Project: Qualified Spanish personnel for the skilled trades”

In 2013, trained and experienced jobseekers were recruited from Spain to alleviate the shortage of qualified personnel in the skilled trades.

The project was organized under the remit of the ”Skills Alliance in the Winner Region” by Wirtschaftsförderung Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg together with the Federal Employment Agency, with support from the Constance Chamber of Trade and the region’s trade associations.  Spanish workers were recruited for businesses in the Rottweil, Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis and Tuttlingen districts in the following professions:

Electrician, metalworker (fitter), heating mechanic, bricklayer, painter, plasterer.

Recruitment process:

The candidates were recruited via the International Placement Service of the Federal Employment Agency (ZAV) together with the EURES Job Mobility organization in Spain.  ZAV agents held recruitment interviews with around 90 candidates in two sessions in Seville and Madrid, following which 70 applicants remained.

Their profiles were sent to firms between February and mid-March 2013 to enable them to decide on a candidate.

Once accepted by a company, each candidate was again consulted and asked to sign an employment contract and return it to Germany.  The contracts had been prepared by the Constance Chamber of Trade and already signed by the companies.

Wirtschaftsförderung Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg had all documents translated into Spanish: employment contracts and comprehensive information about travel, accommodation and the further procedure.

There was also intensive consultation with the companies involved in January and March 2013 to prepare for the candidates’ arrival.

Recruitment Requirements:

• Electrician, metalworker, heating mechanic: Técnico qualification + at least 2 years job experience or Técnico Superior qualification (electrician, metalworker) + job experience
• Building professions: full professional training + at least 2 years job experience or at least. 3 years relevant experience in the profession.
• Language skills: English and/ or German (school or basic level) and willingness to learn German

Arrival in Germany and Procedure:

• from April 2013: employment contract with 6 months probationary period
• April + August 2013: 2 months language course
• May, June, July + Sept. 2013: working in the company

4 weeks intensive German language teaching was organized by Wirtschaftsförderung SBH. The target was to reach Level B1 in German.

The language courses were given by the Vatter Training Center, the official contractual partner of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

For the first part of the language course, the participants stayed in accommodation provided by  the  Baden-Württemberg Training College for the Hotel and Restaurant Trade in Villingen.

The Spanish job seekers were initially accompanied by a team of social counsellors.

Financial arrangements:

• The German language course (320 hours) was sponsored by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) with resources from the European Social Fund.

Before the candidates arrived, an employment contract was signed with the following conditions:

• The candidates received wages during the language course. These wages were simultaneously the companies’ financial contribution to the costs of the sponsored language course (candidates were released from work in order to attend, so that no additional costs were incurred by the employers.
• The wages reflected the regular remuneration for qualified workers in the respective trade at least in the first year in the profession (and in accordance with agreed standard rates where applicable).
• Companies did not contribute towards organizational costs.
• The candidates paid their own accommodation expenses. The participating companies were required to give the candidates active support in finding accommodation in the first six months.

Status as at 26.04.2013:

9 new recruits arrived in the region at the beginning of April 2013 to work in 7 businesses:

• 1 plasterer
• 1 mechatronics engineer
• 2 electricians
• 2 plant mechanics for heating, sanitation and air conditioning systems
• 3 bricklayers

The project ran from Sept. 2012 to October 2013

Contact:

Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg mbH
Cornelia Lüth, Coordinator, Skills Alliance in the Winner Region
Marienstr. 10, 78054 Villingen-Schwenningen
Tel.: +49 (0)7720-6604404
Email: lueth@wifoeg-sbh.de

Press statement:  “Spanish workers arrive in the region“ (German page)

Press statement:  “Skills Alliance in the Winner Region recruits Spanish workers“ (German page)

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This project was supported by the Baden-Württemberg Department of Economy and Finance with resources from the European Social Fund and from its own state funds.