topic 

Mobilising skilled workers

Innovation needs talent. Covering the growing requirement for highly skilled specialist staff, supporting young scientists and offering attractive employment conditions in public-sector research are all matters of outstanding importance. Education and training secures our skills base and consequently the future economic strength of our country.

Challenges and objectives

Future growth and employment in Germany is dependent on securing the supply of skilled personnel in the medium and long term. Because economic recovery is only possible with well trained capable personnel. The demand for qualified staff is rising continually, in particular in the production of cutting-edge technologies and in the service sector. At the same time, demographic change is making itself felt: in future, fewer and fewer young people will be living, learning and working in Germany.

A shortage of specialised staff is already becoming apparent in certain sectors and regions. There is particular demand for staff qualified in mathematics, information technology, natural sciences and technology (MINT) and those qualified in technical subjects to technician or master craftsman level. The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) estimates that by 2014 we will be short of between 180,000 and 480,000 trained staff due to demographic and structural changes.

The aim of the Federal Government is to meet the requirement for skilled staff primarily through stepping up its training and continuing education efforts within the country, and through a significant increase in economic activity of women, older people and migrants already living in the country. For Germany to keep up in the international competition for qualified specialist staff, conditions for staff from outside the country must also become more attractive.

For the Federal Government, education and training are not only essential with a view to securing the supply of skilled labour; they are also the key to individual advancement. They enable social participation, direction and social cohesion. An important objective for ensuring our future is that all the people in Germany are able to develop their abilities and talents.

Current situation and outlook

As we move into the knowledge society Germany must strengthen its investment in education and science. A Federal Government decision of January 2008 clearly signalled its intention to increase educational opportunities in all areas of life. The set of measures agreed by various departments is intended to improve the quality and scope of the training and continuing education system and to increase ease of access in all areas of education. Around EUR 6 billion has been set aside for new measures and programmes in the years 2008 to 2012. Almost all these measures were already underway or about to start in 2008.

Improvements in the school-to-work transition

These Federal Government activities place clear focus on the improvement of the transition from school to vocational training, support for educational pathways and options for advancement, and in the area of continuing education. Newly introduced were, amongst other things, grants ("upgrading scholarships") for people with particularly good vocational qualifications who wish to take up a place at university. Another new feature is the continuing education bonus which creates an incentive to take up continuing education. In addition, the aim is to attract more young people to courses in the so-called MINT subjects (Mathematics, Information technology, Natural sciences and Technology). In this context, the National Pact for Women in MINT Professions (www.komm-mach-mint.de) will better utilise the potential of women to meet the need for skilled labour. Furthermore, particular attention is being paid to children and young people - and to their parents - from a migrant background.

"Getting ahead through education - The Qualification Initiative for Germany"

Great efforts will be needed right at the interfaces between early-childhood education, school, training and university. The Federal Government and the Länder intend this to be a joint effort. To achieve this, at the education summit held on 22 October 2008, the Federal Chancellor and the heads of the Länder governments agreed on a common catalogue of objectives and measures set out in the Dresden declaration: "Getting ahead through education - The Qualification Initiative for Germany". This addresses all areas of education from early-childhood education through to continuing vocational training. An initial progress report on the implementation of the measures will be due in autumn 2009. http://www.aufstieg-durch-bildung.info/

2009 - additional investment in education infrastructure

In January 2009, as part of its economic stimulus package, the Federal Government adopted the Pact for employment and stability in Germany to safeguard jobs, boost growth potential and modernise the country. Within the framework of this pact, the Federal Government will in 2009 and 2010 support investments by the Länder, and especially by local authorities, in nursery schools, schools infrastructure, universities and research. EUR 6.5 billion are available for this (65% of the overall EUR 10 billion investment programme adopted by the local authorities). The Federal Government expects the Länder to make a funding contribution amounting to one-third of this (EUR 2.166 billion) bringing the total sum available to EUR 8.67 billion. This is the largest education investment programme ever seen in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Incentives for foreign skilled workers

Germany needs to keep up in the international competition for skilled workers and attract more top-class workers. For this reason, the Federal Government established the Contribution of labour migration towards securing the skilled labour basis in Germany action programme in 2008. With effect from 1 January 2009, the income threshold for obtaining an unlimited settlement permit will be reduced from the current EUR 86,400 to EUR 64,800 for highly qualified foreign workers. Access to the labour market has also been eased for academics from the new EU member states. In their case, it will no longer be checked whether domestic job seekers are available to fill the post. For academics from third countries, the labour market has been opened up beyond the IT sector to all disciplines, provided that no domestic job seekers can be found to fill the post.

In addition, within the framework of the action programme, the Federal Government will, with scientific support, have a tool developed to determine the current and future demand for skilled workers. Furthermore, in March 2009 the Alliance to advise the Federal Government on demand for skilled workers (the "Alliance") was formed. Here the social partners, the scientific community, the Federal Government and the Länder will work together to estimate on the basis of scientific projections the current, medium-term and long-term requirements for skilled workers.

To avoid a drain of qualified workers out of the country, it will also be necessary to increase Germany's attractiveness as a location for science and research as far as possible. To this end, and with an eye in particular on young academics, reliable state support for training and supplementary loans for financing of education are on the agenda.

Expansion of financing for study and education:

The new BAföG

The new Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) contributes significantly to ensuring that young people can complete their training regardless of the financial circumstances of their family. School students receive the funding as a straight grant while university students and trainees at higher vocational schools and academies essentially receive half of the funding as a grant and half as an interest-free state loan. Currently one student in four is financed under the BAföG on first-degree courses and during the standard period of study.

In autumn 2008 entitlement rates were raised by 10% to a maximum rate of EUR 643 per month. Other new features are the additional funding available for students with children (EUR 113 per month for the first child and EUR 85 for the second), funding for study courses completed entirely outside the country, and easier BAföG financing for foreign students as long as they are likely to remain in Germany in the long term. www.bafoeg.bmbf.de

The new Meister-BAföG

The second amendment to the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (the so-called "Meister BaföG"), which came into force on 1 July 2009, significantly improves the benefits available for vocational upgrading training and brings yet more people into further training. This makes an important contribution to securing the supply of young qualified skilled workers. www.meister-bafoeg.info

Grants by the organisations for the promotion of young talent

The organizations for the promotion of young talent offer financial assistance for particularly high-performing and socially engaged students as well as non-material support in the form of for example summer schools, educational stays in foreign countries, language courses and networking opportunities. The goal of supporting 1% of students through the eleven organisations by the end of the current legislative period (instead of the current figure of barely 0.7%) was achieved, ahead of schedule, by the end of 2008. www.bildungsserver.de

Upgrading scholarships

Since 2008, upgrading scholarships have been awarded to enable more gifted people who are already fully established in careers to venture a step into studying. The prerequisites for this are excellent results in vocational training and university entrance qualifications. The scholarship does not need to be repaid. www.begabtenfoerderung.de

Training loans

Through the training loan programme the Federal Government supports school and university students in advanced phases of training. The training loan is paid out through the KfW, monthly in advance, in instalments of EUR 300. Within one training phase, up to 24 monthly instalments may be awarded, a total of EUR 7200. www.bildungskredit.de