Hannover Region promotes recruitment of foreign skilled workers

Hanover Region

There is a shortage of young talent, skilled workers are desperately sought: It is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to find qualified trainees and employees. This is why, since 2021, the Hannover Region has been supporting local companies in recruiting and integrating new skilled workers and trainees from third countries such as Tunisia and Egypt.

With the "Welcome to Hannover Region" project, Hannover Region's employment promotion department is working with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Federal Employment Agency (BA) to recruit skilled workers from abroad . The IHK Hannover and HWK Hannover are responsible for recognizing the qualifications of the new employees. The project is funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Transport and Digitalization.

For Ulf-Birger Franz, Head of Economic Affairs, this is an important project - also in view of the current energy crisis:

"There is a shortage of skilled workers not only in the catering and retail sectors, but also in the electrical and construction industries. With ' Welcome to Hannover Region ', we are explicitly targeting companies that are driving forward the accelerated energy transition here locally with a focus on electrical and electrometal professions."

The potential of skilled workers from non-EU countries is currently hardly being exploited due to the complicated legal procedures, the Head of Economic Affairs knows:

"Small and medium-sized companies in particular can quickly lack the experience and personnel capacity to recruit skilled workers from abroad and successfully integrate them into the company. With the model project, we are bringing all those involved for regional companies together at one table and reducing bureaucratic hurdles."

Ulf-Birger Franz says of the Hannover Region Economic Development Agency's partner network.

In order to ensure that the new skilled workers and the companies have a successful start to their employment relationship, the Hannover Region's economic and employment promotion project offers comprehensive integration support for up to six months: In addition to interviews between interested companies and the potential new employees, the participating companies and skilled workers receive support in dealing with authorities and the recognition of foreign qualifications.

"With welcome events as well as diversity and onboarding training, we want to break down barriers and create a good basis for a sustainable working relationship for both the participating companies and the skilled workers," explains project manager Tornike Murtskhvaladze.

A concept that works, as the initial experiences of the participating companies show.

"For years, it has been increasingly difficult for local specialist companies like ours to find new trainees and journeymen."

says Maik Wehrhahn, Managing Director of Klimatherm GmbH & Co. KG from Hanover, describing the general situation in the industry:

"Thanks to the 'Welcome to Hannover Region' project, we have now been able to fill a position with a well-trained employee from Tunisia, for which we had previously been unable to find any suitable applicants despite intensifying our search."

The integration of skilled workers from third countries into everyday working life in Hanover is working, as Tim Strecker from Elektro Strecker GmbH reports:

"As a family business, it is particularly important to us that our employees, some of whom come from abroad, feel comfortable not only at work but also in their personal environment." The support provided by the project when dealing with the authorities and language support helps companies and skilled workers to integrate into everyday life."

The recruitment of skilled workers abroad is carried out in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) via the partner project THAMM ("Towards a Holistic Approach to Labor Migration Governance and Labor Mobility in North Africa").

"With the THAMM project, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is piloting fair and safe labor migration from Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia to Germany."

explains Andrea Milkowski, THAMM program manager at GIZ:

"For this to succeed, partnerships between actors such as ministries, authorities and institutions in the labor and migration sector in North Africa and in Germany are important. Since the beginning of 2021, there has been a successful cooperation with the Hannover Region, which is actively involved in the placement of project participants."

The Hanover Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and the Hanover Chamber of Crafts (HWK) are responsible for the rapid recognition of the qualifications of skilled workers from abroad on the German labor market.

Dr. Carl-Michael Vogt, Deputy Managing Director of the Hanover Chamber of Skilled Crafts :

"For us, it is a matter of course to contribute with a qualified recognition procedure and to help ensure that skilled workers with their educational qualifications can be quickly integrated into the skilled trades labor market. In the future, we will also offer in-company post-qualification courses and are still looking into incorporating this offer into the overall package."

The IHK is also contributing its expertise in the immigration of skilled workers from third countries to the "Welcome to Hannover Region" project:

"Our member companies are increasingly focusing on securing skilled workers through the recognition of foreign professional qualifications."

Prof. Dr. Günter Hirth, Head of Vocational Training at the Hanover Chamber of Industry and Commerce , describes the current situation:

" Skilled workers wishing to immigrate are increasingly applying for recognition of their professional qualifications directly from their country of origin via the Skilled Immigration Act . This proportion has recently risen to around 40 percent at the IHK's Recognition Office."

The project is funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Transport and Digitalization with the Start-Guide Directive.

" Securing skilled workers is undoubtedly one of the most important issues of our time",

explains Economics Minister Dr. Bernd Althusmann:

"It is therefore very important to us to support the local recruitment of skilled workers, especially for small and medium-sized companies, with our funding projects. We are delighted that our Welcome to Hannover Region start-up guide project is so actively supporting the recruitment of skilled workers here in Hannover with a wide range of measures. The Hannover Region is thus positioning itself as an internationally attractive place to work and live - with an actively practiced welcoming culture."

Further information and contact details for the "Welcome to Hannover Region" pilot project can be found at www.wirtschaftsfoerderung-hannover.de/welcome