The need for skilled workers in Germany has significantly increased again after the end of the Corona crisis. As of February 2023, there were 778,000 vacancies in Germany requiring skilled workers, which is an increase of 14,000 compared to January – a two percent increase within a few weeks.
This shortage of skilled workers is noticeable in almost every industrial sector in Germany, including crafts, engineering, and MINT professions. The Association of German Engineers (VDI) reported that around 171,000 engineering positions need to be filled, while the Institute of German Economics reported 201,411 vacancies for German skilled trades in the summer of 2022.
Ramiro Vera-Fluixá, from the employment agency, notes that demand is increasing. He has been living in Germany for over 30 years and works at the International Placement Agency (ZAV) on various projects aimed at addressing and placing skilled workers in South Pacific and North Africa to work in Germany.
Vera-Fluixá believes that not only can this potential influx of skilled workers address Germany’s labor shortage, but they can also bring valuable characteristics and skills to the modern job market. Many HR managers are already looking for applicants who have some experience working abroad. With the potential to find the right people for German companies, Vera-Fluixá sees the recruitment of skilled workers from abroad as hugely beneficial.
However, certain challenges must be overcome in addressing skilled workers in different cultures. Hurdles arise when an application focuses on areas that are of lesser importance in other cultures. In an interview with “heise meets…”, Ramiro Vera-Fluixá goes into more detail about these challenges and strategies for overcoming them.
In conclusion, Germany requires a significant number of skilled workers to fill the open vacancies in various sectors. The shortage of skilled workers is particularly high in crafts, engineering, and MINT professions. The recruitment of skilled workers abroad may be the solution to the labor shortage in Germany. However, certain hurdles must be overcome to address them correctly in other cultures.
