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Chemnitz_zieht_an_Magazin_2024_englisch

Specialist magazine of the CWE Chemnitz in English

Specialist magazine of the CWE Chemnitz in English

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CZA<br />

CHEMNITZ ZIEHT<br />

AN.!de<br />

LIVING<br />

NEIGHBOURHOOD<br />

International specialists<br />

in the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> economy<br />

EIN PROJEKT VON<br />

&


DEAR READERS,<br />

Due to demographic ch<strong>an</strong>ge,<br />

skilled workers are in short<br />

supply in some sectors <strong>an</strong>d<br />

regions in Germ<strong>an</strong>y, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

jobs are not being filled. This<br />

me<strong>an</strong>s that some projects<br />

are not being realised or that<br />

the bakery next door has to<br />

close. The increasing shortage<br />

of skilled labour is now<br />

the biggest business risk for<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>ies. Every comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

c<strong>an</strong> tackle this development<br />

by making the right<br />

decisions in its HR policy<br />

<strong>an</strong>d taking the initiative to<br />

harness previously untapped<br />

potential for skilled labour.<br />

Recruiting foreign skilled<br />

workers not only meets the<br />

need for trained personnel<br />

– it also enriches every org<strong>an</strong>isation.<br />

Cultural diversity<br />

makes a comp<strong>an</strong>y more<br />

attractive both internally <strong>an</strong>d<br />

externally – for example, by<br />

strengthening its image as a<br />

modern, open <strong>an</strong>d internationally<br />

oriented comp<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

What’s more, considering<br />

foreign skilled workers widens<br />

the pool of applic<strong>an</strong>ts<br />

<strong>an</strong>d increases the ch<strong>an</strong>ce of<br />

finding a suitable c<strong>an</strong>didate.<br />

Robert Czajkowski, Vorst<strong>an</strong>dsmitglied im Verein<br />

Wirtschaft für ein Weltoffenes Sachsen e.V.<br />

2


The stories from <strong>Chemnitz</strong> comp<strong>an</strong>ies in this<br />

magazine all reveal one thing: if you are looking<br />

to recruit skilled workers from abroad, you<br />

also need to focus on integration <strong>an</strong>d on fostering<br />

a culture of welcome within your comp<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

Because foreign skilled workers will stay with<br />

the comp<strong>an</strong>y in the long term only if they settle<br />

into their new environment – both professionally<br />

<strong>an</strong>d personally – <strong>an</strong>d if they participate<br />

in society. This may involve a certain amount<br />

of effort, but it ultimately pays dividends <strong>an</strong>d<br />

will secure your comp<strong>an</strong>y’s future. Successful<br />

welcome <strong>an</strong>d diversity m<strong>an</strong>agement creates<br />

<strong>an</strong> image of <strong>an</strong> open-minded org<strong>an</strong>isation <strong>an</strong>d<br />

increases the attractiveness of your employer<br />

br<strong>an</strong>d. Establishing a welcoming culture signals<br />

to international specialists that your comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

values them <strong>an</strong>d is happy to provide support.<br />

This me<strong>an</strong>s that, if your preferred c<strong>an</strong>didate receives<br />

several job offers, they will choose you.<br />

Our association, Wirtschaft für ein weltoffenes<br />

Sachsen e.V., will be happy to advise you on<br />

how you c<strong>an</strong> practise diversity <strong>an</strong>d openness to<br />

other cultures in your comp<strong>an</strong>y <strong>an</strong>d integrate<br />

skilled workers in the long term. We’re here to<br />

help you!<br />

Get involved in promoting<br />

cultural diversity in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>,<br />

living Europe<strong>an</strong> values, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

strengthening a creative <strong>an</strong>d<br />

open urb<strong>an</strong> society in <strong>an</strong> international<br />

dialogue. It’s your<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y, your city <strong>an</strong>d your<br />

federal state. A democracy is<br />

not something you have, but<br />

something you have to work<br />

for. Let’s look in the mirror<br />

<strong>an</strong>d repeat John F. Kennedy’s<br />

words: “Ask not what your<br />

country c<strong>an</strong> do for you – ask<br />

what you c<strong>an</strong> do for your<br />

country.” Each <strong>an</strong>d every individual<br />

c<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d should help,<br />

for example, by doing their<br />

bit to make <strong>Chemnitz</strong> the<br />

Europe<strong>an</strong> Capital of Culture<br />

a success. A just society, a<br />

strong <strong>an</strong>d resilient democracy,<br />

sustainable prosperity – you<br />

c<strong>an</strong> shape the future! Make<br />

your decision on m<strong>an</strong>y future<br />

issues that will affect our lives<br />

tomorrow by casting your vote<br />

on 9 June <strong>2024</strong> in the <strong>2024</strong><br />

Europe<strong>an</strong> elections <strong>an</strong>d on 1<br />

September <strong>2024</strong> in the election<br />

of the eighth Saxon State<br />

Parliament!<br />

3


ZEFAS<br />

FIZU NDC<br />

CWE<br />

WHO SUPPORTS<br />

INTEGRATION INTO THE<br />

LABOUR MARKET?<br />

Grafik: shutterstock<br />

There c<strong>an</strong> be no doubt that integrating employees<br />

from abroad into a comp<strong>an</strong>y involves a<br />

certain amount of effort. But nobody should let<br />

that stop them. After all, workers <strong>an</strong>d specialists<br />

from abroad not only help to fill vac<strong>an</strong>cies,<br />

but also contribute to a more diverse corporate<br />

culture <strong>an</strong>d c<strong>an</strong> bring fresh impetus to the workplace.<br />

Whether your comp<strong>an</strong>y is recruiting or needs help dealing<br />

with the authorities or looking for l<strong>an</strong>guage courses,<br />

employee workshops or integration measures, local <strong>an</strong>d<br />

regional points of contact provide services to make the<br />

start easier for everyone involved:<br />

4


ZEFAS – A GUIDE TO<br />

SECURING SKILLED<br />

LABOUR<br />

ZEFAS, the Zentrum für Fachkräftesicherung<br />

und Gute Arbeit Sachsen<br />

(Centre for Securing Skilled Labour <strong>an</strong>d<br />

Good Work in <strong>an</strong>d for Saxony), acts as a<br />

guide to help comp<strong>an</strong>ies find, retain <strong>an</strong>d<br />

develop employees. Its extensive r<strong>an</strong>ge of<br />

online information ensures a structured<br />

introduction to this topic <strong>an</strong>d provides a<br />

practical overview. ZEFAS offers a wide<br />

r<strong>an</strong>ge of information <strong>an</strong>d assist<strong>an</strong>ce,<br />

particularly in the area of labour marketrelated<br />

immigration. It provides concrete<br />

support for comp<strong>an</strong>ies by listing recruitment<br />

service providers that have made<br />

a commitment to the fair recruitment<br />

of international specialists <strong>an</strong>d workers.<br />

Saxon comp<strong>an</strong>ies c<strong>an</strong> also actively participate<br />

in projects, including the ZEFAS<br />

project to promote the professional<br />

integration of Kyrgyz trainees <strong>an</strong>d skilled<br />

workers <strong>an</strong>d the Arbeitsmarktmentoren<br />

Sachsen (Saxony Labour Market Mentor<br />

Programme). This programme aims to<br />

support people with a migration background<br />

in successfully integrating into<br />

the Saxon labour market.<br />

www.zefas.sachsen.de<br />

FIZU – A MEDIATOR FOR<br />

EVERYONE INVOLVED<br />

The increasing dem<strong>an</strong>d for skilled workers<br />

from abroad c<strong>an</strong> be seen, among other<br />

things, in the number of comp<strong>an</strong>ies that<br />

have registered with the Fachinformationszentren<br />

Zuw<strong>an</strong>derung (Immigration Information<br />

Centres [FIZU]) in Saxony over the<br />

past four years. In 2022, there were already<br />

more th<strong>an</strong> 400 at the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> contact<br />

point alone – <strong>an</strong>d that figure is rising. The<br />

FIZU centres in Saxony are key points of<br />

contact for all target groups in the area of<br />

labour market immigration. The centres<br />

aim to involve all stakeholders in the process<br />

throughout Saxony in order to act successfully<br />

on behalf of local people. The FIZU<br />

centres in Leipzig, Dresden <strong>an</strong>d <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

