What is the role of the training provider in the partial qualification (TQ) project and what challenges are there in the search for suitable candidates? Susanne Dünkel provides the answers. She is Head of Vocational Training at the Internationaler Bund (IB) in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. We have already successfully trained ten participants in cooperation with IB.
one: How did the cooperation with the REWE Group come about?
Susanne Dünkel : As a training provider with many years of experience in training jobseekers, we applied to REWE Group for the partial qualification (TQ) project alongside other training providers and were then awarded the contract for this interesting project in December 2022.
Susanne Dünkel
one: What is your role as a training provider within the project?
Susanne Dünkel : The participants receive practical training at REWE, while we are responsible for the theoretical part of the training. We are also involved in the selection of candidates together with the REWE Group and the job centres.
one: What challenges do you face when looking for candidates?
Susanne Dünkel : Many participants had been unemployed for a very long time before the TQ measure and had undergone a number of training and further education measures at the behest of the job centre, which didn't always make sense for the participants. We had to build up the credibility that the TQ was not one of these pointless further training programmes, but a fully-fledged profession with a Chamber of Industry and Commerce qualification. Another challenge is to build up the participants' self-confidence. As I said, many of them have been unemployed for years and have doubts about completing their training. The slightly older participants are often worried about having to go back to school. However, we are usually able to dispel these worries quickly, as the training is very practice-orientated.
one: How are the candidates selected?
Susanne Dünkel: We work very closely with the local job centres. First, the job centre informs its customers about the partial qualification and makes a pre-selection of which long-term unemployed people are suitable for the programme. These candidates then receive an invitation to one of the information events that we offer together with the REWE Group. Since entering into the cooperation with the REWE Group, we have already offered five information events. We are benefiting from the experience and can thus constantly improve.
one: What happens after that?
Susanne Dünkel: Interested parties then take part in a preliminary training programme at our premises in Berlin. This lasts four weeks and primarily serves to get to know each other. An important aim of the preliminary programme is for the candidates to find out whether working in retail is really something for them and for us to check whether they are suitable. If the result is positive for both sides, the candidates receive a contract from REWE and the training programme begins.
one: How does the apprenticeship work?
Susanne Dünkel : Similar to other training programmes, practical and theoretical units alternate. The training programme comprises several modules. After successfully completing two modules, participants are qualified as sales assistants and can be taken on as permanent employees at REWE. If they successfully complete a further training module, they will obtain the IHK qualification as a retail sales assistant.
one: And how many participants have completed this qualification since the programme began in Berlin and what is your assessment?
Susanne Dünkel : In April 2024, ten participants successfully completed modules 1 and 2 of their training programme, which focused on cashiering and advising customers. Nine of them have decided to continue with modules 3 to 5 and will complete them in January 2025. The external examination at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce to qualify as a retail sales assistant will take place in May 2025. One participant left the qualification as a sales assistant after two training modules as she wanted to start working straight away.
one: What happens next? Will the programme be continued?
Susanne Dünkel: Yes! We will be starting a new programme this year. We are currently preparing an information event together with the REWE Group, which will probably take place in August. The preliminary measure is planned for September. The next TQ will then start in October. We will benefit from the experience gained from the previous training programme and can thus further improve it.
Back to working life
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.
