Bitkom considers skilled worker offensive for chip factories in Germany necessary

In the view of the Bitkom association, the planned new chip factories in Germany will require not only government financial aid but also a skilled worker offensive. "If we support the new chip factories with billions of euros of taxpayers' money, then we also need financial resources for the training of skilled workers who are to work there, whether from the federal government or the states," said Ralf Wintergerst, president of the German information and telecommunications industry association, to the "Münchner Merkur" (Monday). Nationwide, he said, 137,000 jobs are open in information technology.

Chipmakers are planning semiconductor plants in Magdeburg and Dresden with billions in government aid. It is of immense importance that the new sites can start operations as planned, Wintergerst said. Ninety percent of industrial companies in Germany depend on semiconductors, he said, and they are indispensable for 80 percent.

The Bitkom president advocated making it easier for skilled workers to immigrate to Germany; they could choose their jobs worldwide. The administrative processes are still "so cumbersome that they effectively counteract the political will to bring top people to Germany," Wintergerst criticized. In addition, he said, more young people in Germany need to be inspired by the digital economy and microelectronics at schools and universities, especially girls and young women.