mediate between immigr<strong>an</strong>ts, employers<br />

<strong>an</strong>d staff of the Federal Employment Agency,<br />

the Job Center <strong>an</strong>d other authorities.<br />

“Comp<strong>an</strong>ies that take adv<strong>an</strong>tage of our advice<br />

come from very different backgrounds.<br />

We support them on their individual path<br />

to integrating immigr<strong>an</strong>ts into their specific<br />

labour market by putting them in touch with<br />

all the necessary contacts <strong>an</strong>d providing<br />

the required documents,” says Antje Pfeifer.<br />

In the case of skilled workers from abroad, it<br />

is particularly import<strong>an</strong>t to compensate for<br />

migr<strong>an</strong>ts’ lack of knowledge of the systems<br />

in Germ<strong>an</strong>y. “Entering Germ<strong>an</strong>y is a very<br />

bureaucratic process: everyday things that<br />

we take for gr<strong>an</strong>ted initially pose major<br />

hurdles.”<br />

Appointments for free advice c<strong>an</strong> be made<br />

by calling +49 (0)371 520 271 74 or emailing<br />

apfeifer@welcomesaxony.de<br />

www.welcomesaxony.de/fachinformationszentrum-zuw<strong>an</strong>derung/<br />

NDC SAXONY –<br />

PREPARING THROUGH<br />

WORKSHOPS<br />

Integration is a learning process. This<br />

applies not only to the m<strong>an</strong>agement of<br />

a comp<strong>an</strong>y, but to the entire workforce.<br />

Foreign cultures, differences in communication<br />

styles or different approaches<br />

to work c<strong>an</strong> prove to be a challenge.<br />

Comp<strong>an</strong>ies are therefore well advised<br />

to inform their employees of their pl<strong>an</strong>s<br />

for internationalisation at <strong>an</strong> early stage<br />

<strong>an</strong>d to offer training on the topic if necessary.<br />

This is where the Netzwerk für<br />

Demokratie und Courage (Network for<br />

Democracy <strong>an</strong>d Courage [NDC]) Saxony<br />

comes in: “We work preventively, uncover<br />

prejudices <strong>an</strong>d stereotypes in workshops<br />

<strong>an</strong>d explain how the mech<strong>an</strong>isms<br />

of discrimination work. We also advise<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>ies when integration poses<br />

greater challenges th<strong>an</strong> initially thought,”<br />

explain Education <strong>an</strong>d Network Officers<br />

Sylke Fritzsche <strong>an</strong>d Heiko Weigel. Their<br />

aim is to see diversity in the workforce as<br />

<strong>an</strong> opportunity rather th<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong> obstacle.<br />

“Everyone ultimately benefits from the<br />

strategic inclusion of cultural diversity<br />

in a comp<strong>an</strong>y’s HR development.” This<br />

point of contact, which is free of charge<br />

for comp<strong>an</strong>ies, is funded by the state<br />

programme Weltoffenes Sachsen (Cosmopolit<strong>an</strong><br />

Saxony). More information is<br />

available at: www.netzwerk-courage.de/<br />

sachsen.<br />

www.netzwerk-courage.de/sachsen<br />

www.welcomesaxony.de/<br />

fachinformationszentrumzuw<strong>an</strong>derung/<br />

5


ARRIVING IN<br />

TANDEM<br />

THE START WITH A FRIEND ASSOCIATION<br />

CREATES ENCOUNTERS AT EYE LEVEL<br />

Quite a few shared kitchens turn into magical meeting<br />

places over time. People cook, drink, chill, philosophize <strong>an</strong>d<br />

discuss together <strong>an</strong>d sometimes <strong>an</strong> inspiring idea is born<br />

that gives hope <strong>an</strong>d makes the world a little more hum<strong>an</strong>.<br />

The idea for “Start with a Friend”, a project that brings immigr<strong>an</strong>ts<br />

<strong>an</strong>d locals together as equals, was born in one such<br />

shared kitchen in the middle of Berlin a good nine years ago.<br />

To date, the idea has spread to 27 cities across Germ<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> has been one of them since 2022.<br />

Fotos: Thomas Höppner<br />

It’s a rather rainy evening in <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

as the members <strong>an</strong>d friends of the Start<br />

with a Friend association meet for their<br />

regular get-together. The atmosphere<br />

is good, as is the pizza. There is a lot of<br />

joking <strong>an</strong>d everyone is visibly enjoying<br />

being together. You wouldn’t know that<br />

m<strong>an</strong>y of them have experienced the<br />

unimaginable. It is only when they are<br />

asked about the past that the sorrow<br />

becomes evident on their faces. It soon<br />

clicks that they prefer to live in the<br />

here <strong>an</strong>d now, to appreciate the security,<br />

make pl<strong>an</strong>s <strong>an</strong>d enjoy the new<br />

perspectives. But not all guests with a<br />

migration background have fled their<br />

homel<strong>an</strong>d at some point. Students from<br />

other countries <strong>an</strong>d locals also join the<br />

group, which gets bigger <strong>an</strong>d bigger as<br />

the evening progresses. What we w<strong>an</strong>t<br />

6


so much for the big picture is happening<br />

here on a small scale – multicultural<br />

coexistence with mutual respect. In the<br />

middle of it all: Thomas Höppner, who<br />

until a few years ago had hardly had <strong>an</strong>y<br />

contact with other cultures. Then came<br />

the wave of refugees in 2015. “The media<br />

images burned themselves into my<br />

mind – especially the Syri<strong>an</strong> boy who<br />

was washed up on the Turkish coast,”<br />

he says. “That’s when it started rattling<br />

around inside my head: we should...” Yes,<br />

we should, but what? How c<strong>an</strong> you help?<br />

Donate money, perhaps. But where? And<br />

will it get to where it is needed?<br />

The film producer, who produces videos<br />

for the Niners basketball team in<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> among other things, finally<br />

met Muhammad Ahmad, also known as<br />

Moe. The two got to know each other<br />

in the “Unknown Baskets” recreational<br />

team, met up at Niners f<strong>an</strong> events <strong>an</strong>d<br />

beg<strong>an</strong> spending more <strong>an</strong>d more time<br />

together. Start with a Friend also pursues<br />

this goal – just with a little help to<br />

get started. The non-profit association<br />

creates personal encounters between<br />

people with <strong>an</strong>d without a history of immigration<br />

in the spirit of living diversity.<br />

The vision: to break down prejudices,<br />

provide support through friendships <strong>an</strong>d<br />

build networks. This happens in so-called<br />

“t<strong>an</strong>dems”. The principle: based on<br />

shared interests, living conditions <strong>an</strong>d,<br />

last but not least, the gut feeling of the<br />

org<strong>an</strong>izing team, each “newcomer” is<br />

assigned a “local”. This is not to be confused<br />

with a mentoring program, where,<br />

for example, visits to the authorities<br />

are taken care of. There are no obligations<br />

<strong>an</strong>d no pressure to succeed. “It’s<br />

primarily about spending quality time<br />

together as equals <strong>an</strong>d making it easier<br />

to settle in,” explain Thomas <strong>an</strong>d Moe,<br />

who found out about the initiative from<br />

a co-founder of the association. The two<br />

didn’t h<strong>an</strong>g about, <strong>an</strong>d in summer 2021<br />

they used <strong>an</strong> online ch<strong>an</strong>nel to convince<br />

the association’s Berlin headquarters<br />

that <strong>Chemnitz</strong> in particular needed the<br />

Start with a Friend – SwaF for short –<br />

program.<br />

“They’re a real dream team. They were<br />

<strong>an</strong>d are highly motivated,” enthuses Josef<br />

Al-Khalili. The association’s Regional<br />

Coordinator East visits each location<br />

twice a year to check on the status of<br />

the charitable work. Today, he stops off<br />

in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> by ch<strong>an</strong>ce, mingles with the<br />

newcomers, talks to locals <strong>an</strong>d clearly<br />

feels at home. “We had a good feeling<br />

about <strong>Chemnitz</strong> right from the start,<br />

especially in light of the riots in 2018.<br />

Thomas <strong>an</strong>d Moe were very well prepared<br />

<strong>an</strong>d had already established good<br />

contacts <strong>an</strong>d a network in the city.” Such<br />

criteria are import<strong>an</strong>t for establishing<br />

new locations – after all, the association<br />

is fin<strong>an</strong>ced with the help of public<br />

funding. Although the placement of<br />

t<strong>an</strong>dems in the city could be exp<strong>an</strong>ded<br />

– a good 20 have been formed so far –<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> has a very lively community.<br />

