Chinanews.net, February 24th. According to foreign media reports on the 23rd, German professional and technical personnel are facing a gap. Are many young refugees entering Germany in a timely manner? According to an OECD survey, the situation is not so simple.

It is reported that for refugees to successfully complete vocational training, they must rely on their own efforts and be willing to learn more knowledge and skills; on the other hand, the strong support of trainers, language teachers and social workers is also essential.

"Our company has had a positive experience in training refugees," said Holger Schwannecke, secretary-general of the German Craftsmen's Association (ZDH). "But this does not mean that such training is easy."

Data map: On July 21, 2016, local time, in Berlin, Germany, the artist Barbara Caveng's art exhibition "Visit Refugee Life" preview exhibition was held at the European Cultural Museum.

An OECD survey also reached this conclusion. The survey, entitled "Using the Potential of Immigrants," examines the obstacles refugees face in their studies and training in Germany.

Among them, language is the biggest obstacle, followed by the low level of education of young refugees because of war. According to the OECD, employment readiness measures are extremely important for immigrants. For this purpose, immigrants need to spend time studying German or re-entering school to obtain a high school diploma, in addition to writing a cover letter, registering with the local government and finding housing.

But many immigrants do not have enough time to prepare because they want to make money quickly or are worried about being deported because they have no work. In addition, the age limit for training varies in different regions of Germany. For example, there are seven federal states that only young people between the ages of 16 and 18 can participate in vocational training, but in other federal states, the age of training can not even be 21, 25 or 27. The OECD requires uniform standards for this.

Compared to adolescents born and raised in Germany, there are very few immigrants to companies for vocational training. Schwanek expressed regret, saying that it may be that immigrants have given up vocational training "in order to make money." For example, hair apprentices earn only 450 Euros per month in the first year of training, 550 Euros in the second year, and 700 Euros in the third year. This is well below the monthly income as an unskilled worker.

Only after the vocational training is over will the income increase. "The importance of vocational education and training in Germany is often underestimated, and we must raise awareness among young people of the importance of vocational training," Schwanek said. He suggests that more successful entrepreneurs with immigrant backgrounds serve as role models for young It's cool to see the success of these people and want to succeed.

The report pointed out that without immigrants, many handicraft companies could not meet the demand for skilled workers at all. Half of those who completed vocational training in the handicraft industry came from the eight countries with the largest number of asylum seekers in Germany. The number of apprentices in handicrafts without a German passport has almost doubled between 2015 and 2018, and currently totals 18,680. Nevertheless, one-tenth of the training positions in the German handicraft industry remain vacant in 2019.

Data map: Refugees on foot in Hungary travel to Austria and Germany.

However, it is not enough for young refugees to be interested in training alone. Many people drop out of school.

There are also companies that have consistently refused to provide vocational training for refugees. "Their discriminatory attitude is not of racist or other background, but just of calculation, fear of higher risks and lack of understanding of each other," said Shuknecht, OECD Deputy Secretary-General.

However, the biggest risk remains the vague legal situation. Not long ago, a new law introduced in Germany will protect refugee apprentices who have been denied asylum applications. Under this new law, refugees who have signed training contracts can continue to complete vocational training despite their asylum application being denied, and apprentices can continue to work in Germany for two years after graduation. However, the interpretation and enforcement of this regulation by local governments are also very different.

"The worst thing for a company is that immigrant apprentices are taken away and repatriated during training preparation," Schwaneck said.

In the handicraft industry, there is hope that the skilled immigration law, which will enter into force on March 1, 2020, will improve this situation. Schwanek said companies don't care when and where the government makes what kind of law, they just want legal protection. "I hope that in order to improve the skills of apprentices and facilitate training, these rules can be implemented loosely."