Germany Recruits Young Brits to Fill Future Profession Gaps

The German government is running a scheme to tempt ‘A’ level qualified people aged 18 to 35 to Germany to serve an apprenticeship during a three year period all expenses paid – a new  “Auf Wiedersehen Pet” story.

British companies needing to recruit talented young people have some competition now: the government of the Federal Republic of Germany is paying to recruit young people from Britain to receive full training in up to 300 occupations.

The International Business Academy (IBA) in London, which was appointed to administer the scheme in the UK, aims to provide hundreds of young people from UK to Germany for apprenticeship placements and work in specific areas.

The scheme is recruiting people aged 18 to 35 years for both vocational training and jobs for young professionals in fields like engineering and healthcare. The latter requires ready-trained professionals.

The recruitment drive is evidence that Germany is planning for the fall in its domestic workforce in 10-20 years time when low birth rates will be felt.

Eligibility

To be eligible for vocational training courses, candidates must have ‘A’ levels or a Baccalaureate but a degree is not required. Knowledge of some basic German is needed in particular for apprentices, who need to go to college once a week under the dual training system.

Successful candidates receive a full package of benefits designed to tempt people to relocate to Germany, including 170-hours of German language lessons in England or Germany before the final placement in a German company, a minimum net salary of Euro 818 per month during training, which lasts approximately three years.

Travel costs for the interview in Germany are covered, as are relocation costs to Germany if the person takes the placement or job and two free flights home every year.

The German government has capped funding for the programme to Eu139 million. “There is no allocation to the individual nations, it is a first come, first served basis,” says Wulf Schroeter who runs the IBA in London.

Shortage of Recruits

Germany has a shortage of occupations for which there are numerous job opportunities, especially for technicians and engineers, hotel and catering jobs and doctors and healthcare professionals.

“For these occupations, trained specialists are needed. In these and in more than 300 other professions, apprenticeships can be offered,” says Mr Schroeter.

IBA is part of the FuU Group, a training institute based in Heidelberg appointed to run the UK scheme within an  EU-wide framework called Mobi-Pro EU that promotes young and unemployed professionals within Europe. “Only organisations that are recognised by the German Federal Ministry of Social Affairs may place young professionals in to German companies,” Mr Schroeter adds.

Press Coverage

In The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/10097363/Come-to-Germany-to-work-and-find-love-British-are-told.html

In the Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2335479/Germany-recruit-British-apprentices-Work-study-offer-lure-brightest-youngsters.html

More Info

Full details of the scheme and how to apply are at http://www.international-business-academy.co.uk/

Author: Bob Bischof

German Robert (Bob) Bischof has lived and worked in Britain for 40 years. He is convinced that the two countries can gain much by learning from each other. Well-known for his outspoken comments on economic, political and industrial issues concerning Britain and Germany, he is a regular contributor to a range of newspapers and other publications, including the Financial Times and other national papers. View all posts by Bob Bischof