They meet at least twice a month for<br />

joint activities. The first Monday of the<br />

month is a fixed date for the regulars’<br />

table at Weltecho. Up to 35 people from<br />

15 nations come along. In addition, bowling<br />

evenings, paddle boat trips <strong>an</strong>d joint<br />

visits to the Niners bring the community<br />

together.<br />

Thomas has a family <strong>an</strong>d a busy job.<br />

Logically, the question often comes from<br />

those around him: Why are you taking<br />

on all of this? “I appreciate the international<br />

exch<strong>an</strong>ge, I’m interested in their life<br />

stories <strong>an</strong>d their journey to <strong>Chemnitz</strong>. I<br />

w<strong>an</strong>t to know what problems they have,<br />

whether they are happy,” explains the<br />

39-year-old, who next moment grows<br />

very thoughtful: “The work does something<br />

to you. I’m white, I have two children<br />

who c<strong>an</strong> grow up in safety – you realize<br />

how privileged you are to live here. This<br />

really hit home when I went to the association’s<br />

national meeting in Cologne in<br />

2022.”<br />

Thomas <strong>an</strong>d Moe are two of six org<strong>an</strong>izers<br />

in the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> team. Across<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, up to 350 dedicated members<br />

are involved in connecting people with<br />

<strong>an</strong>d without a history of immigration.<br />

Since the association was founded in<br />

2014, more th<strong>an</strong> 8,000 t<strong>an</strong>dems have<br />

come together. If you would like to get to<br />

know <strong>an</strong>d support the association, click<br />

online at www.start-with-a-friend.de.<br />

www.start-with-a-friend.de<br />

7


TO THE JOB INTERVIEW<br />

IN 17 HOURS<br />

Foto: Ernesto Uhlm<strong>an</strong>n<br />

8


Jelena Blagojevic’s story c<strong>an</strong> basically<br />

be summed up in one word: ambition.<br />

After all, <strong>an</strong>yone who sets out on a<br />

1,300-kilometre drive to get to a job<br />

interview in 17 hours must have a clear<br />

goal in mind. In April 2015, that goal<br />

was <strong>Chemnitz</strong>, where Jelena, who<br />

comes from Serbia, introduced herself<br />

at the occupational medicine consult<strong>an</strong>cy<br />

Arbeitsmedizinischer Dienst<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> ADC Dr. Grube GmbH, or<br />

ADC for short. Today, she is not only a<br />

perm<strong>an</strong>ent member of the team; she is<br />

also part of the m<strong>an</strong>agement <strong>an</strong>d the<br />

owner, having taken over the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

from its founder, Dr Grube, at the end<br />

of 2022. A success story, that much is<br />

certain. But the road there involved a<br />

lot of work <strong>an</strong>d a lot of persistence.<br />

Jelena Blagojevic had already decided<br />

on Germ<strong>an</strong>y as her destination in 2014: “I<br />

studied medicine in Serbia, but I couldn’t get<br />

a job through the normal ch<strong>an</strong>nels. To gain<br />

experience <strong>an</strong>d stay in touch with the subject<br />

matter, I sometimes worked without a salary.<br />

In between, I even worked as a teacher for<br />

two years.” So had it been a lot of effort for<br />

nothing? She didn’t w<strong>an</strong>t to resign herself to<br />

that. Together with her husb<strong>an</strong>d, she made<br />

the decision to turn her back on Serbia in<br />

order to gain a foothold in Germ<strong>an</strong>y. “M<strong>an</strong>y<br />

of my fellow students also dared to make<br />

the move <strong>an</strong>d emigrated to Norway, Austria<br />

or the Czech Republic.” Jelena Blagojevic<br />

speaks fluent Germ<strong>an</strong> today, with no sign of<br />

difficulties with the grammar. Just nine years<br />

ago she didn’t know a single word of Germ<strong>an</strong>.<br />

“I attended a l<strong>an</strong>guage school for a year <strong>an</strong>d<br />

finally passed the B2 level exam.” With this<br />

certificate, Germ<strong>an</strong> learners document that<br />

they c<strong>an</strong> communicate confidently in the<br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage in almost all situations in everyday<br />

life <strong>an</strong>d the world of work. Now she says she<br />

is much more confident in Germ<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d the<br />

proud holder of a C1 l<strong>an</strong>guage certificate,<br />

which attests to her l<strong>an</strong>guage skills at a<br />

far more adv<strong>an</strong>ced level. So the l<strong>an</strong>guage<br />

barrier had been overcome, but <strong>an</strong>other big<br />

hurdle awaits skilled workers from abroad:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong> bureaucracy. This is where ADC<br />

Dr. Grube stepped in because, for Jelena<br />

Blagojevic, this hurdle was almost impossible<br />

to overcome on her own: getting a work<br />

permit, dealing with the authorities, renting<br />

a flat, opening a b<strong>an</strong>k account, finding a daycare<br />

place <strong>an</strong>d school for her two sons, who<br />

were 5 <strong>an</strong>d 16 years old at the time. “Most<br />

of the support came from my employer – it<br />

was a real culture of welcome,” she says.<br />

Would she dare to take this step again? “Yes,<br />

even though the first time was very stressful.<br />

Everything was different, the culture, the<br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage. My sons didn’t know a word of<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>. It was <strong>an</strong> extraordinary situation<br />

for all of us.” Today, Jelena Blagojevic feels<br />

she has arrived <strong>an</strong>d still works for one of the<br />

largest Germ<strong>an</strong> private service providers in<br />

the fields of occupational medicine, occupational<br />

safety, traffic medicine, <strong>an</strong>d travel <strong>an</strong>d<br />

tropical medicine.<br />

then head of a polyclinic in Otto-Schmerbach-<br />

Straße recognised the import<strong>an</strong>ce of a healthy<br />

workforce for perform<strong>an</strong>ce, well-being,<br />

motivation <strong>an</strong>d productivity. Today, people<br />

are still the focus for ADC. Its mission is to<br />

help protect them from negative influences<br />

that may arise from their working conditions<br />

through occupational health screening,<br />

aptitude tests <strong>an</strong>d recruitment examinations.<br />

Incidentally, this duty of care is a m<strong>an</strong>datory<br />

obligation for employers. Comprehensive<br />

examinations under the Germ<strong>an</strong> Driving<br />

Licence Ordin<strong>an</strong>ce for lorries, buses, taxis<br />

<strong>an</strong>d passenger tr<strong>an</strong>sport, travel medicine<br />

consultations <strong>an</strong>d vaccinations for professional<br />

<strong>an</strong>d private stays abroad, as well as<br />

occupational integration m<strong>an</strong>agement <strong>an</strong>d<br />

health m<strong>an</strong>agement or safety-related advice<br />

– all with the latest digital technology – are<br />

part of the daily routine for the occupational<br />

medicine consult<strong>an</strong>ts <strong>an</strong>d specialists at ADC.<br />

“Our team has m<strong>an</strong>y years of experience<br />

<strong>an</strong>d offers individual solutions tailored to<br />

the specific comp<strong>an</strong>y’s requirements. We<br />

provide advice <strong>an</strong>d support with all questions<br />

relating to occupational health <strong>an</strong>d safety<br />

<strong>an</strong>d health protection. Employers also like<br />

to take adv<strong>an</strong>tage of our additional benefits<br />

<strong>an</strong>d services such as flu vaccinations or<br />

examinations at their premises. This me<strong>an</strong>s<br />

that employees don’t have to travel <strong>an</strong>d c<strong>an</strong><br />

return to their work after the examination,”<br />

explains M<strong>an</strong>aging Director Felix Ritter. Eight<br />

years after her arrival in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>, Jelena<br />

