How one German mayor is tackling a skilled worker shortage | DW Documentary

Mittweida in Saxony needs skilled workers. Mayor Ralf Schreiber wants to make his town attractive again

Since 1990, Mittweida has lost around 5000 people. Many stores stand empty, and the lack of skilled workers is felt everywhere. Mayor Ralf Schreiber wants to revitalize his town and attract tourists and new residents. But many projects fail due to a lack of skilled workers. A development that is being seen in many small German towns in particular. A report by Bettina Stehkämper.

00:00 Intro
01:07 Job recruitment: jobseekers meet employers
03:34 Skilled labor shortage visible downtown
04:20 Companies need young talent: Visit to a quarry
07:05 Lack of workers in tourism
09:08 Nursing staff urgently needed

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[om]

Two problems of Germany:

1- employers want really cheap skilled workers whereas the cost of livingin the Western Europe is really bones breaking.

2- Germany should embrace the English speakers like the Dutch society.

[speedyf]

I've been living in a small town in Germany for 3 years, thanks to a job opportunity. However, my wife, who has two degrees and considerable experience, hasn't found a job despite searching for 2 years.

People in the small towns say you must learn German to get a job, but we know many immigrants and expats with B2 level German or higher who still can't find work.

If Germany wants to overcome its economic challenges and labor shortage, it should embrace English and establish a program to accredit foreign certifications.

[opz]

I hate this hhypocrisy when i hear - missing skilled workers, there is no such thing as - missing.. The only and real thing that is missing is a salary of which a skilled person is ready to work ! People are looking for fair salaries for their work ! Companies are too greedy these days ! For example, company from Sweden will pay about 3 k euros and up to skilled worked, but if they opening their business in Poland, or in Baltic states they won't pay them 3 k euros, they will give around 1 k to 1, 5 k euros. The same with small cities ! The bigger the city the better salary ! Raise salaries and no one will leave... Problem solved !

[artemduk]

Germany. A bizarre place where supply and demand laws don't work. Increase salaries? No. Remove or ease regulations? No. Complain about the lack of workers? Yes!

[swatichatterjee]

Germany has shortage of "CHEAP LABOUR" not " SKILLED LABOUR " .

[jaykay]

Once again, the real story is in the comments, not the video

[artyzinn]

for decades now, many countries have taught english as a foreign language, having to learn german just puts another barrier on foreign recruitment.

[HBOSTUDIOS]

There is no "labour shortage", only "salary shortage"!!! 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑

[JessieBanana]

First, it’s gross to be hostile to immigrants, then see them as a way out of a problem. It’s dehumanizing in my opinion. Second you have to value these jobs. You can’t expect educated people whose parents did well to then turn around and go back in quality of life. Plenty of people would prefer to work with their hands, but they don’t want to be overworked, underpaid, *and* dismissed by society as an underachieving person.

[masonhancock]

Salaries are too low, taxes are too high, B2 level German required, 3yr certifications required for jobs that pay 2700€ net.
Millions of immigrants can’t fix these problems.
Certainly the leaders and industrialists are aware of these.
Similar to the US, where the big “warm and fuzzy” immigration welcome was really to drive down wages. No disrespect to immigrants, as they are manipulated and exploited in the West by these schemes.

[jofathan]

It seems a bit weird to have a whole documentary about the difficulty of attracting talent without mentioning anything about housing costs or the costs of living.

Smaller German employers will continue to struggle so long as their wages are not keeping up with the exploding costs of living.

Either the government can step in to control housing, food, water, and energy costs, or this cycle of oppressive wages will continue.

[random_nick_for_comments]

They pretend that they pay us, we pretend that we work.

[ameyaathale]

German IT companies are still living in the past. I am talking about language. They are desperately looking for new employees, but at the same time, openly put pressure to speak German even though all the interfaces/applications are in English.

This language problem is crazy and unexplainable.

[shonexkg]

I have sent my diploma for recognition one year ago. One week ago i got email that i will get letter in august to find out what is decided. It doesn't look that this country is in need of workers. Everything is so slow here.

[Armando-tocq]

I'm a military veteran, college educated, licensed, a skilled worker, but the employers offer salaries below what I'm worth!! They usually tell me that I'm overqualified for what they are looking for, sometimes they don't even publish the salaries.

[PetroIv]

OK, I understand the problem, but what about the salary of such labor workers? Could this person afford to buy a house in 20 years mortgage? Could he afford to have 2 children and a car?

[davidsobolewski]

Ist ganz einfach.... IHR MÜSST DEN LEUTEN MEHR ZAHLEN!!!!

[ahmarhussain]

Germany's biggest problem is that they are not open to english speakers. English is looked down upon in the jobmarket. And even if there is an english speaking job the competition would be too high

[quantumresonance]

I came as a refugee from The Gambia. I went to medical engineering college. I got a scholarship from the district, but got revoked 15 days later, because I'm not illegible. I end up getting scholarship from a private person. I completed work for some district hospital alliance as biomed. Now I'm changed to siemens.
What I want to say the district authority should be ready to provide migrants the opportunity to acquire skills.
I can't tell if this private man didn't sponsored me. I still see migrants with the same potentials like me but due to previous restriction from the authorities they end up wasting valuable time to acquire skills.

Germany is a great country, but the laws are stiff at the local level.

[fespa]

Germany raises so many barriers for skilled workers from abroad that makes it virtually impossible for one to be recognized as such.
Having a degree from one of the best universities in South America, but lacking the language skills, I worked for two years in an Amazon warehouse to feed my family, and I used to say to everybody that with the labor force in that warehouse alone it would be possible to plan, build and run a whole city. Everyone had a university degree, many had masters. They sure had the will and stamina to work nightshifts carrying 20kg packages. What they lacked was a C1 in German and the recognition of their diploma and experience.
Things like the driver's license, for example. It costs from 2.000 euros upwards. The exams have 40% fail rate. It takes more than 6 months because of lack of instructors time slots and examiners'.
No, not a lack of skilled workers, just an over-definition of the job description.