The Recruiting Centre's pilot project is aimed at these people: 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).

The project helps us to close the labour and skills gap and attract more employees to the stores. The existing workforce is thus protected from overwork. Another aspect is that we are also securing the next generation of managers in the long term.

We wanted to know from project participants how the project has helped them get back to work. We asked retailers, district managers, store managers and HR partners how it is helping them locally to counter the shortage of skilled labour. Employees from the Federal Employment Agency and training providers explain how they support the project. To kick things off, Dirk Hoffmann, Senior Consultant Talent Acquisition, Recruiting Centre, Retail Germany, explains the pilot project that he launched.

one: Why is it so important to focus on alternative recruiting channels?
Dirk Hoffmann: As in most other sectors, there is a shortage of labour and skilled workers in the retail industry. This is particularly noticeable on the shop floor, where demand is especially high. Due to demographic change, we are coming up against natural limits in recruiting.

Older people are going into well-earned retirement and there are not enough younger people coming in - simply because there are too few of them. In order to prevent the labour and skills gap from widening any further, we have decided to break new ground in recruiting and involve people who do not have standard employment histories.

one: What exactly do you mean by this and which people are you targeting with the pilot project?
Dirk Hoffmann: We have around 1.5 million people in Germany who are unemployed for a variety of reasons and are considered to be low-skilled. This means that they have either never completed an apprenticeship or have not worked in their training occupation for more than four years. We are targeting these people with our pilot project.

one: For what reasons do these people not have a vocational qualification?
Dirk Hoffmann: In addition to those who have not completed any training, there are many people who have a refugee background and whose training qualifications are not recognised in Germany. However, there are also many locals who were unable to complete their training due to difficult family situations, for example because they are single parents or caring for a family member. They also include people who have previously kept their heads above water with odd jobs and are fed up with this kind of life. For all these people, a partial qualification offers a great opportunity to gain a foothold in the labour market through sound training as a retail sales assistant with a Chamber of Industry and Commerce qualification.

one: That sounds like there are few restrictions when it comes to selecting candidates?
Dirk Hoffmann: That's absolutely right! There are few limitations. As far as age is concerned, our youngest participant was 23 and the oldest 63. We are also not very limited in terms of origin: We have participants with roots in a wide variety of countries: Syria, Afghanistan, Ghana.

one: How does a TQ programme actually work?
Dirk Hoffmann : After the REWE or PENNY region has notified us of a need, we first analyse the labour market and check whether there are enough suitable candidates in the respective area. Once the job centre has found the candidates for the programme, we approach our training partners, as the local training provider is responsible for the theoretical part of the training. Candidate events are then organised to help them get to know each other. If these are positive for the respective candidates and for us, we offer them an employment contract.

one: How many candidates are needed for a TQ programme?
Dirk Hoffmann : At least twelve people are needed to make the programme worthwhile. In individual cases, we also offer partial qualification programmes for groups smaller than twelve in consultation with the training providers.

one: What motivates the participants to take part in the TQ programme?
Dirk Hoffmann : For many, the primary motivation is to earn their own money and thus free themselves from dependence on state alimony. Having a secure employment relationship with a good employer is very desirable for many. But it is also the desire for self-realisation and the chance of a possible career.

one: When and where have you already implemented TQ measures?
Dirk Hoffmann: Four TQ measures were launched in 2023, including one in Berlin for the full-range. For PENNY, we started in Hamburg in the North region in October. In the PENNY South-West region, we started in Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim / Ludwigshafen in 2023. This year, Munich will also be launched for PENNY in the South region. The full-range stores will be represented in Berlin, Rostock (including Stralsund and Rügen) and Schwerin in 2024.