Blagojevic is also part of the m<strong>an</strong>agement<br />

team, which w<strong>an</strong>ts to exp<strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong>d strengthen<br />

the comp<strong>an</strong>y to meet future challenges. They<br />

are looking for specialists in occupational<br />

safety <strong>an</strong>d occupational health, medical<br />

assist<strong>an</strong>ts <strong>an</strong>d resident physici<strong>an</strong>s who are<br />

completing their specialist training – <strong>an</strong>d<br />

international specialists are also welcome.<br />

“After all, we have had very good experiences<br />

with motivated people from abroad.”<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Arbeitsmedizinischer Dienst<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

chemnitz.jobs/amdgrube<br />

4<br />

ADC, which operates regionally <strong>an</strong>d nationwide,<br />

was founded as <strong>an</strong> occupational medicine<br />

consult<strong>an</strong>cy by Dr Grube after the fall of the<br />

Wall. Even back in the days of the GDR, the<br />

Our employees come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Serbia, Slovakia, Pol<strong>an</strong>d<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d English to:<br />

karriere@adc-web.de<br />

9


“THEIR DRIVE COUNTS MORE<br />

THAN THEIR NATIONALITY.”<br />

Photos: Heitec AG<br />

Mr Krübel, in addition to its nine locations<br />

across Germ<strong>an</strong>y, HEITEC AG is<br />

also represented abroad – including in<br />

Austria, Slovakia, Hungary <strong>an</strong>d China.<br />

So having international specialists<br />

here at the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> site isn’t new<br />

territory for you?<br />

That’s right. To give one example, we<br />

are currently training two specialists<br />

from China here at the site so that we<br />

c<strong>an</strong> implement our customer st<strong>an</strong>dards<br />

locally in Sh<strong>an</strong>ghai. Among<br />

other things, this includes certified<br />

safety programming, which plays<br />

a major role in the development of<br />

safe production machinery. We also<br />

train skilled workers in cooperation<br />

with our br<strong>an</strong>ches in Hungary <strong>an</strong>d<br />

Rom<strong>an</strong>ia. We’ve had employees from<br />

India, Azerbaij<strong>an</strong>, Ir<strong>an</strong>, Russia, Belarus,<br />

Pol<strong>an</strong>d, the Czech Republic, Greece,<br />

Spain <strong>an</strong>d the USA. The proportion<br />

of international skilled workers from<br />

abroad in our workforce is currently<br />

around ten per cent.<br />

How signific<strong>an</strong>t is having a cultural<br />

background from all over the world for<br />

the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s success?<br />

Having different perspectives as a result<br />

of different cultural mentalities is clearly<br />

<strong>an</strong> asset for every comp<strong>an</strong>y. However, I<br />

would attach less import<strong>an</strong>ce to our employees’<br />

nationalities. What counts first<br />

<strong>an</strong>d foremost for us is their attitude <strong>an</strong>d<br />

their drive to achieve something together.<br />

We also see this as very import<strong>an</strong>t with our<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong> applic<strong>an</strong>ts. Just yesterday I had<br />

<strong>an</strong> interesting telephone conversation with<br />

a young m<strong>an</strong> from Syria who is studying in<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> <strong>an</strong>d made a very good impression<br />

on me. Right from the start, I could tell<br />

that he w<strong>an</strong>ts to integrate professionally<br />

<strong>an</strong>d personally here. In contrast, there are,<br />

10


The interaction of software, mech<strong>an</strong>ics <strong>an</strong>d<br />

electronics has been the flagship of HEITEC<br />

AG for four decades. With its technologically<br />

high-quality <strong>an</strong>d economical solutions, the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y helps more th<strong>an</strong> 2,000 customers<br />

worldwide increase their productivity<br />

<strong>an</strong>d optimise their products. The comp<strong>an</strong>y’s<br />

roughly 1,200 employees at numerous<br />

locations in Germ<strong>an</strong>y <strong>an</strong>d abroad have <strong>an</strong><br />

in-depth technical knowledge of sectors<br />

including the automotive industry, packaging<br />

technology, energy, medicine, food <strong>an</strong>d beverages,<br />

shipbuilding, aerospace <strong>an</strong>d logistics. In<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y alone, the comp<strong>an</strong>y has nine locations,<br />

including its headquarters in Erl<strong>an</strong>gen. These<br />

sites both operate independently <strong>an</strong>d cooperate<br />

across projects. In <strong>Chemnitz</strong>, HEITEC employs<br />

more th<strong>an</strong> 80 people, m<strong>an</strong>y of<br />

whom come from other countries<br />

to join the comp<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

We w<strong>an</strong>ted to know more<br />

<strong>an</strong>d asked site m<strong>an</strong>ager<br />

Holger Krübel.<br />

HOLGER KRÜBEL<br />

IN THE INTERVIEW<br />

unfortunately, other applic<strong>an</strong>ts who are<br />

arrog<strong>an</strong>t rather th<strong>an</strong> polite.<br />

Let’s talk about the keyword integration:<br />

what is HEITEC AG’s strategy for<br />

the long-term retention of international<br />

specialists?<br />

Of course, it’s a big adv<strong>an</strong>tage for the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y if <strong>Chemnitz</strong> or the region is the<br />

centre of international employees’ lives.<br />

Due to the lack of family ties, skilled workers<br />

from other countries are naturally<br />

more inclined to ch<strong>an</strong>ge jobs again or to<br />

turn their backs on Germ<strong>an</strong>y. To address<br />

this, we uphold a corporate culture that<br />

appeals equally to all employees. This<br />

includes team sporting events, such as<br />

the comp<strong>an</strong>y run <strong>an</strong>d group hiking tours,<br />

as well as barbecue afternoons <strong>an</strong>d visits<br />

to the local wine festival. As a sponsor of<br />

the Niners, <strong>Chemnitz</strong>’s basketball team,<br />

we also follow their games together.<br />

They clearly set <strong>an</strong> example in terms of<br />

integration that shows quite vividly how a<br />

team of international players is capable<br />

of top perform<strong>an</strong>ces. We always like to<br />

take this spirit back to the comp<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

What about Germ<strong>an</strong> l<strong>an</strong>guage skills?<br />

Are they essential for gaining a<br />

foothold here at HEITEC’s location in<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong>?<br />

Even though we are a comp<strong>an</strong>y that<br />

operates internationally, it is <strong>an</strong> adv<strong>an</strong>tage<br />

to either have good Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage skills already or acquire them<br />

over time. Our work in the region <strong>an</strong>d<br />

on a nationwide level involves a lot of<br />

customer care. Customer contact <strong>an</strong>d<br />

meetings are part of our daily business.<br />

Sometimes our Germ<strong>an</strong> employees find<br />

it difficult to keep <strong>an</strong> import<strong>an</strong>t appointment.<br />

Now imagine that you don’t speak<br />

the customers’ l<strong>an</strong>guage <strong>an</strong>d are asked<br />

to clarify complex issues. Of course,<br />

you c<strong>an</strong> usually talk to our customers<br />

in English. But then misunderst<strong>an</strong>dings<br />

c<strong>an</strong>’t be ruled out. Incidentally, there are<br />

also challenges over which we have no<br />

influence – for example, US laws that<br />

apply worldwide. The background to this<br />

is the s<strong>an</strong>ctions against certain states<br />

adopted by Congress in Washington. For<br />

example, it’s much more difficult to hire<br />

skilled personnel from Ir<strong>an</strong> in Germ<strong>an</strong>y<br />

because of the embargo.<br />

Th<strong>an</strong>k you very much for the interesting<br />

insights.<br />

You’re most welcome.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

HEITEC<br />

chemnitz.jobs/heitec<br />

People from nine different<br />

nations work at the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> site:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, China, India, Spain, Switzerl<strong>an</strong>d, USA<br />

Applic<strong>an</strong>ts c<strong>an</strong> apply in Germ<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d English.<br />

