Germany is trying to clear the rocky road for foreign talent – #Germany #clear #rocky #road #foreign #talent
BERLIN, Feb 23 (Reuters) – Costa Rican Alex Madrigal, a seasoned economist, approved his visa in just six hours in May last year, although that was just the beginning of the hurdles he faced in settling in Germany despite the country’s chronic condition. lack of skills.
Like all migrants, he bank she had to contend with a variety of obstacles, from tracking down the paperwork needed for her account and housing to making an appointment to get her work permit approved.
“It’s a vicious circle where one thing depends on another and there’s no logical order,” Madrigal said.
“Germany wants to attract workers, but they have to take some logical steps to follow through,” added the 33-year-old, who landed a job in Berlin’s tech arm after taking a German language course and navigating all the red tape. InterWorks consulting service.
Germany, like the world’s industrialized nations, is facing a deep shortage of skilled high-growth sectors, especially in sectors that are having an impact on an economy that could face a recession this year.
Latest UpdatesUnited KingdomCategoryNorthern Ireland police four for shooting dead detective imprisonment did video Article with VideoTechnology categoryReferring to Security, Europe The best institutions of the union, the ban on TikTok on the phones of employees, article with a gallery
See 2 more stories
According to a survey by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), more than half of German companies are having difficulty filling vacancies. According to estimates, two million posts remain unfilled, approx 100 billion euro (106.03 billion dollars) is equal to the loss.
“It is very difficult to come to Germany,” said the BVMW association of small and medium-sized businesses labour expert Hagen Wolfstetter told Reuters, referring in particular to under-resourced consulates and excessive paperwork.
Aware of the difficulties, the German government is trying to speed up the issuance of visas and is preparing new laws to help foreign workers settle in Germany. Law the draft was submitted to states and respective unions on Monday for comments till March 8.
Although Germany is not alone in facing labor shortages, it does not benefit from linguistic and other ties with its former colonies. England, Spain, France and Portugal all have such connections that facilitate migration and integration.
“We saw how people struggled when they arrived,” said Justus Niemzok, Madrigal’s supervisor at InterWorks, Madrigal’s employer. “We’re very happy to support people coming here, but we’re a small company.”
According to official estimates, Germany’s aging society will be short of seven million skilled workers by 2035. Labor Minister Hubertus Heil january warned in September that skills shortages could be a “permanent brake on growth”.
However, Germany does not have a long history of immigration, and the need to rely more on foreign labor will require a change in mindset. Even the Turkish laborers brought in from the 1960s to help with post-war reconstruction were labeled “Gastarbayter” – temporary “guest workers”.
Ulrich Herbert, professor of history at the University of Freiburg, said the Gastarbeiter experiment was the first step in an already slow process.
“That changed when it became clear that most of them were going to stay here, even though Germany didn’t accept being a country of immigration until the late 90s,” Herbert said.
BASED ON SCORES
New law The main obstacles for migrants to Germany, including education It aims to solve the complex process of credential recognition.
According to the proposals, professional experience will be more valued. The candidate must have worked in the open job sector for at least two years and have a job-related degree or vocational training, even if this certificate is not officially recognized in Germany.
Law project also included a new “opportunity card” with a point-based system, taking into account qualifications, language skills, professional experience, contact with Germany and age.
With this card, obtained before arrival, potential persons will be allowed to stay in Germany to find work. If the Federal Employment Agency (BA) identifies an acute shortage in a sector, unskilled workers will be allowed to enter.
One point of contention has been the awarding of points for German language skills, which has led to complaints from some associations who say that English should also be awarded for some jobs.
While the first challenge is attracting talent, the second is making talent want to stay.
Madrigal plans to stay in Germany because he wants to grow within InterWorks. “For me, this is a long-term project.
($1 = 0.9431 euros)
Report by Maria Martinez. Edited by Mark John and Sharon Singleton
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
2023-02-24 06:47:31
Source – reuters
Translation“24 HOURS”