Attracting returnees to Jena and the region

First Commuter Day of the Thuringian Agency for the Recruitment of Skilled Workers in Jena/SHK on 11.10.2019

The Thuringian Agency for the Recruitment of Skilled Workers (ThAFF) in cooperation with the Jena Economic Development Agency (JenaWirtschaft) invites you to the first joint Commuter Day for Jena and the Saale-Holzland district. On 11.10.2019 between 15:00 and 19:00, interested parties can find out about the variety of career opportunities in Jena and the region. The event will take place in Jena Town Hall and is aimed at all commuters who work away from home and would like to return to their home in and around Jena.

"This is the first time we have held the Commuter Day in Jena, but the event is already firmly established in many other Thuringian cities and municipalities," says ThAFF project manager Andreas Knuhr, explaining the concept. "At the Commuter Days, interested parties can obtain general information about interesting local job and career opportunities. On request, we can check application documents and provide helpful tips for finding the right job."

For the first time in Jena - but also explicitly for the region

The event is now taking place in Jena for the first time, but according to the organizers, it is also explicitly "designed" for the region: "The local economy is booming and companies - not only in Jena, but also in the surrounding area - are looking for skilled workers to continue their successful economic development," said Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche in the run-up to the event. "The city and the region must go hand in hand here - whether in terms of work, housing or social infrastructure." According to the Lord Mayor, people returning to Jena or the surrounding area from Munich or Cologne, for example, usually think in terms of different distances.

An assessment shared by the district administrator of the Saale-Holzland district, Andreas Heller. "If Jena and the surrounding area pull together as partners, we can achieve a lot. People who work in Jena, for example, will find attractive living and working conditions in the district - and vice versa, of course." According to the district administrator, individual preferences are the decisive factor here.

No prototypical returnees

The prerequisites that potential returnees bring with them are also individual, says business promoter Wilfried Röpke: "There is no such thing as the returnee, but rather people in very different phases of life for whom 'coming home' to the region is exciting." These could be young families, for example, who are looking for the closeness and support of their grandparents after having their first child, or employees who want to spend more time looking after their own parents, who may be in need of care.