Further expand skilled labour base

The Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) has honoured five outstanding innovative networks for ensuring the skilled labour base in the regions during the 3rd Innovation Day hosted at the Haus der Deutschen Wirtschaft (House of German Industry). The awards are in recognition of the regional commitment and the high standard of the networks. The thus distinguished networks were furthermore lauded for their model character.

Ensuring the skilled labour base is regarded by German businesses from different industry sectors and of varying sizes as one of their most important challenges in remaining competitive and fit for the future. Here, especially small and medium-sized businesses desire more support.

To this end, the Innovationsbüro Fachkräfte für die Region (Innovation Office Skilled Professionals for the Region) has been offering numerous and diverse support schemes on behalf of the BMAS since 2011. These include workshops, regional and topical groups for exchanging experience, nationwide specialised events, newsletters, databases and much more.

The main task of these regional networks is to bring together all regional stakeholders of relevance to the employment market. These networks initiate and successfully implement joint projects for ensuring the skilled labour base.

Chambers and businesses, employment agencies and job centres, educational institutions and councils as well as entrepreneurs associations, unions and advice offices of the German Federal Pension Fund work together in currently about 600 networks.