BERLIN — Crying out for engineers and IT specialists, Bavaria is rolling out the red carpet to Germans l
iving abroad to lure them back home to work in the wealthy southern state.
With Germany’s lowest unemployment rate, Bavaria boasts a jobs landscape that many in Europe can only dream of — jobs left unfilled because there’s nobody there to employ.
With a title fitting for a movie, the “Return To Bavaria” scheme, implemented last year and financed by the regional economy ministry, aims to reverse the brain drain by providing a welcoming hand to badly-needed workers returning home.
“Bavaria needs bright minds,” chirps the Munich-based initiative’s website. “That’s why the ‘Return to Bavaria’ initiative is looking to attract Bavarian and German top performers living abroad back home to Bavaria.”
More than three million expatriate Germans live in the 34 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development alone.
The scheme targets countries with large populations of German citizens such as Switzerland, Austria, the United States or Australia.
Through conferences and roundtables, it aims to reach out and give practical support to potential returnees.
“We also ensure personalised advice with support for the job hunt and for integrating in Bavaria,” said Kerstin Duebner-Gee, who heads the centre. — AFP