Opportunities without borders – international apprenticeships and training as a solution to the shortage of skilled labour

In her final year at school in Ecuador, Victoria came across the PAM programme, which is run by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, or  'German Society for International Cooperation'. PAM – or to give it its long name, ‘Partnerships for Development-oriented Vocational Training and Labour Migration’ – is a programme that connects talented young people with German companies in urgent need of apprentices and skilled workers. Liebherr is involved in the programme and has already had many positive experiences through it. Tanja Stadler, former head of the Lindenberg Education Centre, sees it as the perfect way to fill job vacancies. ‘Giving young, dedicated people the opportunity of a solid apprenticeship and then employing them as skilled workers benefits both sides.’ The aerospace and transportation systems product segment is not immune to the shortage of skilled workers, and finding apprentices and skilled workers can be a challenge. ‘Even if some of the apprentices from the PAM programme leave us again after a few years, we know that they are returning to their home countries as well-trained people who can put their new skills to use there.’

Foreign candidates and local candidates face a similar application process. ‘Having looked through the CVs, we invited some candidates to an online interview. Anyone who has successfully completed the programme already has a good understanding of German. So, as is the case for all the other applicants, we’re looking for technical and personal suitability at this stage,’ explains Tanja Stadler. The only thing we skip is the on-site practical test.

It was not by chance that Victoria Santacruz applied specifically to Liebherr. ‘I already knew about Liebherr. The company is known worldwide and is even represented in several countries in South America,’ said the 21 year old. And she knew even more about the job of an industrial mechanic. Her father is a mechanic and has his own workshop where Victoria was able to gain some initial experience in the field. The only thing she wasn’t sure about, was what to expect in Germany. Much as the PAM programme prepares the future apprentices and skilled workers well – they learn the language, cultural differences and are given support when applying for their visas – it wasn’t until Victoria Santacruz had actually arrived in Lindenberg that she learned about the idiosyncrasies of the region. ‘For example, people greet each other here by saying “Servus”. I’d never heard that before.’ But despite having to overcome the minor hurdle of the Allgäu dialect, she was welcomed with open arms right from the beginning. Culinary differences are a hot topic during breaks. In the company restaurant, Victoria Santacruz has not only discovered Käsespätzle – her new favourite German food – but has also told her colleagues all about the delicious food from home. Her favourite is Encebollado – a popular Ecuadorian fish soup. Even beyond break times, the ‘PAM apprentices’ get a lot of support from Liebherr. ‘Of course, a bit more support than usual was needed at the beginning. We helped them to handle important official matters, set up bank accounts and take out mobile phone contracts. But they have all settled in very quickly, were open-minded and asked the right questions,’ said Tanja Stadler.