pricelessland

Help for skilled workers arriving in the Görlitz district

 The Görlitz district is particularly affected by a shortage of skilled workers. The need for skilled workers and workers is continually growing.

The Görlitz district is therefore sending the signal that it welcomes skilled workers and workers from home and abroad. In order to offer the newcomers a pleasant environment and motivate them to stay, the district administration is establishing so-called “welcome centers”. These facilities are intended to help newcomers arrive. 

On August 20, 2024, the first Welcome Center was opened in Zittau to represent all locations of the Görlitz District Office. 

The district is actively working to combat the shortage of skilled workers

The Görlitz District Office has long been aware of the problem of a shortage of skilled workers: the idea of ​​developing instruments that would attract more skilled workers to the region has been developing here for years. One of these instruments is the new Welcome Center in the immediate vicinity of the established citizens' office in the heart of Zittau. It acts as a contact point for newcomers who would like to find out more about questions relating to arrival. These include, for example, looking for an apartment or job, finding a daycare place, suitable leisure activities, integration and language courses as well as other official matters. In addition, appointments also take place at all locations of the Görlitz District Office. District Administrator Dr. Stephan Meyer: “With the opening of the first Welcome Center in Zittau, we are sending a clear signal: the Görlitz district warmly welcomes skilled workers and workers from home and abroad. We not only offer support when you arrive, but also create an environment in which new residents can stay long-term and feel comfortable. In this way, we are actively addressing the shortage of skilled workers and supporting companies in the district in recruiting and retaining staff.”

Welcome centers not just for people from abroad

The Welcome Center is not only intended to be the first point of contact for people from abroad: “The returnee who comes back from Munich, Leipzig or Berlin is sometimes asked similar questions as a skilled worker who comes from Ukraine, the EU or even from outside of Europe comes to us," says Antje Klose, Head of the Department for Structural Change, Economic Development and International Relations.

In order for the newcomers to stay long-term, an actively practiced welcoming culture and intercultural competence are required. The Welcome Center's support offerings convey an open and unbiased welcoming culture. The support offers presented in the Welcome Center thus contribute to an open and unbiased welcoming culture. The development of the Welcome Center is based on a comprehensive preparation phase. The district held numerous discussions with external partners, including the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chamber of Crafts, the Federal Employment Agency, the district's municipalities and a large number of stakeholders within the district administration, including the immigration authority, the integration department, the citizens' service, etc Job centers and numerous others.

The basic idea

The Welcome Center in the Görlitz district is the central contact point for regional companies and immigrants from home and abroad who want to work and live in the region. In its function as a welcome guide, the Welcome Center actively puts you in touch with the relevant contact persons who can help newly immigrated citizens arrive and stay here. The personal support enables the development of tailor-made solutions as well as the easy establishment of contacts with relevant specialist departments and cooperation partners. The Welcome Center employees are available to contact you via various communication channels. At the Zittau location, those interested have the opportunity to personally contact the welcome guides during service hours, on Wednesdays between 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. Further information, contact options and a digital contact form can be found on the following website: https://unbezahlbar.land/welcome-center .

background

In the Görlitz district, vacancies for skilled workers remained unfilled for an average of 199 days in 2022, while the national average was 144 days - and the trend is rising. According to projections by the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB), the labor force potential in the Upper Lusatia-Lower Silesia region (Görlitz and Bautzen districts) will decline by 27.9 percent by 2040. The influx of foreign skilled workers offers the Görlitz district the opportunity to grow economically and secure the population's quality of life in the long term by strengthening companies and meeting the need for qualified workers.

The ENO #Unbezahlbarland service point supported the opening of the Welcome Center in Zittau as part of the skilled workers project “Arriving in the Görlitz District”.