Attracting young talent for Jena's economy
Jena Alliance for Skilled Workers discusses strategies for securing skilled workers in the city and surrounding area
Business development, companies, educational institutions, associations, the city and networks highlighted a wide range of challenges in securing skilled workers in Jena and the surrounding area on Wednesday. At the annual meeting of the Jena Alliance for Skilled Workers, the first results of the skilled worker study, which is currently being compiled by JenaWirtschaft and the Center for Social Research Halle, were presented. The study examines the personnel and junior staff requirements of Jena's economy according to sectors, qualification structures and other factors up to the year 2030. The Mayor of Jena, Dr. Thomas Nitzsche, who opened the event as patron of the Jena Alliance for Skilled Workers, also rated these figures as "particularly exciting". In a first step, the experts discussed the so-called endogenous potential of Jena, i.e. those people who already live in the city.
"With the skilled labor study, we are developing a scientifically sound basis as a basis for decision-making for administration and politics," said Wilfried Röpke, Head of Jena's Economic Development Agency. "We are backing up the perception that skilled workers are becoming increasingly scarce with precise data and analyses." According to the initial findings of the study, Jena will need around 17,000 new employees by 2030 alone to compensate for all those employees who retire during this time. Around two thirds of these will be working in traditional skilled occupations. And according to Wilfried Röpke, this is only the replacement requirement: "This does not include any additional workers, which are actually needed in order to continue the positive growth of the location."
Certain sectors are more affected by this development than others. "People with traditional vocational training in the manufacturing industry, healthcare professions and knowledge-intensive services are currently in particular demand in Jena. This demand, especially for junior staff, will continue to increase over the next few years, despite the negative demographic trend in Jena," says Röpke.
In order to make good use of Jena's endogenous potential in particular, the annual meeting of the Jena Alliance for Skilled Workers focused on the question of how vocational training can be made more attractive and how career guidance for young people can be organized in an even more tailored way. According to the members of the Skilled Workers Alliance, it is important how future trainees can be addressed and how schools, companies and corresponding working groups can be even better networked. A ninth grade class from the Grete-Unrein comprehensive school also provided important input on Wednesday.
In an open space format - several parallel discussion groups with the option to join and leave at any time - the 80 or so participants discussed the range of challenges involved in recruiting trainees and possible solutions. A wide range of ideas were discussed, such as a modern approach to target groups, (supra)regional public transport connections or a trainee dormitory and the young people's wish for companies to offer more internships and paid vacation jobs for school pupils. This is the best way to get to know potential employers. The Jena Economic Development Agency is already working on an online platform for company offers for school pupils.
"The diverse and fruitful discussions at the annual meeting show us how relevant the topic of young skilled workers, especially trainees, is for local companies," says Röpke. "Only together, with all local and regional partners, can we tackle these major challenges for Jena and the surrounding area." The aim of JenaWirtschaft is now to develop a concept and a comprehensive catalog of measures to secure skilled workers for Jena based on the results of the discussion and after publication of the skilled worker study.
