor market is also becoming an increasingly important issue.
“In view of Putin’s terrible war of aggression, we are preparing for the fact that many refugees will stay longer,” said Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) of the German Press Agency. The labor market is open. At a meeting with DAX board members last week, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) emphasized the importance of the economy in the integration of Ukrainian refugees, according to a statement.
The trade union IG Bau, on the other hand, warned against exploiting refugees from Ukraine as cheap labour. At the end of March, the meat company Tönnies came under criticism after the ARD political magazine “Panorama” reported on how the company on the Polish-Ukrainian border is said to have tried to recruit refugees as production helpers. Tönnies denied any selfish intent.
Between helpfulness and self-interest
It can be a balancing act for companies to honestly want to help and have a need for workers on the one hand and not be criticized for exploiting the suffering of war refugees on the other.
At the beginning of April, the software company SAP announced the launch of a program with its own website, the aim of which was to “bring together refugees from Ukraine with vacancies in the global SAP branches”.
SAP is not an isolated case among large corporations. On request, the sporting goods manufacturer Adidas stated that it has been supporting the integration of refugees into the labor market since 2015, for example through internships and training opportunities. “These programs are of course also open to refugees from Ukraine, and there are first applications,” said a spokesman. In addition, there are numerous opportunities for direct entry, for example for experts in the digital world.
Mercedes-Benz “would like to support refugees from Ukraine in finding new job opportunities,” as a spokeswoman said. It is important for the Stuttgart carmaker to quickly issue the necessary residence and work permits. You also need clarity about legal requirements, for example “whether and in which cases certain documents and certificates that cannot currently be obtained can be dispensed with”. Such as study and training certificates from refugees.
Bahn has already hired refugees
According to HR director Martin Seiler, Deutsche Bahn alone has “permanently 3,000 to 4,000 open positions”. The company has already hired the first Ukrainian refugees, for example as civil engineers, on the telephone hotline or in the IT department. And Siemens is also planning programs to integrate refugees into the labor market, for example school internships, professional internships or training preparatory classes with language acquisition measures.
The Central Association of German Crafts (ZDH) announced that in the short term it was about humanitarian aid and not primarily about recruiting skilled workers. Above all, the existing qualifications and the great interest of the refugees in taking up employment quickly offer opportunities for successful labor market integration in the skilled trades. “Numerous refugees have medical-technical qualifications, for example, which makes employment in the health trades interesting,” said the ZDH.
Perspective stays of two to three years are not unrealistic according to the current status. “In such a period of time, young people from Ukraine could have completed their schooling and then be interested in training in a trade,” according to the ZDH.
BDA Managing Director: Politicians must act faster
“We employers are ready to employ and train refugees from Ukraine. Many employers also help with the accommodation and care of the people, »said the general manager of the employers’ association BDA, Steffen Kampeter. Politicians must finally switch to crisis mode, the admission of people from Ukraine is often still too slow and inefficient.
The federal government must relieve the economy and create framework conditions for integration. “The possibility of being able to take up work in Germany without red tape that corresponds to the qualifications of the refugees is central here,” says Kampeter.
“If it happens that people stay with us longer and they are looking for work or want to do an apprenticeship, we are of course prepared and well positioned to help as quickly and unbureaucratically as possible,” said the Federal Employment Agency. If Ukrainian refugees want to work in Germany, they will find a ready job market, and the need for workers is high.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
