The Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Dr Philipp Rösler, met leading representatives from associations and enterprises at the Internationale Handwerksmesse crafts trade fair in Munich for the dialogue on growth "Innovationsorientiertes Handwerk" (Innovation-oriented Crafts).
The dialogue had the objective of discussing the degree of potential presented by the innovative crafts in Germany, to identify fields for action and to discuss potential improvements to the framework conditions for this branch of industry.
Federal Minister Rösler said, "The innovative crafts are a motor of growth for the German economy. It makes an important contribution towards rendering our economy as competitive as it is and enabling it to surpass the international competition in many fields of application. Our SMEs, well-known and appreciated across the world under the term "German Mittelstand", are amongst the most innovative businesses in Europe. Now it is important to further strengthen this power for growth. In doing so, the framework conditions are of great importance. We therefore discussed today where improvements are necessary."
Central topics of the economic dialogue included safeguarding the skilled labour supply, implementing the change in energy policy and corporate financing.
Federal Minister Rösler, "A secure and affordable energy supply remains the benchmark for our SMEs. This I commit to with all strength as I advocate also a solution to the question of tax relief for the renovation of buildings. The topic of energy efficiency in particular provides the crafts with a wide scope for application in the market, which ought to be made advantage of.
Also, the crafts require a sufficient number of well-trained and motivated skilled workers in order to remain successful also in the future. On the one hand, the domestic potential needs to be utilised to an even greater degree. To this end, we need to draw increased attention to the crafts as attractive fields of employment. On the other hand we need to win over skilled labour from abroad by way of a prudent and controlled immigration policy.
An important element in the recruitment of foreign skilled labour is the evaluation and recognition of foreign professional qualifications. The new information portal of the Federal Ministry of Economics can contribute significantly towards the improved utilisation of the potential presented by three million migrants holding a professional qualification certificate from their country of origin.
However, a sufficient and reliable supply of loans is equally decisive in maintaining the operational capability of the crafts. It is obvious that in the first line corporate financing is a task for the credit services sector. Yet the Federal Ministry of Economics will continue to keep an eye on the situation as regards loan supply."
Federal Minister Rösler also launched the BMWi's new information portal for foreign professional training qualifications, the so-called BQ Portal. As of now, employers can find meaningful information regarding their applicants' foreign qualifications under www.bq-portal.de. The chambers evaluating foreign training qualifications likewise receive this central information as well as practical orientation guidelines for their work.
Some three million migrants living in Germany have acquired an educational attainment in their country of origin prior to their immigration. Of these, 1.7 million are vocational training qualifications and some 300,000 are vocational continuing education qualifications. However, many of these skilled workers do not work in the profession they trained for, since their qualification is hardly recognised here. The reason for this is the fact, that often no meaningful information is available pertaining to these qualifications.
Italy, Kazakhstan, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Russia and Turkey are the first countries for which the new BQ Portal provides information regarding the respective country's vocational training system and professional qualifications. A total of 70 different professional profiles including detailed information as regards content and duration of the vocational training can be accessed, amongst them professions in the metal working and electrical industries, commercial vocations and professions in the hotel and catering industries such as, for example, electronics engineer, salespersons and chefs.