SaltWire's Atlantic regional weather forecast for October 18, 2023 | SaltWireBerlin - The German government on Wednesday proposed steps to speed up the integration of tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees into its labour market, calling on companies to loosen their German language requirements and offer extra training.
European countries have not fully seized on the opportunity to plug workforce gaps presented by the arrival of Ukrainian refugees since last year, even though many of those fleeing the war are highly educated or have sorely needed skills. According to the Federal Employment Agency, the employment rate of Ukrainians in Germany is currently 19%.Speaking at the same event, Terzenbach said he wants to establish which municipalities have the most childcare available in order to get mothers into work in a targeted way.
Once refugees complete such courses, they are expected to seek employment or risk losing their state benefits. Job centres are meant to help match the right workers with the right qualifications.