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How one German company wants to plug the skilled worker gap in green tech

Jerome Goerke recently founded greentech.training, a small business company hoping to address the skilled labor shortage that is hindering Germany’s green energy transition.

A wind farm in Jacobsdorf, Brandenburg.
A wind farm in Jacobsdorf, Brandenburg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Patrick Pleul

Der Fachkträfetmangel: it’s a menacing word (translating roughly to skilled labour shortage) and one with equally menacing effects for Germany’s economy.  

According to the Labour Ministry, Germany will face a shortfall of 240,000 skilled workers by 2026, and the issue has prompted the federal government to launch new policies aimed at recruiting more foreign workers.

The shortage is particularly problematic for companies hoping to power the country’s energy transition, as there is currently a lack of the skilled workers (particularly electricians, electrical engineers, and IT specialists) needed to grow the country’s renewable energy industries.

Jerome Goerke, founder of greentech.training, is intimately familiar with this issue. His company, launched in January, aims to address this shortage by making it easier for German companies involved in the energy transition to identify and hire qualified renewable energy workers, particularly those living in other countries.

Goerke, a journalist and communications expert by trade who moved from Australia to Germany almost twenty years ago, said the inspiration for starting this company arose during the Covid pandemic, as he began recognising the severity of climate change. 

“There is this drive, I think, amongst many people at the moment to say, what can I do, how can I contribute to minimizing climate change? How can I actually do something that allows the next generation to benefit from my actions?” Goerke explained.

READ ALSO: ‘600,000 vacancies’: Why Germany’s skilled worker shortage is greater than ever

As the combined forces of the pandemic, climate change, and war in Ukraine plunged Europe into an energy crisis, Goerke put his focus on green energy. Since last April, Goerke has been meeting with people involved in the hydrogen, solar, and wind industries to determine what challenges these industries faced.

In these conversations, one issue came up repeatedly: “time and again, it was skills. You know, we need people with skills. And they’re not there,” Goerke said.  

A major obstacle in addressing this shortage lies in the bureaucracy associated with recruiting skilled international workers to Germany, as potential immigrants often face complicated documentation processes and a language barrier. 

“All this kind of stuff is a hassle. And it’s a preventive issue for many companies who would like to take people on,” Goerke said. 

That is where greentech.training comes in.

“Everything that is normally associated with the difficulty of taking internationals, we deal with. So that’s our kind of niche.” Goerke explained, adding that their services also appeal to immigrants already living in Germany, who despite having the necessary skills to enter the sector face bureaucratic hurdles as well.

READ ALSO: Will immigration reform be enough to combat Germany’s worker shortage?

How it works

The company’s name stems from the term “green technician,” which Goerke explains describes those qualified to work in the renewable energy fields. To build a pool of these green technicians, greentech.training first formed partnerships with green energy cluster networks such as European Solar PV Industrial Alliance (ESIA), the Windenergie Agentur (WAB), and the Berlin Solar City Master Plan. They then worked with the companies in these clusters to determine what positions they are hiring for. 

So far, greentech.training is sourcing jobs in forty professions across the solar, wind, hydrogen, and geothermal energy sectors. 

“You [can] apply through the job portal on our page, and say, ok, I’m an automation engineer, and [the portal] is structured in a way that it says, on behalf of the cluster partners, we are sourcing automation engineers,” Goerke explained. “[The applicants] see the basic requirements and then submit the CV.” 

Since launching in January, the company has received around 550 applications, which Goerke and the seven other volunteers who make up the company are sifting through. 

A wind and solar farm in Büttel, Schleswig-Holstein.

A wind and solar farm in Büttel, Schleswig-Holstein. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/ENERPARC AG | ENERPARC AG

Over half of the applications so far came from people living in Germany, many of whom had immigrated from other countries, while the other half came from people from around the world, living in countries such as India, Mozambique, and England. 

“We are selective. We’re not going to [accept] everybody who applies, because we know that this holistically must function. So part of our job is also to make sure we only present [qualified] people,” Goerke said.

