As Deutsche Welle reports, 80 percent of foreign graduates would like to become employees of German companies. Less than half of them actually succeed, even though employers themselves are more than interested in foreigners. This conclusion was made by the authors of a study from the Association of Private Sponsors of German Science (Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft) and McKinsey consulting firm.
In November 2014, they conducted a survey among 230 German companies representing large, medium and small businesses. Additionally, interviews were recorded with HR managers in companies from the MDAX and DAX lists. It turned out that already today every second enterprise cannot do without foreign graduates.
"First of all, these are large international companies with branches all over the world. But medium-sized enterprises are also increasingly looking for foreign employees. And this trend will only intensify," explains in an interview with DW Volker Meyer-Guckel, Deputy Secretary General of the Association of Private Sponsors of German Science.
The intensity of the search does not depend on which region of Germany the company is located. Employees are needed both for work in Germany itself and in foreign branches. The decisive factor is the international orientation of the business. Three-quarters of companies operating abroad bet on foreigners. Among firms focused on the German market, 29 percent do so.
Moreover, industry needs such personnel more than the service sector. "In the financial or insurance business, demand is much lower than in the high-tech industry. Foreign graduates are needed by Siemens, Bosch, Daimler, automotive concerns and enterprises with production abroad," specifies Volker Meyer-Guckel. However, the undoubted leader, according to the survey results, are companies in the information and telecommunications technology sector: 75 percent of them are interested in graduates with a foreign passport.
"German industry is undergoing a transformation. IT technologies are increasingly being used in it," comments a representative of the Association of Private Sponsors of German Science. "This means that everything produced in Germany will have IT components. In almost all areas, even where high technologies were not used before, IT specialists will be needed. And they are clearly in short supply."
There is interest from both business and students. So what's the problem? "To get a job, you first have to successfully graduate from university. 41 percent of foreigners fail to do this," notes Volker Meyer-Guckel. For comparison: among German students, only 28 percent drop out halfway through.
For those foreigners who manage to get a diploma, after graduating from university they are given 18 months to find a job corresponding to their qualifications, but only 44 percent of them eventually get employed. Finding common ground with employers is hindered, first of all, by poor knowledge of the German language, notes Volker Meyer-Guckel.
But doesn't studying at university help to master it? "Not always. Many study in English-language master's programs. English is also often used in engineering faculties. So it turns out that after graduation many do not speak German at the level required by employers," he says, adding that knowledge of German is necessary, above all, for work in small and medium-sized enterprises.
Secondly, many start looking for work only after receiving their diploma. "Too late! warns the expert. By the time you understand how the labor market works, where the companies that might suit you are located, the train will have left." It is important to gather information and establish contacts while still studying. Internships, getting to know companies at career fairs, attending lectures and seminars conducted by business representatives – all this will facilitate the transition into the profession.
However, not everything depends on the student. The study's recommendations mention universities, politicians, and the enterprises themselves. For example, international offices at universities and career services could cooperate more closely. At university career services, there are still no special offers for foreigners. Furthermore, universities could more often serve as a platform for communication between companies and students. According to the Association of Private Sponsors of German Science, only a quarter of German universities maintain contacts with business.
"Germany also does not yet have a strategy to attract students to specific specialties. For example, in Canada, engineering faculties have scholarship programs for foreigners," says Volker Meyer-Guckel. "Something needs to be done to attract students to the country taking into account the needs of the German market." Importantly, Germany still lacks a "culture of hospitality". "First of all, small and medium-sized businesses should be more open to foreign specialists. German society itself should become more positively disposed," the expert sums up.
Serious changes could occur in the near future. "Companies are increasingly realizing that if they want to attract young talent, they must also recruit foreign specialists," says Volker Meyer-Guckel.
For now, the shortage of personnel is not yet such an acute problem. But according to scientists' calculations, in ten years four out of ten students in Germany will be foreigners. And German business simply will not be able to ignore such specialists.