Press Release No. 06/2016 IG Metall Calls for a Workplace Integration Year for Refugees and the Long-Term Unemployed

Frankfurt am Main / Berlin – IG Metall is proposing a workplace integration year for recognized refugees and the long-term unemployed to enable them to lead independent lives through work. “Everyone must face the challenge of vocational integration—it is achievable,” said Jörg Hofmann, President of IG Metall, on Thursday in Berlin. “To gain entry into our highly differentiated and complex labor market, we need coherent entry-level models.” The integration year called for by IG Metall would include not only a job but also integration and language courses for refugees. Training and work should be combined in a way that is closely aligned with real-world workplace conditions. The integration year would be financially supported by the Federal Employment Agency, utilizing existing programs for this purpose.

The measures proposed by IG Metall should be open not only to refugees but also to all others who are disadvantaged in the labor market. “The principle applies: equal entitlements for everyone who needs our social support,” said Hofmann. However, this requires tailor-made models for everyone. The goal is to facilitate access to work as quickly as possible and to link employment with the necessary qualifications. This should be based on collectively bargained wages, and employers should be compensated for their integration efforts through the existing integration subsidy program. In addition, part-time models could be considered that allow refugees to acquire additional language skills, including some training outside of working hours. An integration year also offers better opportunities for follow-up employment at the company. As part of this follow-up employment, vocational training could be continued, for example, through the “part-time training” provision in the collective bargaining agreement for the metal and electrical industries or the Federal Employment Agency’s (BA) “Wegebau” program.

Of the approximately one million refugees who arrived in Germany in 2015, the federal government estimates that roughly half will remain in Germany for an extended period. About 70 percent of them are under 30 years of age. According to current information from the Federal Employment Agency, the refugees will make approximately 380,000 additional people available to the labor market. By way of comparison: Last year, approximately 700,000 new jobs subject to social insurance contributions were created in Germany, and 2.1 million job openings were reported to the Federal Employment Agency. The “Integration Year” provides a clear framework for employers, employees, and the Federal Employment Agency, creating opportunities for tailored implementation.

“Whether integration goes well or poorly depends on how we shape it,” said Hofmann. “Work is a central building block for social integration.” Work enables an independent life and, with it, a genuine sense of belonging in Germany.