Frankfurt am Main—Society and the economy are on the verge of a major transformation. “Ecological and digital transformation are challenging business models, disrupting value-creation processes, and placing new demands on employees’ qualifications. This also requires new competencies in employee participation within workplaces and companies. The House of Labour is intended to impart these competencies at the academic level to those involved in co-determination,” said Jörg Hofmann, First Chairman of IG Metall, on the occasion of the inauguration of the House of Labour on Wednesday in Frankfurt.
Under one roof, the House of Labour brings together the long-established European Academy of Labor (EAdA) and the Academy of Labor, founded in 2015. Both are institutions of DGB-affiliated unions but are open to all students. “To view the House of Labour merely as a training ground for union leaders would be an oversimplification,” Hofmann noted. “It is a place where anyone who wishes to gain qualifications, pursue education, and earn university degrees in the subject areas offered is warmly welcome.”
The Academy of Labour offers a three-year work-integrated degree program in “Business Administration—Human Resources and Law” leading to a B.A. degree, as well as certificate programs in the fields of labor market economics and employee participation management, along with seminars and continuing education modules.
At the European Academy of Labor (EAdA), students can enroll in an eleven-month full-time course in the field of labor relations. In addition, the EAdA has established an international, English-language program in collaboration with higher education institutions in Israel.
“Sustainability in human resources management and employee participation are crucial criteria for managing transformation in a way that benefits employees,” said Christiane Benner, Second Chair of IG Metall. Through its curriculum, the House of Labour remains committed to the Academy of Labor’s emancipatory tradition, which spans nearly 100 years. “Against the backdrop of a pluralistic understanding of scholarship, the House of Labour adopts an explicitly worker-oriented perspective. In this tradition and based on modern teaching methods, it will become a place of lifelong learning for students,” said Prof. Dr. Martin Allespach, Head and Director of the European Academy of Labor and Managing Director of the Academy of Labor.
The House of Labour sends a clear signal to the higher education and training landscape in Germany. “Unions and employee representative bodies are key actors in shaping social change. The academic qualifications of these actors are an important prerequisite for these changes to succeed,” explained Rainer Gröbel, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the European Academy of Labor and Managing Director of the Academy of Labor.
Frankfurt Mayor Peter Feldmann paid tribute to Hugo Sinzheimer, who initiated the founding of the Academy of Labor, taught at the University of Frankfurt, and whose ideas were instrumental in enshrining the freedom of association and collective bargaining autonomy in the constitution. “I am pleased that the critical examination of issues related to labor relations, labor policy, and work organization will continue at the House of Labor as well.”
The new building on Eschersheimer Landstraße in Frankfurt can accommodate approximately 800 students from the European Academy of Labor and the Academy of Labor. Spanning 4,070 square meters, it features more than 20 seminar rooms and lecture halls spread across four of the building’s five floors. The library is located in the basement. Two floors are used by Goethe University Frankfurt. As planned, construction costs totaled 25 million euros, and the construction period lasted approximately 16 months following the laying of the cornerstone.