Contact: Steph<strong>an</strong>ie.Titz@heitec.de <strong>an</strong>d<br />

https://www.heitec.de/de/karriere/<br />

6<br />

11


“AN ASSET ON MANY<br />

LEVELS“<br />

On the grounds of the Europark business park<br />

in the south of <strong>Chemnitz</strong>, where iFD GmbH has<br />

its headquarters, several signs read “Parking<br />

regulations” – at first, nothing unusual. It’s only<br />

after talking to the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s international<br />

specialists that you realise that, yes, somehow<br />

it’s typically Germ<strong>an</strong> after all. In our country,<br />

everything is regulated, even in duplicate <strong>an</strong>d<br />

triplicate. Nothing is left to ch<strong>an</strong>ce. Hossam, Ashfag<br />

<strong>an</strong>d Nikunj told us why this does not scare<br />

off skilled workers from abroad.<br />

Nikunj<br />

Ashfaq<br />

Hossam<br />

Photos: iFD GmbH<br />

12


Founded in 1990 as a development<br />

service provider for intralogistics, the iFD<br />

Group is now a force to be reckoned with<br />

in the field of logistics software. Covering<br />

everything from systems for warehouse<br />

m<strong>an</strong>agement to material flow control<br />

<strong>an</strong>d forklift control, the comp<strong>an</strong>y develops<br />

modular applications for automated<br />

<strong>an</strong>d m<strong>an</strong>ual intralogistics in industry<br />

<strong>an</strong>d commerce. These solutions c<strong>an</strong> be<br />

integrated into almost <strong>an</strong>y logistics environment<br />

<strong>an</strong>d are highly intuitive to use.<br />

Comp<strong>an</strong>ies such as BMW, Audi, Komsa,<br />

Siemens <strong>an</strong>d Schnellecke Logistics rely<br />

on the expertise of the more th<strong>an</strong> 100<br />

employees of the iFD Group, which has<br />

its headquarters in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>. And ten<br />

per cent of this expertise is embodied by<br />

international specialists who find their<br />

way to the comp<strong>an</strong>y in very different<br />

ways.<br />

For example, Hossam, a student trainee<br />

from Egypt, was recommended by a<br />

technical partner of the comp<strong>an</strong>y from<br />

Karlsruhe, who had first met the now<br />

45-year-old when he introduced himself<br />

at a careers fair. “This is already my<br />

second stay in Germ<strong>an</strong>y. The first time I<br />

came here was in 2012 as a scholarship<br />

holder as part of a cooperation between<br />

Egypt <strong>an</strong>d Germ<strong>an</strong>y.” After completing<br />

his master’s degree in Kassel, he was<br />

initially drawn back to his home country,<br />

where he worked for several years as a<br />

project m<strong>an</strong>ager. But Germ<strong>an</strong>y, the “l<strong>an</strong>d<br />

of ideas”, never completely let go of him.<br />

“I was always impressed by the way that<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong> comp<strong>an</strong>ies think into the future<br />

<strong>an</strong>d don’t rest on their laurels.” This is a<br />

quality that Hossam also has. His interest<br />

in the future topics of big data <strong>an</strong>d<br />

artificial intelligence eventually led him<br />

to the Faculty of Business Information<br />

Systems at Furtw<strong>an</strong>gen University. He<br />

beg<strong>an</strong> writing his bachelor’s dissertation<br />

at iFD GmbH one year ago in summer<br />

2023. For Hossam, one thing is certain:<br />

“My future lies in Germ<strong>an</strong>y. I still have to<br />

improve my Germ<strong>an</strong> to achieve that,” he<br />

smiles, almost apologetically, from under<br />

his baseball cap.<br />

“The reverse is also true for us,” adds<br />

authorised signatory Sus<strong>an</strong>n Erkm<strong>an</strong>n.<br />

“We recently took the arrival of our<br />

student trainees as <strong>an</strong> opportunity to<br />

introduce English Days – three days a<br />

month on which only English is spoken in<br />

our comp<strong>an</strong>y. We also org<strong>an</strong>ise regular<br />

English courses through the adult education<br />

centre to improve or refresh our<br />

employees’ knowledge.” This is import<strong>an</strong>t<br />

in order to be able to open up international<br />

markets in the future. A multicultural<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y that employs people<br />

from all over the world also has <strong>an</strong>other<br />

competitive adv<strong>an</strong>tage: “In discussions<br />

with customers – in the Arab world, for<br />

example – it’s always different when<br />

native speakers communicate with each<br />

other. That creates a foundation of trust<br />

right away.”<br />

However, this enormous value that<br />

international skilled workers offer is<br />

something that m<strong>an</strong>y people still haven’t<br />

grasped, says Hossam: “Lots of qualified<br />

people with a real determination to<br />

develop move on because they don’t feel<br />

they have found their place here. That<br />

absolutely has to ch<strong>an</strong>ge.” What’s more,<br />

he adds, Germ<strong>an</strong>y is more inflexible <strong>an</strong>d<br />

complicated th<strong>an</strong> other countries. “M<strong>an</strong>y<br />

things could be quicker <strong>an</strong>d simpler. The<br />

country is overly org<strong>an</strong>ised <strong>an</strong>d systematic,”<br />

says Hossam, who backs this up<br />

with <strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>ecdote about his broken fridge.<br />

“It was inspected by two people before a<br />

third person finally fixed it. I guess it had<br />

to do with responsibilities.”<br />

Ashfag has to laugh <strong>an</strong>d nods in agreement.<br />

Hossam’s 22-year-old roommate is<br />

from India <strong>an</strong>d has also been working as<br />

a student trainee at iFD GmbH since July<br />

2023. In addition to writing his bachelor’s<br />

thesis, he is getting to know the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

<strong>an</strong>d its software through m<strong>an</strong>y small<br />

projects. The quality of Germ<strong>an</strong> work,<br />

especially in the software sector, attracted<br />

him to Germ<strong>an</strong>y. India is catching up<br />

in this field, but finding a job <strong>an</strong>d earning<br />

money is much more difficult in his home<br />

country. What does he appreciate about<br />

his current workplace? “The good environment<br />

<strong>an</strong>d open communication. I’ve<br />

received support with all my questions<br />

from the very beginning. Unfortunately, I<br />

haven’t seen much of the city yet because<br />

I’ve been busy setting up our flat.”<br />

Nikunj steps in for Ashfag <strong>an</strong>d describes<br />

the city as remarkably green <strong>an</strong>d not too<br />

big or too small. “It’s just the right size,”<br />

says the 30-year-old. He should know;<br />

after all, he has already stayed in several<br />

cities during his studies. After graduating<br />

in India, he went on to study for a master’s<br />

degree in Germ<strong>an</strong>y in 2015. During<br />

this time, he completed <strong>an</strong> internship<br />

in Fr<strong>an</strong>kfurt, wrote his dissertation in<br />

Augsburg <strong>an</strong>d then worked at Siemens in<br />

Stuttgart. He signed a perm<strong>an</strong>ent employment<br />

contract with iFD two years ago<br />

<strong>an</strong>d gained a foothold in simulation. Currently,<br />

Nikunj is continuing his education<br />

in the field of software development.<br />

Sus<strong>an</strong>n Erkm<strong>an</strong>n sees the international<br />

specialists has having much more th<strong>an</strong><br />

“just” economic added value for the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y. “With their very different mentalities<br />

<strong>an</strong>d religious <strong>an</strong>d cultural backgrounds,<br />

they have a positive influence on<br />

our employees’ mindset,” she says, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

she c<strong>an</strong> speak from experience. “Having<br />

diverse perspectives broadens our own<br />

horizons of experience, <strong>an</strong>d we have even<br />

been served one or two typical delicacies<br />

from their home countries,” Sus<strong>an</strong>n Erkm<strong>an</strong>n<br />

recalls with a smile. “Professionals<br />

from abroad are simply <strong>an</strong> asset on so<br />

m<strong>an</strong>y levels.”<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

iFD GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/ifd<br />

People from nine different<br />

nations work at the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> site:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Russia, India, Syria, Egypt, Ukraine,<br />

Bulgaria, USA, Moldova.<br />

Applications c<strong>an</strong> be submitted in Germ<strong>an</strong>, English or<br />

