European apprentices for Germany

Training places for young EU citizens: The Cham and Schwandorf regions are investing in Europe’s youth and so contributing to covering the need for qualified specialists in the regions.

The Bildungswerk der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bbw) helps companies in the regions of Cham and Schwandorf to fill open training vacancies through unconventional routes: namely with young EU citizens from Croatia and Spain.

After a language course in their homeland and an introductory internship in Bavaria, the young applicants from Spain and Croatia have the opportunity to undertake a dual training.

The favourable situation in the jobs market coupled with the demographic transformation mean that companies are struggling to fill vacancies even in the regions of Cham and Schwandorf: There are more training vacancies than suitable applicants. At the same time, however, many young Spaniards and Croatians are affected by youth unemployment in their homelands. After the model project for promoting the vocational mobility of young persons interested in training in Europe (MobiPro-EU) comes to an end , we have therefore sought and found new paths to kick off training in 2017 for interested young persons from EU countries to prepare for training in Bavaria and fill open apprenticeships.

As part of the project, the bbw will undertake the cross-border search for individuals interested in receiving training by the companies. In the trainees’ home countries, Spain and Croatia, we work with together with the government and the Catalonia Labour Administration as well as with the Chamber of Trade Craft in Zagreb. With help from EURES (European Employment Services) in Spain, the Spanish applicants complete a language course at our long-standing partner, the Goethe Institute Barcelona, before their departure to Germany.

An essential factor behind the success of the project involves the personal support and advice for companies and participants provided by experienced bbw coaches both in the preparatory period as well as during the entire training.

In Germany, the project is supported by the partners in the participating regions, the regional Job Centre, the International Placement Services as well as the Bavarian State Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs, Family and Integration.