More and more districts and independent cities in Saxony are offering targeted services for urgently needed skilled workers. The tenth Welcome Center in the Free State has now opened in Zittau. According to the Saxon Center for Securing Skilled Workers and Good Work (ZEFAS), such facilities are important contact points for professional integration for both newcomers and employers. The district of Meißen has introduced a Welcome App to make it easier to arrive with information and support services.
"We not only offer support when arriving, but also create an environment in which new residents can stay and feel comfortable in the long term," explained Görlitz District Administrator Stephan Meyer (CDU) at the opening of the Welcome Center in Zittau. The contact point in the border triangle with Poland and the Czech Republic acts as a "welcome guide", for example when looking for an apartment or job, a place in a daycare center, suitable leisure activities or integration and language courses, as well as for official matters.
The district in the east of Saxony is particularly affected by a shortage of skilled workers. In 2022, vacancies there remained unfilled for an average of 199 days, compared to 144 days nationwide - and the trend is rising.
Pilot project at Görlitz Hospital
The European city of Görlitz-Zgorzelec has had a Welcome Team since this spring, which supports companies in the acquisition of foreign skilled workers. Several internationally oriented companies and institutions are based in the German-Polish border town.
A pilot project to train international nursing staff was launched this spring at the municipal hospital in Görlitz. According to its own information, the hospital in eastern Saxony already employs people from 27 nations. The plant manufacturer Skan from Switzerland settled at the former power plant site in Hagenwerder, where more than 320 people from eleven nations currently work.
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