Region gets ready for professionals from foreign countries

Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald opening

The Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald (Region Northern Black Forest) took up its work. The employees of the Welcome Center advise small and midsize companies for employment of foreign and international professionals and their families who move into the area of Northern Black Forest for work. The Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald is as a service and pilot agency part of a national project to inspire more professionals for the region. It has its headquarter at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Northern Black Forest located in Pforzheim and Freudenstadt.

They are young, they are motivated, they are well-educated and come from all over the world to Germany and into the region of Northern Black Forest – technicians, engineers, computer scientists, nurses or child care workers to name only a few. In order to help them feel comfortable here and settle down with their families, the Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald was opened at 01st August 2014 in the building of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Northern Black Forest in Pforzheim to be the first contact point for international professionals on one side and otherwise for small and midsize companies of the complete region.

Task and goal of the Welcome Center is to establish a network of contact persons of authorities and organisations around placement of foreign professionals. “We take on the individual initial consultation, the contacting to corresponding points or the forwarding to suitable contact persons”, said Stefan Dinter at the opening, Director of the Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald.

„In order that foreign professionals will indeed stay permanently in the region to live and work here depends amongst other things how they were welcomed” said Jens Mühleisen, Director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Northern Black Forest. A welcome culture in society and authorities is required to get the region attractive for international professionals. The Welcome Center as a central contact point with packed functions and its pilot function is an important basis to transfer the message to be welcome.”To be welcome means to value the effort from people with other cultural background”, said the Director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Northern Black Forest.

The Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald turns to international professionals – occupationally or academically qualified people who will immigrate to Baden-Württemberg or recently immigrated. As required it can be the matter of practically occuring challenges as entry, registration , acceptation of the foreign associate degree, language, jobhunting and appartment search, education oder childcare. In addition, events for the recruitment of new professionals are planned. Besides that, foreign graduates of the local universities will be approached to keep and anchor them.

The audience are small and midsize companies, trade as well as free professions. “The Welcome Center is supposed to support the companies to get opened up for international professionals” said Dinter. Assignment is to inquire the demand of the employers, to inform about the possibilities of the search and to refer to convenient intervention specialists such as Employment Agency, Central International Exchange, Foreign Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Recruitment Agencies and others.“ Together with the named placement specialists we will initiate adequate arrangements for the recruitment of foreign professionals”, said the Welcome Center Director.

Finally, according to Dinter, a regional network of social stakeholders consisting of clubs, associations or authorities has to be built. „The point is to establish a broadly supported welcome culture. We need to link the activities of the different stakeholders in order to use them optimally.“ And Steffen Schoch, Managing Director of the Regional Economic Development Agency of Northern Black Forest, adds: „The Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald will support the regional companies and social stakeholders in the recruiting of qualified professionals, link them and take the pilot function in the integration of the workers from outside the region." Finally, the Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald is an important addition to the regional existing services like the employment website „Jobs-im-Nordschwarzwald.de“, Region of Knowledge Northern Black Forest (Wissensregion Nordschwarzwald) and the Skilled Employees Alliance (Fachkräfte-Allianz). „Everyone has the goal to support the dynamic companies in supplying with qualified professionals", so Schoch.

Matthias Auch, Head of the Employment Agency Nagold-Pforzheim explained: „The opening of the Welcome Centers is one of the many steps we have to take, to integrate foreign professionals and their families. The personal greeting and supporting in the first few months after their arrival plays an important role. We show that we welcome them not only as workers but at first as human beeings.“ As a cooperation partner and member of the steering committee the Employment Agency as well as the Regional Economic Development Agency of Northern Black Forest and Q-PRINTS & SERVICES gGmbH, supports this process actively and makes a further contribution to securing skilled labor in the Northern Black Forest.

The Head of the Q-PRINTS & SERVICES gGMBH Ute Hötzer adds: „Professionals, who came to our region to work also want to live here. They bring their partner, they have children or they came alone. In addition to their work they need friends from the region, childcare, sports clubs for their fitness and much more. They want to experience our region and participate in the culture and community. The Welcome Center together with their partners shows ways, locations and possibilities even outside their work to get themselves comfortable, like based on Goethe 'Here I am Man, here I dare it to be'.“

Welcome Centers of this type are currently being built up in Baden-Württemberg to counteract the demographic change, especially the professional shortage on the long-term and sustained view. Therefore, the development of Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald is promoted by the Country of Baden-Württemberg, Skilled Employees Alliance of Baden-Württemberg (Fachkräfte-Allianz) as well as the European Social Fond. Provider of the Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald is the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Northern Black Forest in cooperation with the Regional Economic Development Agency of Northern Black Forest, Employment Agency Nagold-Pforzheim and the company Q-PRINTS & SERVICES gGMBH, which support the development of the Welcome Center Nordschwarzwald. (Provided by: Chamber of Industry and Commerce Northern Black Forest)

Infos: www.nordschwarzwald.de