Top training companies honoured for the first time in Schwerin

To address the problem of the lack of skilled workers, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Schwerin awarded the prize "Top training company 2010" to companies in Mecklenburg for the first time.

"The awarded companies have demonstrated foresight and understood that the battle for masterminds has already begun. Only every second company in our State offers vocational training", states Dr. Stephan Rudolph, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economics, Labour and Tourism of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.

Rudolph seizes the opportunity to point out the tight situation on the training and job market. "Due to the demographic change, currently more people leave the labour force than young people enter it. The best strategy to ensure having skilled workers is to train them in one’s own company."

But like in the previous year, there will be approx. 9,000 in-company training positions available which will not be filled. "Therefore, one big task for the future will be the training of underperforming youths," Rudolph advises. "The demographic changes challenge us all but also offer new opportunities for young people. Different than before, they now have the chance to choose from a variety of training vacancies."

"In the future it will be even more important to offer training conditions on a competitive basis in order to secure the demand of skilled workers in-house while having a decrease in manpower supply at the same time. The attractiveness of a job is a competitive factor and it includes salary, the option to stay in the company, future viability of the job, the work-life balance as well as career perspectives. All companies will have to become fully aware of this potential," Rudolph concludes.