Germany faces a workforce shortage of approximately 157,000 employees by the year 2030 to meet its climate goals.
Germany is gearing up for its energy transition, but a significant challenge looms: a potential labor shortage of around 157,000 to 160,000 skilled workers by 2030, according to the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). To tackle this issue, various strategies are proposed, including recruitment and targeted training, diversifying the workforce, facilitating migration, and reducing dropout rates.
The demand for workers is particularly high in the construction sector, energy and electrical engineering, agriculture and forestry, IT, and supplying industries. This labor shortage is exacerbated by demographic changes, with many current workers nearing retirement, making the challenge even more pressing.
IAB researcher Christian Schneemann emphasizes the importance of easing the recognition of foreign qualifications to facilitate the immigration of skilled workers. He also proposes promoting MINT professions (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, technology) to address the labor shortage.
In addition to recruiting new workers, the IAB suggests focusing on education, immigration, and the inclusion of underrepresented groups in the workforce. This includes encouraging more female and older workers to enter or stay longer in the workforce, thus expanding the labor pool.
The IAB study, released on Monday based on the institute's own model calculations, also indicates a persistent difficulty in finding qualified workers in several key professions, including electrical engineering, energy technology, construction, and building materials production. The average vacancy period for these professions is notably high, with electrical engineering and energy technology averaging 114 days, construction at 100 days, and building materials production at 104 days.
By 2040, the IAB predicts that the demand for workers in Germany's energy transition will be around 102,000. To optimally utilize labor potential from shrinking economic sectors, IAB researcher Christian Schneemann suggests recruiting available workers and training them efficiently to maximize the labor supply.
While these strategies aim to fill the new positions created by the energy transition, they also aim to mitigate anticipated workforce shrinkage in relevant sectors, preventing labor shortages from becoming a barrier to Germany's climate and energy goals. However, other factors such as demographic change and digital transformation may impact the demand for workers, potentially resulting in a net reduction of jobs.
In conclusion, addressing Germany's energy transition labor shortage requires a multi-faceted approach, focusing on education, immigration, and the inclusion of underrepresented groups in the workforce. By implementing these strategies, Germany can ensure it has the skilled workers it needs to successfully transition to a more sustainable energy future.
- The community policy should prioritize easing the recognition of foreign qualifications to facilitate the immigration of skilled workers in response to the anticipated labor shortage due to Germany's energy transition.
- Employment policies should promote the MINT professions (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, technology) to address the anticipated labor shortage in the energy and electrical engineering sectors, agriculture and forestry, IT, and supplying industries.
- Educational institutions and self-development programs should prioritize environmental science and renewable energy as careers, preparing the next generation of workers for the energy transition.
- Environmental-science and business programs should be strengthened to prepare students for careers in the renewable-energy industry, contributing to the expansion of the labor pool.
- Personal-growth and career development resources should be directed towards encouraging more female and older workers to enter or remain in the workforce, expanding the labor pool for the energy transition.
- The finance industry should support the energy transition by investing in education, immigration, and the inclusion of underrepresented groups, ensuring a steady supply of skilled workers for the renewable-energy industry and contributing to Germany's climate and energy goals.
