Experts and Partners
The project “Future International Talents for German Climate Businesses” is implemented in response to the revised Skilled Immigration Act (FEG). The new Skilled Immigration Act allows skilled workers with vocational qualification and practical expertise to work and live in Germany more easily. Starting in November 2023 the amendments have gradually come into force, creating new opportunities for companies to recruit skilled workers from non-EU countries. The project serves as a valuable pilot to test the application of the new regulations in the German skilled crafts sector, as there is limited practical experience with the new regulations.
Project background
“FIT for German Climate businesses” is a pilot project focused on selected regions in Germany, specifically targeting skilled crafts professions that are crucial to Germany’s energy and climate-neutral transition and with a significant demand of skilled labour. In collaboration with the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) and sequa gGmbH, the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) is assessing the new Skilled Immigration Act for the skilled crafts sector. The goal is to gain meaningful insights into the legislation’s practical implementation and to establish long-term structures and processes for recruiting international skilled workers.
Colombia and Uzbekistan are partner countries of the project due to their close and stable political relations to Germany and already established structures for the recruitment of skilled workers. In addition, both countries have a large number of qualified workers and Germany is considered a particularly attractive destination for skilled workers from both Colombia and Uzbekistan.
Beyond attracting international talent to the German skilled crafts sector, this pilot project plays a key role in securing the skilled workforce needed for Germany’s energy transition.
Objectives and Key Research Questions
The overarching objective of the project is to address the skilled labour shortage in the skilled craft sector in and, in doing so, to enhance the sector’s growth and long-term prospects. By focusing on climate-relevant skilled crafts professions, the project also aims to contribute to the success of Germany’s energy transition and climate protection efforts.
A total of 200 skilled and qualified workers from Colombia and Uzbekistan will be recruited during the project implementation phase. Beyond this quantitative objective, “FIT for German Climate Businesses” also pursues qualitative goals. The project seeks to identify key success factors and barriers from both the perspective of skilled craft businesses and skilled workers, while developing recommendations and lessons learned. Additionally, the project aims to expand and share knowledge, best practices, and networking structures within the German Skilled Crafts sector to facilitate future recruitments of international skilled workers. In collaboration with the labour administrations of the two partner countries, the project seeks to enhance recruitment expertise in the skilled crafts sector and establish long-term, scalable partnerships.
With regard to the revised Skilled Immigration Act, “FIT for German Climate Businesses” serves to pilot to gain knowledge on the practical effectiveness of two migration pathways defined in the act. The first is the so-called Skilled Worker Track, which allows professionals to enter Germany for the purpose of having their foreign qualifications officially recognized (§ 16d Abs. 1 and § 18a AufenthG). The second pathway is the newly introduced, so-called Experience Track (§ 19c Abs. 2 AufenthG in conjunction with § 6 BeschV). This regulation, which is entirely new, enables individuals with extensive practical work experience to obtain a residence permit and start working in Germany immediately as a qualified worker. A crucial step in implementing this pathway is conducting practical work assessments in the country of origin to evaluate candidates’ professional experience and knowledge.
Funding
The project was launched in spring 2024 and will run until December 2027. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
Participating businesses contribute a share of the project costs for each successful placement.
Detailed information on cost-sharing arrangements for skilled crafts businesses can be found here:
Contact and Support
The pilot project is implemented by the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) and the Federal Employment Agency (BA), with project management handled by sequa gGmbH.
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