ERFURT – The successful initiative of commuter and returnee days is to be expanded across borders: This is one of the outcomes of the first exchange meeting of skilled worker initiatives in Central Germany, which took place today, Monday, November 20, in Erfurt. The Thuringian Agency for Skilled Worker Recruitment hosted the meeting, with other participants including the Center for Securing Skilled Workers and Good Work (ZEFAS) Saxony and the Saxony-Anhalt State Initiative Skilled Workers in Focus (FiF). The event was well-attended, with approximately 60 participants.
“This is the first meeting of its kind in Central Germany – in addition to professional exchange and getting to know each other personally, the focus is also on joint activities,” said LEG Managing Director Sabine Wosche at the opening of the conference. ThAFF is based at LEG. “Attracting commuters and those returning to the local job market is a goal that unites us all, and we can further optimize the outreach and support we offer to this important target group by combining our efforts.”
In addition to welcoming remarks from Sabine Wosche and the responsible department head of the Thuringian Ministry for Labor, Social Affairs, Health, Women and Family, Prof. Michael Behr, the exchange meeting began with three video messages: one from Carsten Schneider, State Minister and Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany; one from Martin Dulig, Minister in the Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor and Transport and Deputy Minister-President; and one from Heidi Werner, Managing Director of RKW Sachsen-Anhalt GmbH, the project sponsor of FiF. The participants then took the opportunity to exchange expertise in three "thematic rooms," with topics including..
- Commuters, those wishing to return, and immigrants from other federal states (Moderation and impetus: ThAFF)
- International Professionals and Welcome Center (Moderation and Impulse: ZEFAS)
- Employers and employer attractiveness (Moderation and impetus: FiF)
Today's event was initiated by ThAFF. When it began its work 17 years ago, it was only the second skilled worker initiative in Germany, following an agency in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Ten years ago, ThAFF successfully collaborated with colleagues from Hamburg and Dresden in establishing the ThAFF Welcome Center. ThAFF, like the other two initiatives in Central Germany, values cross-border cooperation, and a follow-up meeting is planned for the near future.
Background:
The Thuringian Agency for Skilled Worker Recruitment (ThAFF) is located within LEG Thüringen. Commissioned by the Thuringian Ministry of Labor, its primary goals are twofold: firstly, to help Thuringian companies meet their growing demand for skilled workers; and secondly, to support young people entering the workforce, as well as commuters and potential returnees, in (re)entering the workforce in Thuringia. To this end, ThAFF promotes Thuringia as an employment location, advises its target groups, and informs them about job opportunities in the Free State (for example, through commuter days). It also organizes its own company contact fairs to connect businesses with (future) skilled workers. Furthermore, ThAFF is actively involved in various networks and supports labor market stakeholders at their events. ThAFF is funded by the Free State of Thuringia.