Applicants that the greentech.training team determines have the necessary education and qualifications for their preferred position move on to the next stage in the process. What that stage entails is determined by their level of German, as around 90 percent of the companies require German at a level of B1.2 or higher. 

Those applicants not yet at that level enter greentech.training’s Bridging Program, through which they enroll in a virtual, intensive German course taught by a freelance language trainer. Goerke emphasizes that while the courses are relatively cheap, at 199 for 75 units (with 450 units required to go from no German to B1.2), he hopes they can be free in the future.

READ ALSO: Chancenkarte: How many points could you get on Germany’s planned skilled worker visa?

“We don’t want to charge the green technician, we just want to give them a hand up,” he said.

Once the applicant has reached the necessary German level, they are asked to upload a video of themselves explaining their skills background, which greentech.training then circulates to partner companies interested in hiring for the specific position. 

If the partner company expresses interest in the applicant, the applicant then goes through a traditional recruitment process with the company. If the company hires the applicant (in which case greentech.training receives a sourcing fee), greentech.training also helps on the backend.

If necessary, they provide support for visa applications and professional certifications, while also helping the applicants get settled in their new environment by connecting them with community support groups. 

“The idea is that from beginning to end, we’re serving both the green technicians coming into the companies and also the green energy companies themselves, making sure that they get them and then they keep them. Because we want long term interconnection,” Goerke said.

Jerome Goerke

Founder Jerome Goerke. Photo: Lara Bommers

Recruiting young internationals  

To help draw potential applicants to their program, greentech.training is also planning on-the-ground recruiting events. They have formed partnerships with universities in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Spain, and Jordan, where they plan to host green energy career days in the next few months.

A main goal of these recruiting events is to present young people with a pathway into green energy, Goerke said. The company hopes that the use of the term “green technician” to describe these jobs will facilitate these efforts. While the term is new and relatively unknown, Goerke thinks it will help draw young workers. 

“It’s an umbrella term, a catch all term, but it does help stand out in the crowd because people see that and think yeah, that’s who I am, this is who I want to be,” he said. “A big component of our work is to help make that pathway clear.”

Goerke says the term is also helpful because it demonstrates that the distinction between “white collar” and “blue collar” positions will soon become irrelevant in the green energy sector.

“In the future for energy you need to be both technically, mechanically, and intellectually agile. So there’s going to be a blending of these two old worlds. And the best way to think of that is as a green technician,” he said.

To this end, the company is also looking to partner more with trade schools, as in addition to electricians, welders (for wind turbine manufacturing) and roofers (for solar panel installation) are in high demand.

READ ALSO: Climate change the ‘biggest worry’ for people in Germany

Recruiting refugees 

Goerke is also aware of the need to involve all segments of the community in the energy transition, an understanding that informs the company’s focus on fostering a community-integrated approach to the green energy transition.

“Energy affects all of us, [and] the communal approach, unified approach to making this transition happen is essential. We can’t leave people behind,” he said. “If you don’t have the community’s support for any kind of initiative, you risk losing their involvement. And it’s important to work at a very grassroots level.”

For greentech.training, part of this grassroots work means recruiting from refugee communities, allowing those from marginalized backgrounds who don’t yet have a “green technician” background to enter the sector as well.

For example, the company is poised to launch the Propulsion Program, a small-scale initiative targeted at young refugees between the ages of 16 and 26 in the Bremen/Bremerhaven area. The program is designed to offer a pathway for manual trades in the wind sector, with those selected enrolling in a free German course before taking on an internship with a partner company. Goerke estimates there will be ten to fifteen positions available. 

Goerke believes the program can be specifically helpful for refugees who were in Ukraine at the time of the Russian invasion, but are not Ukranian or EU citizens, making access to work more difficult.

“This is a key segment of the community that we would like to take care of and support,” he said.

The application process is similar to  that of greentech.training’s main program. After connecting with greentech.training through their social service partner in the area, the applicant submits a video explaining their background, which greentech.training then sends to the partner companies. If the applicant is chosen, they then enroll in the German course before beginning their internship.

