On 10 January, Federal Minister Hubertus Heil met with Ukraine's Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev and Special Representative of the Federal Government for the Labour Market Integration of Refugees Daniel Terzenbach. After discussing the challenging humanitarian conditions in Ukraine, the focus turned to the labour market integration of Ukrainians seeking protection in Germany and the implementation of the so-called "Job-Turbo".
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Federal Employment Agency and the embassy want to work together closely to improve the labour market integration of Ukrainians seeking protection in Germany further. The embassy offered to provide support with outreach efforts for Ukrainians seeking protection in Germany and to provide them with information on how to enter the labour market in various career fields.
The discussion also touched on the need to improve processes, for example for recognition of qualifications and matching of job seekers to vacancies. The discussion specifically highlighted how people can achieve employment in line with their training, professional experience and potential by learning German alongside their job and, if necessary, getting their qualifications recognised in the medium term. Because the "Job-Turbo" aims for integration that is both rapid and long-term, it focuses precisely on these kinds of measures to encourage moving into higher positions.
The ambassador, minister and special representative agreed that there are already many success stories of Ukrainians in Germany that should be more widely publicised. The ambassador underlined the great interest in the integration of Ukrainians seeking protection into the German labour market, saying it was important that Ukrainians in Germany realise their potential, develop their skills and establish contacts with German employers. This experience and these networks were also relevant for rebuilding Ukraine, he added. Moreover, potential German employers see them as an advantage in entering the Ukrainian market and in helping Ukrainians find work once their home country is at peace and they have all returned home. This bridging function is particularly important with a view to membership of the EU for Ukraine, which brings freedom of movement for Ukrainian workers.