On 18 September, Parliamentary State Secretary Katja Mast welcomed Ylva Johansson, the European Union Special Envoy for Ukrainians in the EU, to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The focus of discussion was the situation of people who have fled Ukraine and are now living in Germany.
Parliamentary State Secretary Mast emphasised the Federal Government's solidarity with Ukraine and its ongoing support for Ukrainians in Germany. She reported on the success of the Job Turbo Programme in integrating refugees from Ukraine into the German labour market.
More than half of the refugees in Germany work at the level required of skilled workers, specialists or experts. They strengthen the skilled labour base in Germany.
In February, around 40 percent of Ukrainian nationals in employment subject to social insurance contributions were working as skilled workers, around 16 percent as experts or specialists, and around 45 percent as assistant workers. The Federal Government will continue its efforts to integrate refugees into the labour market by further developing the combination of previous work experience, in-service language acquisition, further training and qualification.
In addition, the institutional partnerships between the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and its Ukrainian partner ministries were discussed. Within this framework, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is supporting Ukraine with technical expertise in labour market and social policy reforms on the path to EU membership.