The Hunt is On

Skilled workers are in short supply. To summarise the problem in short: the old are retiring, while the young show little interest in these professions. Why today’s battle for talent must be fought by other means. Text: Ina Köhler, Martina Müllner-Seybold, Kay Alexander Plonka, Nicoletta Schaper. Photos: Interviewees

Oliver Schneider is Managing Partner at TFE Recruitment Experts alongside working as a trainer and consultant. “Skilled workers are scarce, which is why they are increasingly sought after by external personnel consultants,” the expert explains.

Textilakademie Mönchengladbach, which opened in autumn 2018, sets new standards in commercial-technical vocational training. It bundles the vocational education for pupils from eight federal states at one location and is regarded as one of the most modern educational institutions in Germany. Content is communicated via smartboards and a cloud-based learning environment. Every student is supplied with a notebook during block seminars. “We pursue the topic of digitisation on three levels: infrastructure equipment, teachers and their didactics, and education of the trainees,” says Managing Director Detlef Braun. The associations of the Rhineland and Northwest German textile and clothing industries have invested 20 million Euros in the project. The new campus is located in the immediate vicinity of the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, whose workshops can be used by the trainees. “The textile industry has undergone decades of structural change with all its negative consequences,” Braun explains. “We need to upgrade our image, especially with regard to skilled workers. Essential factors include the quality of education and access to good vocational training.” Mönchengladbach is a shining example. In the future, the institution will offer more advanced training courses, as well as technician and master classes. It is also planning the construction of a new guesthouse. Photo: Textilakademie NRW gGmbH

Isn’t it much more expensive not to be able to fill a specialist position or to fill it poorly? After all, skilled workers are in such high demand because they hold key positions in companies. You simply can’t afford to save on these positions - and that should be reflected in the search. Think about how much time has often already been spent addressing specialists in the classic way - via advertisements and such - before turning to external professionals. Your own personnel department doesn’t work for free! And don’t forget that the reputation within the industry suffers when everyone else knows that a company can’t find people for months...

No, I wouldn’t say that. I experience most of them as diligent and so involved in their companies that they don’t even read job advertisements. When we call, most people tell us that they are in an active employment relationship. A few days later, however, many come back and ask whether we can talk. Only an external consultant can offer this level of confidentiality. As company X, you simply cannot call the skilled workers of your competitor.

In segments with a structural shortage of skilled workers, the only way to achieve success is the direct approach via the employer or a personnel service provider. There simply aren’t any people on the market. So-called soft factors are becoming increasingly important decision criteria. The salary isn’t all-decisive. Modern company and management structures are a must, not only for so-called Young Professionals.

As a fashion company with deeply embedded product development and manufacturing departments, we generally have at least 70 job applications at the same time - for a wide variety of areas and professions. We offer six training occupations and employ approx. 30 trainees. Overall, we tend to be more active in terms of approaching applicants. The classic procedure of ad placements is no longer sufficient in a narrow recruitment market with virtually full employment. In the area of training, we have enjoyed success with our own trade fair platforms; we train educational ambassadors, visit schools, and advertise on our homepage. In terms of professionals, we have been present on the most influential “Active Sourcing” channels for quite some time. Digitisation offers many exciting possibilities in this respect.

The wishes of younger generations regarding their respective professions are not much different today than they were in the past. It’s all about finding an exciting task, in which one can utilise strengths in a creative way and recognise one’s contribution to success, receive appreciation for one’s work, and perceive oneself as part of a team. However, self-realisation in the private sphere is a much higher priority today, which means that all benefits that allow more flexible work in terms of time or space are highly welcome.

rhein: No. We welcome approx. 350 new students per semester. In winter 2017, we had no less than 2,000 students from 57 nations. Our university is the oldest institution for textile studies and the largest in Europe. We also cooperate very closely with textile companies and are allowed to conduct further research. This makes us appealing to prospective students.

We regularly invite schools, for example. We recently hosted our Boy’s Day. Most people aren’t aware of how technology-oriented our courses are! That’s why a tour through our large laboratories is a real “aha experience” for our visitors.

Many graduates opt for the buying and sales departments of fashion companies, mainly because businesses the textile processing industry. Textiles are omnipresent today: from a closable stadium roof to the shell of an aircraft. So-called Smart Textiles open up another exciting field, as does sustainability. We cooperate with the Centre for Textile Logistic, which develops recyclable materials for the packaging of cars and trucks, equipped with an electronic warning system that is triggered when vehicles threaten to slide off the trailer. This is just one example of the many interdisciplinary job opportunities outside the clothing industry. 90 percent of our graduates are employed within three months after leaving, both in Germany and throughout Europe. That’s an excellent quota!

Salaries start at 3,000 to 3,500 Euros. For prospective managers, we recommend our master’s degree, studying in English, or a doctorate. We currently have eleven doctoral candidates, for whom we cooperate with partner universities. www.hs-niederrhein.de

“We impart product knowhow with business content,” says Manfred Mroz, the Managing Director Marketing & Finances at Academy LDT Nagold.

“We cooperate very closely with textile companies and are allowed to conduct further research,” says Robert Groten, Professor of Textile and Clothing Technology at the University of Applied Sciences Niederrhein.

LDT Nagold: For example with our lookbook on ldt.de, in which 60 graduates share their career paths. We also bring this brochure to the 15 vocational fairs we attend throughout Germany. The interest in our stand is always high!

Very acute. But the market is primarily looking for soldiers, not chieftains. The retail sector in particular needs junior staff who are willing to work in a customer-oriented manner.

There is definitely a shortage of skilled workers in this area. Large retail chains need product managers rather than designers for the production of their own labels. Everybody is eager to design, yet the companies only need one designer. However, they need many employees for everything else from buying to sales.

Currently we have approx. 400. We wouldn’t mind having 500, but we depend on companies in terms of dual studies. Many of them are cautious due to the tense market environment.

Immediately after graduation, assistant jobs in buying, sales, or product management are the most likely. 85 percent of them are in Germany. Initial salaries of 30,000 Euros per year can quickly rise significantly, especially in the sales domain. The great career opportunities are proven by the long list of Nagold graduates in leading positions: Werner Böck, Andreas Baumgärtner, Sabine Märtens, and Thorsten Stiebing. www.ldt.de