EGF Projects in Germany

So far, Germany has successfully submitted eleven applications with a total EGF funding volume of approximately 56 million euros.

GMH Guss (project applied for):

To support 476 former employees of the GMH Guss Group, the European Commission has approved 1.1 million euros of EGF funding for the period from April 2021 to June 2022. The reason for the redundancies are negative consequences of globalisation. The GMH Guss Group produced castings for the automotive and mechanical engineering industries. Due to a shift in the production of foundry products for car and truck production and mechanical engineering abroad, especially to Asia and Eastern Europe, the production of German foundries slumped by 8.9% in 2019. As a result, insolvency proceedings were opened over the assets of GMH Guss GmbH and four of its subsidiaries. The subsidiaries located in the Ruhr region had to be closed in whole or in part. The EGF is to support the dismissed employees with qualifications, counselling, vocational preparation and orientation as well as other measures to help them find work and acquire new skills. The transfer service provider BOB Transfer is to taking over the implementation of EGF funding. Further information can be found on the European Commission's page on the GMH Guss Group and in the BMAS reports.

Goodyear:

2.1 million euros of EGF funding have been approved by the EU to support 622 former employees of Goodyear Dunlop Tires Germany for the funding period January 2018 to August 2019. The redundancies were a consequence of the closure of the plant in Philippsburg (Baden-Württemberg), where tyres, especially in the B-segment (for smaller or medium-sized vehicles), had been produced since the 1960s. The EU's market share of global passenger car production fell sharply between 2000 and 2015 and at the same time increased significantly in Asia, resulting in considerable overcapacity at Goodyear in the B-segment. Goodyear therefore decided to close the Philippsburg plant, which has the largest production capacity for B-segment tyres of all Goodyear's European plants. Thanks to the EGF, the former employees were offered numerous training courses and two job fairs, and previously unpublished job applications were submitted by job scouts. The EGF funding was implemented by the transfer service provider weitblick - personalpartner GmbH. Further information can be found on the European Commission's Goodyear page and in the BMAS reports.

Adam Opel

For the support of 2,637 redundant workers affected by the closure of the Opel plant in Bochum on 12 December 2014 and 55 redundant workers of the supplier Johnson Controls Objekt Bochum GmbH & Co. KG, 6.9 million euros of EGF funding were approved by the EU for the funding period from August 2015 to January 2017. The reason for the plant closure was the decline in sales figures for vehicles in Europe due to the economic and financial crisis with the accompanying high price pressure, especially in the mid-price segment. The project was implemented by TÜV Nord Transfer GmbH & Co. KG. During the project, the former Opel and Johnson Controls employees were able to take advantage of individual offers of active labour market policy with the help of EGF funds. Further information can be found on the European Commission's page on Opel and in the BMAS reports.

aleo solar:

1.1 million euros of EGF funding were approved by the EU for the support of 476 redundancies at the photovoltaic company aleo solar for the funding period from September 2014 to October 2015. The redundancies were the result of plant closures at the Prenzlau and Oldenburg sites. One reason for this development was the drop in prices due to overproduction, especially in China. The transfer service provider and implementer of the EGF funding was BOB Transfer GmbH. Since very many of those affected were over 50 years old, special workshops were set up for this target group, among other measures. In addition, interested persons were given the opportunity to take part in intensive profiling. On the basis of this profiling, those affected were able to better identify which further qualification measures they could take part in in order to find a job as quickly as possible. Many of those affected even succeeded in re-entering fields of activity that were similar to their original work at aleo solar. Further information can be found on the European Commission's page on aleo solar and in the BMAS reports.

First Solar:

Also in the solar sector, 2.3 million euros of EGF funding were approved for 875 redundant workers from First Solar in Frankfurt (Oder). With an integration rate (e.g. taking up employment subject to social security contributions or self-employment) of over 70 % twelve months after the end of the project, the EGF project was successfully completed by the transfer company TÜV Rheinland. This success was only possible thanks to targeted skills development and particularly intensive job acquisition by the transfer service provider in close cooperation with the local employment agencies. The EGF project was funded between January 2013 and August 2014. Further information on First Solar can be found on the European Commission's page on First Solar and in the BMAS reports.

manroland:

