Germany is rightly proud of its education system. It is one of the mainstays of our economy. However, those who don’t have a professional qualification can have a hard time finding a job. This is even the case with those who have already worked successfully in an occupation for several years, as, even though they may have accumulated a great deal of experience, it can still be hard to prove this when applying for a job. From the employer’s side, too, it can be difficult to ascertain what an applicant is actually able to do. And it is often hard for the careers consultant at an employment agency to direct a candidate towards suitable job vacancies or further qualifications.
This is the problem faced by around 4.7 million low-qualified workers when they want to change jobs. Above all, it is a problem for migrants and for the million or so refugees who have come to Germany since 2015.
Often, it is not work experience that they lack, but certificates, knowledge of the German work scene, and the necessary language skills to explain what they have done in their homelands on a professional level.
We want to make the invisible visible. Because when informally acquired skills come to light, this helps refugees integrate into society as well as helping to relieve the shortage of skilled workers in many sectors. This is especially true of the skilled crafts and trades. Many refugees and job seekers have talents that a lot of companies are desperately looking for. We just have to bring them together, and MYSKILLS should help to do this.