Arabic. Send applications to: personal@ifd-gmbh.com<br />

9<br />

13


Fotos: Scia Systems GmbH<br />

WHERE SMOOTHNESS IS<br />

THE KEY TO SUCCESS<br />

If there’s <strong>an</strong>ywhere that things go really smoothly, it’s at scia Systems GmbH – literally! Because the flagship of the comp<strong>an</strong>y with more th<strong>an</strong> 200<br />

employees is a surface treatment so precise that the surface of highly polished stainless steel resembles <strong>an</strong> Alpine p<strong>an</strong>orama in close-up. For<br />

comparison: this type of stainless steel has what is known as a roughness value of between 0.1 <strong>an</strong>d 0.5 micrometres. When processing ultra-thin<br />

layers on silicon wafers, which are needed for devices such as smartphones, scia Systems creates smooth surfaces with a height difference of just<br />

0.001 micrometres. That’s one n<strong>an</strong>ometre or one millionth of a millimetre!<br />

14


WEITERE INFOS:<br />

scia Systems GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/scia<br />

Contact for applic<strong>an</strong>ts:<br />

Sus<strong>an</strong> Förster, +49 (0)371 33561-285<br />

bewerbung@scia-jobs.de<br />

It’s no wonder that these systems for<br />

precise surface processing are in<br />

dem<strong>an</strong>d worldwide – from the USA to<br />

China. Based on ion beam <strong>an</strong>d plasma<br />

technologies, they are used for various<br />

coating, etching <strong>an</strong>d cle<strong>an</strong>ing processes,<br />

including in the microelectronics<br />

<strong>an</strong>d precision optics industries. “You<br />

c<strong>an</strong> think of it as s<strong>an</strong>dblasting on the<br />

n<strong>an</strong>ometre scale,” explains Marketing<br />

M<strong>an</strong>ager M<strong>an</strong>dy Eckert. To give just<br />

a few examples, all 798 segments of<br />

the main mirror in the world’s largest<br />

telescope in Chile have been processed<br />

with equipment from scia Systems. For<br />

the production of augmented reality<br />

glasses, the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s machines etch<br />

the finest optical gratings into the glass,<br />

<strong>an</strong>d its expertise also comes into play<br />

in medicine – including in the coating of<br />

stents, medical impl<strong>an</strong>ts made of metal.<br />

“We even claim that 99.9 per cent of<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> residents have already held<br />

in their h<strong>an</strong>ds a smartphone whose<br />

components have passed through our<br />

machines,” says M<strong>an</strong>dy Eckert confidently.<br />

These machines, which go by<br />

the name of scia Trim 200, ensure a<br />

greater yield of base plates (wafers)<br />

in semiconductor production <strong>an</strong>d are<br />

also the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s best seller. For<br />

other industries, scia Systems machines<br />

c<strong>an</strong> easily be up to 15 metres long<br />

<strong>an</strong>d weigh 60 tonnes. On average, 40<br />

machines leave the production line<br />

every year. On site at its location in Clemens-Winkler-Straße<br />

in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>, the<br />

comparatively young comp<strong>an</strong>y is not<br />

yet dependent on international specialists,<br />

but its cooperation with comp<strong>an</strong>ies<br />

from other countries is decisive in its<br />

success: “Worldwide, 17 sales partners<br />

take care of sales, represent us at trade<br />

fairs <strong>an</strong>d also oversee international<br />

projects with service staff.” Working<br />

with them has a clear adv<strong>an</strong>tage: “Our<br />

partners know the regional <strong>an</strong>d local<br />

customs on the ground. A sales talk in<br />

China, for example, differs enormously<br />

from a comp<strong>an</strong>y presentation in Turkey.”<br />

But even though its cooperation<br />

with international skilled workers is currently<br />

still limited to its overseas business,<br />

scia Systems is watching the local<br />

labour market very closely. There could<br />

be more new recruits, in particular<br />

from the skilled trades <strong>an</strong>d the IT sector.<br />

M<strong>an</strong>dy Eckert emphasises that the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y c<strong>an</strong>’t rule out hiring skilled<br />

workers from abroad to fill vac<strong>an</strong>cies at<br />

the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> site in the future. “We see<br />

qualifications <strong>an</strong>d l<strong>an</strong>guage barriers as<br />

the biggest challenges. Good Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage skills are absolutely essential<br />

for communication within our team<br />

<strong>an</strong>d with customers.” In order to meet<br />

the future dem<strong>an</strong>d for skilled workers,<br />

scia Systems is also training future<br />

industrial mech<strong>an</strong>ics <strong>an</strong>d mechatronics<br />

engineers itself. This will be exp<strong>an</strong>ded<br />

with trainees specialising in warehouse<br />

logistics from the <strong>2024</strong> training year.<br />

And those who gain a foothold in the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y are very likely to stay for a<br />

long time: “We have little fluctuation<br />

in our workforce,” says M<strong>an</strong>dy Eckert<br />

proudly. “This is down to good teamwork<br />

<strong>an</strong>d our low-hierarchy structures<br />

<strong>an</strong>d short communication ch<strong>an</strong>nels.<br />

Holiday <strong>an</strong>d Christmas bonuses, our<br />

own c<strong>an</strong>teen <strong>an</strong>d family-friendly, flexible<br />

working hours also contribute to<br />

the satisfaction of our employees.” And<br />

when the opportunity arises, they also<br />

celebrate together. And, without giving<br />

too much away, we c<strong>an</strong> reveal this:<br />

there are plenty of such opportunities<br />

at scia Systems.<br />

15


Fotos: Joh<strong>an</strong>nes Richter, AWO <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

“I WORK WITH MY<br />

WHOLE HEART“<br />

Training as a carer is versatile, varied <strong>an</strong>d requires a great deal of dedication to the<br />

job. The ongoing shortage of skilled workers in the care sector makes people who<br />

have completed their training the saviours of the hour – after all, there’s no stopping<br />

demographic ch<strong>an</strong>ge. International trainee Visel Bozhigi completed his training<br />

at AWO <strong>Chemnitz</strong> in March 2023 <strong>an</strong>d talks about his career in our interview.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

AWO - Arbeiterwohlfahrt<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

chemnitz.jobs/awo<br />

Our international specialists<br />

come from:<br />

Bulgaria, Tunisia, Iraq, Greece, Ir<strong>an</strong>, Syria, Brazil,<br />

Turkey, the Russi<strong>an</strong> Federation, Vietnam, Pol<strong>an</strong>d,<br />

Cuba, Senegal, India<br />

Email applications to: bewerbung@awo-chemnitz.de<br />

Please apply in Germ<strong>an</strong> (minimum requirement: B2 level)<br />

work to extend his residence permit.<br />

Hardly <strong>an</strong>y other profession is as me<strong>an</strong>ingful<br />

as being a carer. And above all,<br />

when your profession <strong>an</strong>d your vocation<br />

go h<strong>an</strong>d in h<strong>an</strong>d, you work like Visel –<br />

with all your heart.<br />

14<br />

Visel Bozhigi is 31 years old, a father of<br />

three <strong>an</strong>d a carer with heart <strong>an</strong>d soul. He<br />

wears a red nursing blouse, white trousers<br />

<strong>an</strong>d square glasses. He got up at<br />

four o’clock this morning. He comes from<br />

Alb<strong>an</strong>ia, where he played one season for<br />

the third-division football club Sopoti Librazhd.<br />

After <strong>an</strong> injury, he tried his h<strong>an</strong>d<br />

at coaching for around a year <strong>an</strong>d came<br />

to Germ<strong>an</strong>y in 2018. He worked here for<br />

about two years on <strong>an</strong> assembly line. To<br />

have more time to spend with his family,<br />

he decided to train with AWO in 2020. He<br />

is the epitome of a family m<strong>an</strong>: he loves<br />

his wife <strong>an</strong>d children, <strong>an</strong>d their well-being<br />

