The Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks (ZDH), member of SME United, is the biggest small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employers federation in Germany, representing the interests of 5.4 million skilled craft enterprises employing about 5 million people, making it the biggest SME employers federation in Germany.ZDH and other German social partners agreed on a tripartite declaration on education and training for refugees with the German ministries for employment, migration, education and research, and with the business and energy sectors. Joint statements have been issued with other employers and industrial organisations declaring their intention to work on the integration of refugees in the labour market.In addition, 34 local and regional Handwerkskammern, or crafts chambers, and numerous other skilled craft organisations have been engaged in several initiatives and have cooperated with numerous stakeholders (local authorities, integration networks, employment agencies, etc.) to seek practical ways to boost the training and integration of refugees.The ZDH has also put forward concrete programmes like the Welcome Tutors initiative.How it worksSupported by the German federal government, the Willkommenslotsen, or Welcome Tutors, programme has been in place since 2016. Small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs), as well as more and more larger companies, need the support of welcome tutors to address the shortage of skilled workers and to attract new groups of applicants in the selection process. Through the programme, people with a refugee background are encouraged to take part in vocational trainings and are linked to companies. Start date1 Jan 2016Project locations Germany Project websiteZentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks (ZDH) Results Through the Willkommenslotsen programme, about 150 tutors have been made available in chambers of craft, industry and commerce, and refugees have been matched with SMEs in need of qualified personnel.Over the years, the initiatives above have contributed to a steady increase in the number of refugees taking up formal vocational training programmes in the skilled craft sector, from abut 18 500 people in 2018 to 25 000 in 2020.ZDH also proposed the creation of a secure residence title in the German Migration Law for those refugees involved in vocational training, and the proposal was adopted by the German government in 2018. See more about the ZDH’s stance on the importance of ensuring the residence status of refugees.
