In Germany, a programme has been launched for Ukrainians to facilitate employment. However, despite this, Ukrainians still face obstacles. Find out exactly what they are talking about

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Last October, Germany decided to introduce the JobTurbo initiative in order to accelerate the employment of refugees from Ukraine. However, Ukrainians face some difficulties on the way to finding a job, so now only about 25% of refugees work in the country. We tell with reference to DW, what prevents Ukrainian citizens to find a job in Germany.

As you know, Germany ranks first in the EU in terms of the number of Ukrainian refugees. For more than two years, 1.6 million Ukrainians have already received temporary protection. At the same time, the employment rate is much lower than in other countries. Only a fourth of able-bodied refugees are now working in Germany.

"Since the beginning of the war, 160,000 Ukrainian citizens have been able to find employment in Germany. Get employed too," urged Hubertus Heil, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and Oleksiy Makeev, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, in a recent letter to Ukrainian refugees in Germany.

The initial approach was to prioritise language learning. Therefore, the results for the labour market will become visible later - because refugees often fail to enrol even in courses right away, experts believe.

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One of the key aspects of the programme is a change in the approach to language learning. Previously, employment centres provided Ukrainians with the opportunity to take language courses at B2 level and above, funding the process. However, the new initiative prioritises language learning in the working environment, placing this task on the shoulders of employers.

Despite the fact that most Ukrainians will have to take low-paid jobs, officials emphasise the possibility of upgrading their skills at the same time. In addition, employment centres are actively helping to retrain highly qualified refugees.

At the Institute for Labour Market and Career Research in Germany, sociologist Mariella Falkenhayn outlined the main obstacles to employment for Ukrainians:

• Learning German is difficult or courses are too intensive.

• Some Ukrainians are in difficult life situations that prevent them from making career plans, for example, if their spouses are in military service.

• Women sometimes consider themselves too old to start a new career or learn a language.

• There is no time to look for a job because of language courses and childcare.

In a DW commentary, Ukrainian Alena But said that she could not enroll in a course because there was no place for her child in kindergarten for two years. Therefore, the woman bought an online course and is learning German on her own. She will enroll in the course after her child has been admitted to kindergarten since August 2024. After that, the refugee agrees to take a low-skilled job, despite the fact that she has a higher education and speaks English.

We remind you! Mobile applications can greatly simplify life and help to quickly navigate in a new country. Read more about the top apps for Ukrainians who are currently in Germany here.

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