Federal Labour Minister attends the World Economic Forum
On 25 January 2012, Federal Labour Minister Ursula von der Leyen took part in the panel discussion on "The Future of Human Capital", held as part of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012.
© R. Deischl
The opportunities and challenges facing labour markets worldwide as a result of global structural changes – this was the topic discussed by the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Ursula von der Leyen and representatives of international companies and organisations on 25 January 2012 as part of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The panel discussion, entitled "The Future of Human Capital", was moderated by Professor Herminia Ibarra (Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires – INSEAD).
The Federal Minister stressed that Germany will expect to face a shortage of six million workers over the next 15 years due to demographic change. The resulting demand for labour would be covered by increasing the level of activation among already existing potential, most notably in terms of employing women and older workers as well as by means of skilled migration, she added.
The World Economic Forum was also an opportunity for the Minister to conduct talks with representatives of German companies. Here too, the focus of the talks was on solution strategies designed to secure Germany’s skilled labour needs over the long term.