Germany Needs Well-Qualified Foreign Workers

Europe's economic powerhouse Germany needs to lure qualified immigrant workers to address skills shortages, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Wednesday, wading into a fierce debate in the country.

Reported by AFP on 4 August 2010

Speaking after chairing a cabinet meeting in Chancellor Angela Merkel's absence, Westerwelle also said he was in favour of a "points system" to plug what experts say is a 60,000-strong gap in Germany's skills set. "It is of course right that we intelligently invite citizens to work in our country who are positive for us and for our development," said Westerwelle, adding it was in Germany's "national interest." Such a programme must run hand-in-hand with training home-grown talent and preventing well-qualified people from leaving the jobs market, he said.

"We have become an emigration land in recent years. Far too many talented people have left Germany. We need to make our country so attractive that people employ their talents here," said the minister, who is also vice-chancellor.

Germany's Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle kicked off what has become a passionate debate over immigrant workers when he suggested last week that firms should offer cash incentives to attract skilled workers from abroad. But Merkel dismissed the proposal and trade unions, opposition politicians and other members of the governing coalition in Berlin also expressed strong objections to the plan.

But with a plunging population and an increasing dearth of skilled employees, Germany is mulling ways to attract top brains to its shores. Consultancy firm McKinsey has estimated that the country will be short of two million skilled workers by 2020.

Germany introduced a "green card" system for qualified immigrant workers in 2000, which has enabled 33,000 people to come to Germany in those 10 years, according to recent figures. Despite this, Dieter Hundt, head of the German Employers Federation (BDA), wrote recently in Die Welt daily that the economy lacked more than 60,000 skilled workers and called for a points system to attract more. Westerwelle said he had campaigned for such a points system while in opposition and found the scheme "as before positive."

 

Note also that Germany has negative population growth.

 

From killing people who are not german to asking for immigrants to come in. That is a big change.

 

Seems not to many Turks are smart enough for those jobs or refused education so they can get better employment.

 

Who here has lived and worked in Germany? Please let us now about the work environment. Do you have to speak German fluently in order to get a job?

 

Hmm...may make my way over there again. Wouldn't mind working there

 

Turks like many other minorities seem to gravitate to themselves and don't integrate (learn German). There was a story on DW-TV about that very subject, check the DW web site. Read it here

I spent about 17 days in Germany. According to the women I know and had interest in, you're best bet would be to learn German (its free). There are US based companies there however, you might be able to get away without it. But as much as I don't like to admit it, many Germans even if they learned English in school have long forgotten it by the time they are adults UNLESS they are into American Culture and watch the Sports, TV Shows and Music. This is more likely to be the case if they are into Rap/Hip Hop.

In the largest cities (Berlin and Frankfurt) English is widely spoken at least by the people you need to speak too (Subway, Trains, Airport) even at most Restaurants and Stores. I found myself not really speaking much in Stores, they pronoun the cost of items in Euros. So there isn't need much for conversation. You can just say Thank You in German and be done with it.

In the Touristy areas, is where you likely to find the most English speakers. It will be much less of a case in Suburbia or Rural Areas, you'll likely need basic German to get by with neighbors, Police and that type of thing.

 

There are definitely more open doors in regards to career if you do speak German fluently.

 

To get ahead in Germany speak the language fluently and know the culture. No doubt it helps a whole lot.

 

I assume it's the same as in every Country you immigrate. The best possibilities for a good job is, when you've learned the local language. No matter, whether we talk about Germany, USA or any other country. Or how many chances does a german person have in USA without talking english?

The other point is, of course you are right not most people in Germany speak fluently English, but this is also a question of education of the individual person-many speak english quite good.

Whether it is possible to work in big companies without spaeking German, I cannot answer- I am too long away from Germany, but in Switzerland many companies communicate only in English, because of the huge amount of nationalities here

 

Don't most developed economies?

 

I'd move to Germany in a hot second if they could figure out that cold weather situation.

 

I hear you. Can't handle anything below 50F anymore.