Greentech.training has plans to expand these refugee recruiting efforts, as they recently agreed a partnership with the Berlin-based organization Einstieg zum Aufstieg GmbH to help create opportunities for refugees in Berlin to enter the green energy market. 

READ ALSO: PODCAST: Is Germany really one of the hardest countries to start a new life in?

What’s next? 

The main challenge that Goerke and greentech.training face in the future is ensuring the business remains viable as it moves out of the launch phase. 

“You can have a great idea, but until people start paying for it, that’s when your service is validated, and that’s when you can start generating income for the people who are helping. So that’s the ongoing challenge,” Goerke explained.

A technician looks at a lithium battery in a lab.

A technician looks at a lithium battery in a lab. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/CUSTOMCELLS® | Markus Schwer

Goerke said he is weighing the options of going the venture capital route or letting the business grow organically, and is even open to a partnership with a governmental organization. Ultimately, though, Goerke is not too concerned with how the business ends up being structured. His main priority is to ensure that the company continues to provide a valuable service which allows people from all backgrounds to contribute to the energy transition.

“Let’s just offer a good service, let’s focus on really servicing both the green technicians, those who want to be green technicians, and the companies,” he said. 

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“It doesn’t even matter what business model we have. All that matters [is] that these individuals have the ability to become green technicians, to be green technicians, and then to answer that question in five years’ time: ‘I’m a green technician.’ ‘Oh what kind?’” 

Indeed, for Goerke, the increase in the prevalence of the term green technician will be a measure of the company’s success.

“Because I know that that has all kinds of knock on effects. It means less carbon in the atmosphere, it means security for that individual who might have come from a war torn area or [a] developing country, who can take that knowledge back to their country one day, to help redevelop that country, to continue the development towards renewables [and] a cleaner, sustainable Earth.”

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WORKING IN GERMANY

How generous is Germany’s unemployment benefit system?

Germany is often ranked among the top countries for the best unemployment benefits. What are the conditions for getting financial support if you find yourself without a job - and how much can you expect to receive?

How generous is Germany's unemployment benefit system?

If you lost your job – or walk away yourself – there are a few steps to take to ensure that you receive financial support during your unemployment.

How to register

To receive relief when you are unemployed, you must register at the Federal Employment Agency. Once your case is reviewed to ensure you are eligible you can begin receiving unemployment benefits. 

You must visit the Federal Employment Agency (BA, or Bundesagentur für Arbeit) in person or online at the earliest three months before your employment ends.

READ ALSO: What happens to your residency permit if you lose your job in Germany?

If your employer does not provide you with advance notice of your contract termination, then you need to visit the Agency three days after you know of your unemployment. You do not need an appointment. 

There are strict protections against unlawful termination of employment, but not all employers are aware of the rules. If you find yourself unlawfully terminated you may be entitled to a severance payment

If you register too late you could receive a Sperrzeit, or disqualification period which would decrease your unemployment benefits. 

Is unemployment available after quitting your job?

Yes, but you may have to wait for those benefits to kick in. For individuals who resign to find employment elsewhere and need unemployment benefits while looking for their next step, you can also visit the Federal Employment Agency in person or online at the earliest three months before your employment ends. 

The BA will require you to wait three months after your notice period before you can receive benefits, so it is advantageous to schedule an appointment before you leave the job.

This period can be waived if you can show that your job took a toll on your health (with a doctor’s note), your new employment contract was canceled, and / or you can prove you resigned without notice because of employer misconduct like not receiving pay. 

What unemployment benefits are available?

There are two types of unemployment benefits available in Germany. 

  • Unemployment Benefit 1 is an insurance-based benefit available if you contributed to the unemployment insurance system during your employment. You will receive benefits according to your contributions to the system while employed. 
  • Unemployment Benefit 2 or Bürgergeld is a benefit for individuals and families facing financial hardship because of unemployment or low income. This benefit is funded by federal taxes.

