Work - Welcome Center Schleswig-Holstein starts operations
The Schleswig-Holstein Welcome Center for the support of foreign specialists and workers has started operations. "Our state is dependent on immigration - both from EU countries and third countries," said Economics Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen (CDU) in Kiel on Monday. In addition, the state is in competition with the federal states, other European countries and non-EU states. Therefore, a central task of the Welcome Center is to increase the visibility and attractiveness of Schleswig-Holstein as an immigration state and to increase labor migration.
Immigrant workers and their families should feel comfortable in the northernmost federal state and therefore enjoy living and working there, as there will be a shortage of skilled workers in almost all sectors and areas in the coming years. The state needs between 10,000 and 15,000 skilled workers every year, emphasized Integration Minister Aminata Touré. In addition, it is not enough to simply get people into work; successful integration requires more: "We have to think about aspects such as entry, visas, work, life, family and housing together if skilled workers from abroad want to come to us and stay here," said the Green politician.
With the Welcome Center, a central point of contact has therefore been created that combines all these aspects under one roof. Advice on residency options and the accelerated procedure for skilled workers would become even more important in the future.
TheCDU and Greens had agreed on the project in their coalition agreement following last year's state elections. The state will spend around 2.6 million euros per year on the Welcome Center under the umbrella of the business development agency in Kiel. The employees are to cooperate closely with the Federal Employment Agency and the State Office for Immigration and Refugees.
"Schleswig-Holstein is rolling out the red carpet for international workers and is thus leading the way nationwide," explains Mathias Steinbuck, state chairman of the Federal Association of Private Social Service Providers. In the care sector in particular, the state will not be able to cope with the increasing number of people in need of care without massive immigration.
The Welcome Center therefore makes immigration easier as a central point of contact - this is a good start. According to Steinbuck, further steps must now follow, such as faster recognition of international professional qualifications.
For former Economics Minister Bernd Buchholz (FDP), on the other hand, the Welcome Center is an expensive advice and information center with no concrete benefit. In his opinion, the center would have made sense if it had been equipped with the necessary skills and could also speed up decisions. However, according to Buchholz, the black-green government should have bundled and concentrated responsibility for residence regulations, the recognition of professional qualifications and the provision of language and integration courses in the center.
The leader of the Schleswig-Holstein SPD parliamentary group, Serpil Midyatli, criticized that the Welcome Center would not be able to solve the skills gap of 180,000 people by 2035. "Looking at the ten employees at the Welcome Center, it is clear that this cannot be a real contribution to this," she emphasized. The center only simulates energy, concrete help in recruiting skilled workers is only possible with a larger structure.
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- The Welcome Center in Schleswig-Holstein, aimed at supporting foreign skilled workers and specialists, expects a high demand due to the anticipated shortage of skilled workers in nearly all sectors.
- To augment Schleswig-Holstein's appeal as an immigration state and to increase labor migration, the EU, CDU, and Greens collaborate to raise the center's visibility and enhance its attractiveness to foreign researchers and professionals.
- Integration Minister Aminata Touré emphasized the need for successful integration, urging consideration of various aspects like residency, visas, work, life, family, and housing, to attract and retain foreign skilled workers.
- Aside from skilled workers, the Welcome Center also provides advisory services for foreigners, including information on residency options, expedited procedures for skilled workers, and assistance in navigating complex immigration processes.
- Regarding the recognition of international professional qualifications, Mathias Steinbuck advocates the Center's augmentation with the necessary skills to accelerate decisions, allowing for smoother integration of foreign Specialists in Schleswig-Holstein.
Source: www.stern.de