In the manroland EGF project, workers made redundant in the printing press sector were supported in various federal states. For this case, Brussels provided funding of 5.3 million euros from the EGF for 2,103 former employees. After a funding period from August 2012 to May 2013, an integration rate of over 70 % was achieved one year after the end of the project. The project was implemented by the project and transfer companies PTG and PRM Frankfurt. During a site visit by members of the European Parliament's Employment Committee to Offenbach in February 2013, the parliamentarians were able to gain an impression of the implementation of the EGF measures. In particular, the personal experience reports of the EGF participants made clear the added value of the EGF funding. The promotion of tailor-made qualifications was particularly effective. Further information can be found on the European Commission's page on manroland and in the BMAS reports.

Automotive Düsseldorf/Arnsberg:

In the administrative districts of Arnsberg and Düsseldorf, EGF funding was applied for for a total of 778 former employees of five automotive suppliers. The reason for the dismissals were the negative consequences of the economic and financial crisis for the German automotive industry. During the funding period from March 2010 to July 2012, the still weak labour market made it difficult to find employment again without support. The financial contribution of the EGF was 4.3 million euros. The participants of the EGF project were supported by two transfer service providers: weitblick personalpartner and PEAG Transfer. A special feature of the project was that former employees of very different companies were supported, so that the transfer service providers were confronted with a very heterogeneous group of affected persons. Further information can be found on the European Commission's page on Automotive Düsseldorf/Arnsberg and in the BMAS reports.

Heidelberger Druck:

The EGF project Heidelberger Druckmaschinen was a project in the area of printing presses from January 2010 to the end of June 2011. The reason for the redundancies were the consequences of the economic and financial crisis. A total of 8.3 million euros of EGF funding was approved for 1,181 former employees. One year after its end, the project had achieved an integration rate of almost 83 %. This makes it the most successful German EGF project in terms of its integration rate. This was achieved primarily through the custom-fit qualifications made possible by the EGF funding. In addition, the economic upswing at the time had a positive effect on the subsequent employment of the EGF participants. Project implementers on site were the transfer companies weitblick personalpartner and DEKRA. Further information can be found on the European Commission's page on Heidelberger Druck and in the BMAS reports.

Karmann:

An application in the automotive sector for 1,793 former employees of two companies of the Karmann Group was approved for a funding period from February 2009 to June 2010 with an EGF contribution of 6.2 million euros. The dismissals were caused by the negative consequences of globalisation, especially the increased demand and production in Asian countries. The project implementer was the transfer company Silberstreif Personalpartner. The EGF funding in this case allowed measures to be offered for a longer period of time and people with several placement-inhibiting characteristics to be intensively supported. The EGF enabled sufficient profiling and the introduction to qualification measures and the current labour market. Further information can be found on the European Commission's page on Karmann and in the BMAS reports.

Nokia:

With the Nokia plant in Bochum, the last large plant of a mobile phone manufacturer in Germany was closed. A total of 5.6 million euros of EGF funding was approved in order to support the reintegration of 1,316 former employees into the labour market. The EGF funding was provided by the transfer company PEAG Transfer from August 2008 to January 2010. Further information can be found on the European Commission's page on Nokia.

BenQ:

BenQ was the first German EGF case and the second EGF case ever in the first funding period of the EGF (2007-2013). The application covered 2,528 former employees of the company BenQ Mobile GmbH & Co. OHG, who were funded in the period from January 2007 to May 2008. The approved EGF financial contribution was 12.8 million euros. The redundancies were due to relocations of the Taiwanese parent company BenQ Corporation to Taiwan, China and Brazil. Support was provided to redundant workers at two locations: in North Rhine-Westphalia and in Bavaria. The implementation of this EGF case was the first time that the benefits of EGF funding could be used. It is particularly noteworthy that the beneficiaries profited from tailor-made and innovative support concepts, such as the formation of special groups of affected persons (so-called peer groups) to promote special training and mutual exchange, as well as cost-intensive qualification measures. In addition, the EGF enabled intensive counselling activities with a very good counselling ratio. The transfer companies PEAG Transfer in North Rhine-Westphalia and TRAIN in Bavaria implemented the EGF funding. Both transfer companies worked together closely with the local employment agencies. For more information, see the European Commission's page on BenQ.