Wanka: Business must do more for refugee training

Ten thousand young refugees should be made ready for the German labour market by means of vocational education and training. The Minister for Education is pleased that some activity is already under way in the skilled crafts. However, Wanka also addresses the problems.

Minister of Education, professor Johanna Wanka, calls for greater commitment from business in the vocational education and training of refugees. "We want these young people to undertake vocational education and training. This is important for the individual but also for the national economy," said the christian democratic union politician.

"However there is a lot more to do here in the German economy following the initial expectations and grandiose announcements," added Wanka. At the same time, the Minister for Education emphasised, "This is already working well in the skilled crafts". She made reference to the fact that the Central Association of Skilled Crafts and the Federal Government had jointly published a programme for 10,000 apprenticeships. "Applications to this also come from Chambers in regions which otherwise face problems in attracting apprentices. This is precisely the desired effect."

The qualification program was introduced at the start of February by the Minister, the Federal Employment Agency and the Central Association of Skilled Crafts. The government will release €20 million over the next two years to support this. As reported by Funke Mediengruppe newspapers referring to the ministry, skilled crafts businesses and the Federal Employment Agency have now provided over 6000 places for refugees in inter-company vocational training centres.

This is not the first time that Wanka has criticised corporations and industry for lack of commitment in the vocational qualification of young refugees. At the end of July, the Minister commented to the "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger" - a daily newspaper published in Cologne - that she was annoyed at the "naivety of some business leaders" - because they had acted as if refugees would solve the demographic problems and the shortage of skilled workers in Germany.

Wanka said that there was currently still "no reliable Picture" regarding the qualifications of refugees who came to Germany in 2015. "According to self-reporting, it may well be the case that 25 per cent of asylum seekers have not completed schooling or have only completed primary School".

Like Wanka, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) also sees deficits in the integration of refugees in the labour market. "Businesses must not wait until they receive refugees which are a perfect fit for them and ready to be deployed. They must do more to give refugees a chance to make a start," said Annelie Buntenbach, Board Member, to the Funke newspapers.

The Federal Government Commissioner for Integration, Aydan Özoguz (SPD), said, "We know that ultimately a permanent job is one of the most important approaches to becoming integrated locally and becoming accepted."

According to Federal Employment Agency boss, Frank-Jürgen Weise, the joint qualification initiative intends that the Federal Employment Agency initially examines qualifications and language skills by means of interviews and work trials in order to be able to preselect.

The Ministry will prepare applicants in inter-company education and training centres and the skills crafts will then subsequently take over. The programme is targeted at persons entitled to political asylum and recognised refugees, but also at persons resident on a discretionary basis.