is what is most precious to Visel. But the<br />

same also applies to his residents.<br />

“When I’m at work, I feel like I’m in my<br />

own home with my residents. I feel like<br />

I’m part of a family here <strong>an</strong>d try to make<br />

the lives of all the residents better,” says<br />

Visel Bozhigi. The atmosphere on the<br />

short-term care ward is very pleas<strong>an</strong>t:<br />

there are lots of jokes, just earlier he was<br />

singing with the residents, <strong>an</strong>d after a<br />

long period of sick leave, he was missed<br />

by m<strong>an</strong>y. The residents like Visel because<br />

he makes them feel that they are not<br />

alone. He casually says with a likeable<br />

matter-of-factness: “I don’t see it just as a<br />

job – I work with my whole heart.”<br />

When he looks back, Visel Bozhigi speaks<br />

very favourably about his successful<br />

training. As the only international trainee<br />

in his year, he always received a lot of<br />

support from his colleagues <strong>an</strong>d fellow<br />

trainees <strong>an</strong>d the AWO practical training<br />

supervisor. While the other trainees only<br />

had to worry about passing their exams,<br />

Visel was also taking care of the paper-<br />

Fotos: Joh<strong>an</strong>nes Richter<br />

16


“I had to explain again <strong>an</strong>d again that you eat p<strong>an</strong>i puri<br />

with your h<strong>an</strong>ds. You have to fill the dough balls with the<br />

sauces <strong>an</strong>d then bite into them quickly,” laughs Priyal<br />

Narola. “When I told my dad back home that nobody knew<br />

this, he couldn’t even imagine it.” When his comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

hosted a culinary get-together, the process development<br />

engineer prepared his favourite Indi<strong>an</strong> street food: crispy,<br />

deep-fried dough balls made from wheat flour, cornflour<br />

<strong>an</strong>d semolina (p<strong>an</strong>i), which are filled with a more or less<br />

liquid curry (puri).<br />

the l<strong>an</strong>guage to be able to communicate<br />

fully in every situation. “Then it’s helpful<br />

if you know a little English.”<br />

She is already pl<strong>an</strong>ning the next culinary<br />

get-together <strong>an</strong>d gathering ideas<br />

– “After all, we c<strong>an</strong>’t have our international<br />

colleagues cook every time now.”<br />

Even if there are certainly some who<br />

would like to try <strong>an</strong>other dish prepared<br />

by Priyal Narola. “Maybe next time we’ll<br />

let our colleagues from Bavaria do the<br />

cooking.” (laughs)<br />

[HINDI: ENJOY<br />

YOUR MEAL!]<br />

It was the first event of its kind org<strong>an</strong>ised<br />

by 3D-Micromac: international<br />

specialities instead of the usual grilled<br />

sausage. All the international employees<br />

who w<strong>an</strong>ted to take part were given time<br />

off work <strong>an</strong>d a small budget to either<br />

cook or source a favourite meal from<br />

a restaur<strong>an</strong>t. “We have to bear in mind<br />

that not everyone likes to cook,” says<br />

HR officer Maria Göbel. Since 2022, she<br />

has prioritised intercultural encounters<br />

<strong>an</strong>d integrating international employees<br />

– after all, there are quite a few of them<br />

at 3D-Micromac: in total, 21 of its 197<br />

employees come from abroad.<br />

Together, they develop laser systems<br />

that cut photovoltaic cells for satellites<br />

or lenses for AR glasses, drill microfine<br />

holes in filters <strong>an</strong>d perform <strong>an</strong>y other<br />

tasks that defeat conventional tools due<br />

to their lack of precision. “The machines<br />

we develop are generally used to m<strong>an</strong>ufacture<br />

products <strong>an</strong>d technologies that<br />

won’t come on to the market until 2030,<br />

2035 or 2040,” adds Maria Göbel with<br />

obvious pride.<br />

To make sure that the comp<strong>an</strong>y remains<br />

as future-proof as its technologies,<br />

3D-Micromac has long recognised<br />

internationalisation as <strong>an</strong> opportunity<br />

in the pervasive struggle against the<br />

shortage of skilled workers – which also<br />

me<strong>an</strong>s creating a work culture in which<br />

employees from all backgrounds feel<br />

comfortable. According to Priyal Narola,<br />

3D-Micromac is already doing a lot of<br />

things right here: “The style of work<br />

is different from India. There is a flat<br />

hierarchy here. I have more freedom to<br />

contribute my ideas <strong>an</strong>d suggestions.<br />

This also makes for a friendly <strong>an</strong>d<br />

supportive working environment <strong>an</strong>d<br />

a relaxed working atmosphere.” At the<br />

same time, Maria Göbel makes sure that<br />

new recruits have a few basic English<br />

skills if possible. Although the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage is still Germ<strong>an</strong>, not all foreign<br />

employees are proficient enough yet in<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

3D‐Micromac AG<br />

chemnitz.jobs/3d<br />

Our specialists come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, China, India, Ir<strong>an</strong>, Kazakhst<strong>an</strong>, Russia,<br />

Ukraine, Syria, the Czech Republic, Tunisia, Turkey<br />

<strong>an</strong>d the USA<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

jobs@3d-micromac.com<br />

Fotos: Joh<strong>an</strong>nes Richter<br />

12<br />

17


INDIVIDUAL WELCOME<br />

PACKAGES AND BUDDIES ON AN<br />

EQUAL FOOTING<br />

18<br />

Fotos: Staffbade<br />

WHILE MANY COMPANIES ARE CURRENTLY SLOWLY<br />

STARTING TO PUT OUT THEIR FEELERS TO RECRUIT<br />

EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONALLY, STAFFBASE IS ONE OF<br />

THE PIONEERS IN THIS FIELD.


did some import<strong>an</strong>t educational work<br />

in the comp<strong>an</strong>y,” laughs Marie Friedrich,<br />

<strong>an</strong>d she adds: “Having office events<br />

for the whole team also helps people to<br />

get to know each other <strong>an</strong>d to network<br />

– sometimes at the soft-serve ice-cream<br />

machine, sometimes over a bag of<br />

popcorn or at a big Halloween party.” The<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y does not hold Christmas parties<br />

in the traditional sense, however, out<br />

of respect for all the employees’ religious<br />

backgrounds. “Instead, we have a holiday<br />

party that is not linked to <strong>an</strong>y religion or<br />

customs.” She has some tips for comp<strong>an</strong>ies<br />

that w<strong>an</strong>t to position themselves<br />

as attractive employers internationally:<br />

“Just do it <strong>an</strong>d don’t hope for groundbreaking<br />

political ch<strong>an</strong>ges. Diversity in<br />

the workforce brings m<strong>an</strong>y different perspectives,<br />

skills <strong>an</strong>d cultural influences<br />

that foster creativity <strong>an</strong>d innovation.”<br />

This is in the nature of the comp<strong>an</strong>y,<br />

which will be just ten years old in <strong>2024</strong>,<br />

but is already represented in seven<br />

other countries besides Germ<strong>an</strong>y – in<br />

the Netherl<strong>an</strong>ds, the UK, Finl<strong>an</strong>d, Sweden,<br />

the USA, C<strong>an</strong>ada <strong>an</strong>d Australia. More<br />

th<strong>an</strong> 700 employees worldwide work on<br />

the Staffbase communications platform,<br />

which connects comp<strong>an</strong>ies <strong>an</strong>d their<br />

employees – on desktop computers,<br />

via email, chat or <strong>an</strong> app. The <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

location alone has 165 employees, including<br />

international professionals from 14<br />

nations. Marie Friedrich, Vice President<br />

of People Experience, is therefore very<br />

familiar with terms such as residence<br />

<strong>an</strong>d settlement permit, EU Blue Card <strong>an</strong>d<br />

visa. “Nevertheless, integration into the<br />

local world of work is always a tough <strong>an</strong>d<br />

gruelling process. Waiting months for a<br />

work permit is not the exception but the<br />

rule.” She knows something else, too: “However,<br />

that isn’t the end of it. Our culture<br />

of welcome doesn’t stop in the workplace<br />

but extends beyond it. That me<strong>an</strong>s that<br />

we offer a relocation service <strong>an</strong>d put<br />

together individual packages that include<br />

things such as help with moving or with<br />

finding day-care <strong>an</strong>d school places for<br />

the children. Our packages also cover<br />

issues such as health insur<strong>an</strong>ce, other<br />

types of insur<strong>an</strong>ce <strong>an</strong>d l<strong>an</strong>guage<br />

acquisition. Involvement in everyday life<br />

is <strong>an</strong> essential step towards full integration.”<br />

Staffbase also leaves nothing to<br />

ch<strong>an</strong>ce when it comes to onboarding, the<br />

pl<strong>an</strong>ned integration of new employees<br />

into the comp<strong>an</strong>y. Buddies support the<br />

new team members as direct points of<br />

contact <strong>an</strong>d make sure they are familiar<br />

with all the import<strong>an</strong>t information. They<br />

act like mentors – with the difference that<br />

they are on <strong>an</strong> equal footing. Staffbase<br />

distinguishes between two types of<br />

buddies: Role Buddies usually come<br />

from the same team or similar functions<br />

<strong>an</strong>d explain the employee’s immediate<br />

working environment. Culture Buddies,<br />

on the other h<strong>an</strong>d, help new employees<br />

underst<strong>an</strong>d the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s vision, culture<br />

