Demand for skilled workers at a 10-year high

Currently, almost half of all vacancies for skilled workers cannot be filled. In addition to systematic vocational training, foreign skilled workers could make an even greater contribution to relieving pressure on the labor market. Modern language training offers a variety of solutions for this.

Demand has not been this high for 10 years! The recently published study by the Nuremberg Institute for Employment Research (IAB) is a real eye-opener. According to the study, 45% of all vacancies for skilled workers in Germany could not be filled. In the case of very small companies, the rate is as high as 62%. The construction industry is currently particularly affected, with two thirds of vacancies unfilled. IAB researcher Barbara Schwengler explains: "The boom in the construction industry in recent years is likely to have played a role. The supply of skilled workers simply couldn't keep up with demand." This is closely followed by all other personal services, particularly in the hospitality and care sectors. Demographic change will further exacerbate the problem. By 2060, Germany could lose around a third of all employees, i.e. around 16 million workers.

How can this gap be closed? Labour market researchers at the IAB emphasize the important role of in-company training. In addition to greater career support for women, older people and people with disabilities, the greatest potential lies with foreign-language workers. Many thousands of additional workers could be gained if people with a migration background, as well as refugees, were given even more support with integration and training. Recruiting international skilled workers can provide additional relief in bottleneck occupations. Integration and language courses are key to ensuring that this strategy really works.

Philip Gienandt has been working in this field for many years. As Managing Director of LinguaTV, he advises companies in their search for tailor-made language learning solutions. "We have developed a modular system based on the building block principle. This allows us to put together needs-based training very easily and flexibly." Requirements vary greatly from company to company. As a rule, however, two basic scenarios can be distinguished, says Gienandt. The first target group mainly comprises employees and skilled workers, for example from the service sector or production. Mobile self-study courses are usually the best solution here. They are very flexible to use, cost-effective and easily scalable. The combination of videos and interactive exercises is well received by learners and is extremely effective thanks to microlearning. Job-related language courses, for example for nursing, logistics or car mechanics, are particularly exciting for the recruitment of foreign specialists. If required, company-specific content can also be produced, e.g. in the form of a vocabulary trainer.

The second target group requires particularly intensive or individually optimized training. In this case, a combination of self-study courses with lessons in a virtual classroom (blended learning) is ideal. With the help of modern coaching methods, such as role-playing, the language trainer can prepare the learner for typical everyday professional situations and specifically address individual questions, strengths and weaknesses. This form of training places a strong emphasis on active speaking with business confidence and is therefore particularly suitable for specialists and managers from the business or service sector.

Conclusion

In the search for skilled workers, more and more companies are turning to the recruitment of foreign employees. Suitable language courses are of central importance for this to succeed. Modular training programs offer numerous possibilities and can be easily adapted to the respective needs. With the help of job-related self-study courses or individual online lessons, new employees can be specifically prepared for their new role in the company.

Further reading:

The language training for Deutsche Post DHL employees has already won several awards. Two reasons for this are the successful onboarding and micro learning concept! For more information on this project, we will be happy to provide you with the complete project description as a free whitepaper.

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