The talks focussed on Germany’s system of vocational training and skills development. The Ukrainian side was especially interested in the integration of Ukrainian refugees into the German labour market. The package of measures known as the job turbo aims to integrate (Ukrainian) refugees into the German labour market quickly, sustainably and in a way suitable to their potential. Moreover, the Ukrainian delegation asked questions about the activation of long-term unemployed persons and about using skills development measures for re-integration into the labour market.
This was important for the delegation given that many Ukrainians had to flee their homes because of the war and are now internally-displaced persons in Ukraine. For this reason, Ukraine is interested in an exchange of information and in Germany’s experience with the integration of refugees in order to integrate the internally-displaced Ukrainians sustainably in the labour market of their new place of residence.
The meeting was part of a study trip organised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in the framework of the "Skills4Recovery" programme. At the same time, the meeting was the second workshop of an administrative partnership between Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. This partnership serves as a platform for an exchange of information on selected topics between experts from the Ukrainian and German public services: The exchange of information on questions of labour market policy is designed to help Ukraine cushion the impact of the war on the Ukrainian economy and labour market. In addition, the partnership aims to support Ukraine on its path to EU membership.
The study trip will also take the delegation to the headquarters of the Federal Employment Agency in Nuremberg and the Federal Employment Agency’s Regional Directorate in Berlin/Brandenburg. During the study trip, the Ukrainian delegation would like to get insights into the working methods of Germany’s public employment service to collect ideas for potential reforms of its own public employment service.