READ ALSO: Bürgergeld: Germany’s monthly unemployment benefit to rise by 12 percent

A woman clicks on an online application for Bürgergeld

A woman clicks on an online application for Bürgergeld, Germany’s long-term unemployment benefit. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Carsten Koall

Eligibility for unemployment

Regardless of which unemployment benefit you are eligible for, you must be a legal resident of Germany, registered as unemployed, actively looking for a job, and between the ages of 15 and 65.  

To be eligible for Unemployment Benefit 1, you must have been employed and contributed to the unemployment insurance system for at least 12 months in the past two years before becoming unemployed.

You may also be eligible for this benefit if you raised a child until the age of three, received sick pay, voluntarily signed up for unemployment insurance while freelancing, or completed voluntary military service, federal volunteering or youth service.

To be eligible for Unemployment Benefit 2, expats who are facing financial hardship must meet the means test criteria set by the job centre. Foreigners must also fulfill at least one of the following scenarios:

  • Registered resident in Germany for at least 5 years
  • Previously received Unemployment Benefit 1, but benefits ran out
  • Worked in Germany for three of the last six months, and are not entitled to unemployment benefit 1

What is covered by unemployment benefits?

Unemployment Benefit 1 is based on previous earnings so it partially covers living expenses and housing. Recipients will also remain covered by health insurance. 

Unemployment Benefit 2 covers essential living expenses including food, clothing, 

It covers rent and heating costs up to the rate set by each state and recipients receive 

Both categories can receive job-seeking assistance, free professional training and counseling to improve job opportunities. 

How much money will I get?

Recipients of unemployment benefit 1 can expect to receive 60 percent of their gross income, or 67 percent if they have children. It is important to note that the money you receive is taxable. Germany also ignores gross income above €90,600 when deciding benefits. 

Bürgergeld recipients can expect up to €563 per month along with the payment of other living expenses and housing. Local authorities set rates for “reasonable” accommodation costs based on the region’s cost of living. Check with your local ‘jobcentre’ to determine what the allotment will be.   

The jobcentre in Berlin Mitte.

The jobcentre in Berlin Mitte. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Philipp Znidar

How long do unemployment benefits last?

For those receiving Unemployment Benefit 1, assistance typically lasts between 6 to 12 months. If you are over 50, the benefits can last up to 2 years. Still, you could receive less unemployment benefits if you face a Sperrzeit or assistance disqualification period. 

Changes proposed to Germany’s system

And Germany’s unemployment system may face another shakeup. 

That’s because the CDU proposed several changes to Bürgergeld, Germany’s long-term unemployment benefit. The center right party said in a statement it wants to “abolish it in its current form” and rename the program to “Neue Grundsicherung” or New Basic Security. 

What are the proposed changes?

Under the current proposal, stricter sanctions would be established to reduce benefits if appointments at the jobcentre are missed with no excuse or recipients refuse employment. 

The CDU resolution also intends to prevent Totalverweigerer (complete refusers), unemployment recipients who are able to work but refuse to do so, from receiving any benefits. 

Germany’s Constitutional Court decided in 2019 that a 100 percent cut was not constitutional. But the country’s highest court found that a 30 percent cut in benefits could be permissible but anything higher than 60 percent was unreasonable. It is unclear how the CDU plans to clear this hurdle when implementing the plan. But for “total refusers” it may be permissible to fully cut benefits

The SPD and the Green party rejected the CDU initiative. SPD leader Lars Klinbeil rejected the plan in a statement to Tagesschau

“The amount of citizens’ money is determined by a constitutional court decision. This has now been implemented, with the consent of the Union, by the way,” he said. “We need to have other debates than attacks on the welfare state.”

The federal and state governments also met to discuss potential changes to refugee policy. 

New Ukrainian refugees may also no longer receive Bürgergeld, instead the group will receive monetary assistance through the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act, according to a recent CSU proposal. 

Under this proposal a single asylum seeker would be entitled to a maximum of €460 in monthly assistance through the Asylum Seekers’ Benefit. This represents a slight decline from the €563 Ukrainian refugees could receive previously through Bürgergeld. 

In 2023, nearly 6 million people received Bürgergeld benefits. There is no national data on how many benefit recipients fall under the “complete refuser” category. 

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