Jörg Hofmann, First Chairman of IG Metall: “Germany must become a further education republic – who would not agree to that? The fact is: there is a big gap between general knowledge and concrete action. The transformation is changing work content and job descriptions for millions of employees. If we don’t want to complain about a shortage of skilled workers on the one hand and dequalification and career decline on the other, companies need systematic personnel development. Just one example: 80,000 engineers, technicians and highly qualified skilled workers develop, test and build the combustion engine today. What is their future if there will be no more new internal combustion engines by 2028 at the latest? For bridges into the working world of tomorrow, we need a qualification offensive and a future-oriented labor market policy. IG Metall welcomes the continuation of the national further training strategy. In addition to the qualification allowance, subsidized part-time training, improvements in transfer short-time allowance, works councils finally need more rights to be able to enforce further training in companies. As a social partner, we will get involved in the national further training strategy and work on it.”
dr Hans-Jürgen Urban, executive board member of IG Metall: “The socio-ecological transformation will only succeed if employees can continue their education. More than 200 IG Metall shop stewards in more than 40 companies are already qualifying as further training mentors. They are a crucial support for the national strategy for further training: further training mentors are close to the employees, have their trust and support them in their qualification. As IG Metall, we expect: Employers must recognize and actively support further training mentors as an opportunity for personnel development. They need time for their job and resources for their own qualification.”