ERFURT – A successful energy transition requires, among other things, new wind turbines, solar panels, and heat pumps – and the people to process, assemble, and install them. To ensure that the ecological transformation in Thuringia doesn't fail due to a shortage of skilled workers, Thuringian businesses must intensify their efforts to attract international talent – often a challenging task for companies. Support and information on how to meet this challenge will be offered to company representatives at the event "International Workers – An Opportunity for the Ecological Transformation" on Thursday, June 1, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Erfurt. The conference is organized by the Heinrich Böll Foundation Thuringia (hbs) and the Thuringian Agency for Skilled Worker Recruitment (ThAFF). Participants include Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Member of the German Bundestag), Doreen Denstädt, Thuringian Minister for Migration, Justice, and Consumer Protection, and Sabine Wosche, Managing Director of LEG, the company that houses ThAFF.
“By 2035, Germany will need around 800,000 additional skilled workers for its ecological transformation, but at the same time, Thuringia, for example, will lose around a quarter of its current workforce by 2040 – these opposing trends require decisive action, with the recruitment of international workers representing a promising strategy,” explained Minister Denstädt ahead of the event. “Providing Thuringian business leaders with concrete information in this area is important, and we hope that many entrepreneurs will take advantage of the opportunity to participate!” Two developments at the federal level are bringing new impetus to this topic: Since the beginning of this year, the right to residency on the basis of opportunity has been in effect, offering tolerated persons already in Germany a permanent residency perspective through employment. Furthermore, immigration law is to be reformed by the summer – including the introduction of an opportunity map for job seekers and the lowering of requirements for job searches.
“This will make it easier for companies to hire international workers – however, many questions surrounding recruitment remain unanswered, and we will provide very specific tips and suggestions, such as information on where to find advisory services, what steps to take, and what opportunities exist for companies,” says Sabine Wosche, who will open the event on June 1st at the COMCENTER Brühl. This will be followed by welcoming remarks from Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Doreen Denstädt. Anett Reiche and Kirstin von Graefe from ThAFF will speak on the topic of “Skilled Immigration from Third Countries” (i.e., non-EU countries), before a presentation on “Opportunity-Based Residence Rights for Germans” by Christiane Welker from the BLEIBdran+ project at the Institute for Vocational Training and Social Management (IBS) non-profit GmbH. A discussion round in "fishbowl" mode then offers ample opportunity for exchange with the speakers and all participants, focusing on the advisory and support structures for recruiting international specialists from third countries.
Interested entrepreneurs can apply until May 26th here Register for the event.
All media professionals are cordially invited to attend the event.
Location: Erfurt, COMCENTER Brühl, Mainzerhofstraße 10
Time: Thursday, June 1, 2023, 10:00-12:30
Further information can be found at:
https://calendar.boell.de/de/event/internationale-arbeitskraefte-eine-chance-fuer-die-oekologische-transformation-0
