Ines Barkowsky has worked in an area where there is a particularly severe shortage of skilled labour: caring for people with dementia. This work requires great mental stability and becomes impossible if you - like the 35-year-old - are in poor health and also have to look after two children as a single parent. As part of her partial qualification as a sales assistant at REWE, the Berlin native has found an understanding salesperson who allows her to work family-friendly hours.
one: As a trained home economist, you have completed further training as a care assistant and looked after dementia patients. Jobseekers with such a qualification usually don't have to look for a job for long.....
Ines Barkowsky: Yes, but dealing with people with dementia requires a lot of strength. That became a problem for me as a single parent a few years ago after my second child was born and I was diagnosed with a serious illness. In short, I was no longer mentally able to do this job - as much as I enjoyed it. Because I really enjoy working with people.
one: How did you find out that REWE was offering a partial qualification as a sales assistant?
Ines Barkowsky: At some point, my employment agency sent me a flyer referring to this programme. It sounded exciting to me because I had worked in retail for a while after leaving my trained profession - and I really enjoyed it because, as I said, I value contact with people. I've been with REWE since May 2023 and haven't regretted it.
one: What is the biggest challenge for you?
Ines Barkowsky: Sometimes it's not easy to sit down at the table and study again after a long day, in the evening, when the children are in bed. Especially when you've already completed two training programmes. But well, I have to get through it and I'll manage. I'm glad that I can take part in this programme and I want to pass the IHK exam next year.
one: As a single parent, how do you manage to train and look after your two children?
Ines Barkowsky: It only works because I work for a great businessman who has set my working hours at 8 am to 3 pm. I don't have to work later in the afternoon or in the evening. That's how I manage to pick up my youngest, who is just four years old, from daycare on time. My older son is twelve years old and is usually at school until the early afternoon. When fruit and vegetables are delivered to the market early in the morning, I can sometimes start at 6 o'clock. But for these days, I find an individual solution for the little one with the support of his father.
one: And how do things go during the weeks when you go to school?
Ines Barkowsky: School starts at 9 am and finishes at 3.30 pm. But I have a comparatively long journey. Sometimes I need 50 minutes for one journey. Nevertheless, childcare is easy to organise on these days. As I said, it's more difficult to get the books out again in the evening and concentrate.
one: Did you imagine working in the store to be the way you experience it now? Or is it very different from what you expected?
Ines Barkowsky: No, I haven't experienced any surprises. I had already worked in retail for a while and knew many of the processes. My favourite thing to do is sit at the checkout or pack groceries. When I was looking after people with dementia, I learnt that if you treat people with kindness, in the majority of cases the kindness comes back. This also applies to everyday life in the store. After hopefully successfully completing my training, I would like to continue working in this store. Because I get on really well with all my colleagues.
one: How do friends and acquaintances react when you tell them that you are training to be a sales assistant?
Ines Barkowsky: There is nothing but encouragement. Even my doctor thinks it's great that I've decided to do another apprenticeship.
The shortage of skilled labour is reflected in falling numbers of applicants. At the same time, there are around 1.5 million people who are unemployed and low-skilled, i.e. who have not completed vocational training. This is precisely where the Recruiting Centre's pilot project comes in: Together with the Federal Employment Agency, local job centres and educational partners, long-term unemployed and low-skilled workers are being trained for sales jobs in REWE and PENNY stores as part of a partial qualification (TQ).
We wanted to know from project participants how the project has helped them get back into work. We asked retailers, district managers, store managers and HR partners how it is helping them locally to combat the shortage of skilled labour. Employees from the Federal Employment Agency and training providers explain how they support the project.
