‘When everyone’s a winner’

It takes everyone’s interests into account

An interview with Monika Varnhagen, Director of the Federal Employment Agency’s International Placement Services (ZAV).

giz2013-interview-varnhagen-3-200x150.jpg

akzente: How does cooperation with GIZ, via the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM), benefit the Federal Employment Agency?

Monika Varnhagen: For three decades now, CIM – a joint venture between the Federal Employment Agency’s International Placement Services (ZAV) and GIZ – has been the recruitment agency for German development cooperation. CIM complements the two partners’ own service portfolios by placing specialist and management personnel with employers in partner countries with which the German Government engages in international cooperation. Up to now, this has taken place though the Integrated Experts and Returning Experts programmes. But there has been an ongoing debate at board level about possible ways of utilising the existing cooperation to jointly manage labour migration to Germany, thus creating synergies between the labour market and development policy. The starting point is the expected substantial shrinkage of the available workforce in the EU and Germany resulting from demographic change, the health sector being a particularly sensitive area. So we agreed to launch this joint pilot scheme. A strategy for temporary labour migration was developed, trialled and evaluated for specific occupations where there is a shortage of skilled workers. The project will end this year, and discussions about an extension are currently under way.



Of course – and this is where GIZ’s contribution comes in – we take into account the interests of the countries of origin and the interests of the migrants themselves, hence the name ‘Triple Win’.

Gegenüber der Vermittlung von Integrierten und Rückkehrenden Fachkräften durch CIM: Was ist das Neue am Konzept von Triple Win?

Allem voran natürlich die Richtung der Vermittlung: Statt in das Ausland vermitteln wir nach Deutschland. Steht bei der Vermittlung ins Ausland der Bedarf in den Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländern im Fokus, ist es in der umgekehrten Richtung der deutsche Arbeitsmarkt. Damit ändern sich auch die Rollen der beiden Partner in der Arbeitsgemeinschaft. Natürlich – und dies ist wiederum der Beitrag der GIZ – berücksichtigen wir  dabei die Interessen der Herkunftsländer und natürlich die der Migranten selbst – deshalb Triple Win.

Das Interview führte die akzente-Redaktion. Es erschien zuerst im GIZ-Magazin akzente, Ausgabe 04/2012.