<strong>an</strong>d strategy. It’s not uncommon for Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

cultural peculiarities to need some<br />

explaining, according to Marie Friedrich:<br />

“An Indi<strong>an</strong> employee whose daughter<br />

was about to start school had no idea<br />

what the custom of giving children a<br />

‘school cone’ on their first day of school<br />

was. To make sure her little girl wasn’t<br />

the only child without a school cone filled<br />

with goodies on her first day, our parents<br />

Our employees come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Alb<strong>an</strong>ia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Fr<strong>an</strong>ce,<br />

India, Indonesia, Kazakhst<strong>an</strong>, Kyrgyzst<strong>an</strong>, Latvia,<br />

Morocco, Pakist<strong>an</strong>, Rom<strong>an</strong>ia, Russi<strong>an</strong> Federation, USA<br />

All the information on how to apply is available at:<br />

www.staffbase.com/jobs<br />

Applications are welcome in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Staffbase<br />

chemnitz.jobs/staffbase<br />

16<br />

19


“IT ALL COMES DOWN TO<br />

SHARED VALUES.”<br />

A personal conversation with a m<strong>an</strong>aging director sometimes reveals more th<strong>an</strong> just information about the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s philosophy.<br />

It c<strong>an</strong> also solve m<strong>an</strong>y a mystery. Such as why there is a huge basket filled with nashi pears in the reception of DELTA<br />

BARTH Systemhaus GmbH in Limbach-Oberfrohna, for example. “Quite simply, I’m a part-time farmer, <strong>an</strong>d I like to share,”<br />

laughs Annett Barth, whose main job is serving as m<strong>an</strong>aging director of the IT comp<strong>an</strong>y founded by her father in 2011.<br />

What beg<strong>an</strong> in 1990 as a computer<br />

technology distributor now supports<br />

org<strong>an</strong>isations with optimising their<br />

internal digital processes – starting with<br />

PC workstations <strong>an</strong>d going all the way<br />

through to the construction of complex<br />

networks. DELTA BARTH’s proprietary<br />

core software DELECO® connects all the<br />

departments of a comp<strong>an</strong>y – especially<br />

in the mech<strong>an</strong>ical <strong>an</strong>d pl<strong>an</strong>t engineering<br />

sectors – <strong>an</strong>d networks data, information<br />

<strong>an</strong>d work processes, with lucrative<br />

results. Behind the industry-specific<br />

solutions are 65 clever minds who enrich<br />

DELTA BARTH not only with their labour,<br />

but above all with their individual personalities.<br />

We w<strong>an</strong>ted to know more <strong>an</strong>d<br />

met Annett Barth for <strong>an</strong> interview.<br />

The dem<strong>an</strong>d for DELTA BARTH’s expertise<br />

c<strong>an</strong> be seen not least in your employee<br />

numbers: since 2011, your headcount has<br />

more th<strong>an</strong> doubled from 30 to 65. Against<br />

the backdrop of the increasing shortage<br />

of skilled workers, this c<strong>an</strong>not be taken for<br />

gr<strong>an</strong>ted.<br />

M<strong>an</strong>y comp<strong>an</strong>ies are clearly feeling the<br />

lack of skilled staff. We feel it, too, but<br />

we’re fortunate that numerous employees<br />

have heard of us through earlier<br />

recommendations. This makes us proud<br />

<strong>an</strong>d speaks for our corporate culture.<br />

Fotos: DELTA GmbH<br />

ANNETT BARTH, GESCHÄFTSFÜHRERIN<br />

Employees particularly appreciate the<br />

fact that our family business is steady<br />

<strong>an</strong>d consistent in a time of ch<strong>an</strong>ge. Ultimately,<br />

this consistency also includes the<br />

special features that our developers are<br />

involved in creating: they shape the entire<br />

process chain up to the roll-out of the<br />

software, which is adapted to the client’s<br />

preferences. You won’t find a platform<br />

like this, one that allows client requirements<br />

to be implemented systematically,<br />

everywhere.<br />

Is that why your employees remain loyal<br />

to the comp<strong>an</strong>y for years <strong>an</strong>d even decades?<br />

(laughs) That <strong>an</strong>d our comp<strong>an</strong>y chef<br />

“Goldi”, who has been conjuring up the<br />

most delicious menus for 25 years. An<br />

internal comp<strong>an</strong>y survey really showed<br />

that our in-house kitchen is at the top of<br />

the list of the most popular benefits. So<br />

no one has to worry about lunch. But our<br />

e-bike leasing scheme <strong>an</strong>d subsidies for<br />

public tr<strong>an</strong>sport <strong>an</strong>d day care also contribute<br />

to the satisfaction of our employees.<br />

And on Thursdays we generally have<br />

20


a home office day. That’s <strong>an</strong> additional<br />

relief for colleagues who sometimes have<br />

to commute up to 50 kilometres to work.<br />

Working from home is also possible more<br />

often. However, it is import<strong>an</strong>t to us that<br />

more th<strong>an</strong> 50 per cent of <strong>an</strong> employee’s<br />

working time is spent in the comp<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

Because if employees exch<strong>an</strong>ge information<br />

only via online meetings <strong>an</strong>d<br />

don’t experience our corporate culture<br />

first-h<strong>an</strong>d, the workplace will eventually<br />

become indistinguishable from <strong>an</strong>y other<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

To what extent are young trainees part of<br />

this corporate culture?<br />

Supporting young talent is <strong>an</strong> integral<br />

part of our philosophy. Every year, we<br />

offer apprenticeships for IT specialists<br />

in application development <strong>an</strong>d system<br />

integration. We’ve also been a training<br />

partner for the local university of cooperative<br />

education, the Berufsakademie<br />

Glauchau, from the very beginning. The<br />

professors know <strong>an</strong>d appreciate us because<br />

they c<strong>an</strong> be sure that new team<br />

members will receive practical support,<br />

true to the spirit of a family business.<br />

They’re involved in all the work processes<br />

right from the start of their<br />

dual study programme. In addition to a<br />

person responsible for training, we also<br />

have <strong>an</strong> org<strong>an</strong>isational contact person<br />

<strong>an</strong>d professional mentors – this combination<br />

has established itself excellently<br />

over the years. .<br />

DELTA BARTH Systemhaus GmbH serves<br />

around 300 comp<strong>an</strong>ies nationwide. Do<br />

you sometimes consider putting out feelers<br />

beyond Germ<strong>an</strong>y’s borders?<br />

Indeed, we’ve thought about it from time<br />

to time. I c<strong>an</strong>’t rule it out in the future, but<br />

at the moment, it doesn’t make sense for<br />

us to exp<strong>an</strong>d. We are a h<strong>an</strong>ds-on comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

<strong>an</strong>d w<strong>an</strong>t to remain that way. That<br />

me<strong>an</strong>s that we don’t just look after our<br />

users over the phone – we usually also<br />

visit them on-site to provide technical<br />

support.<br />

Does that also me<strong>an</strong> that international<br />

specialists are not yet <strong>an</strong> issue for DELTA<br />

BARTH?<br />

We do employ some people with<br />

foreign roots, but that came about<br />

through the recommendations that I<br />

mentioned at the beginning. We haven’t<br />

looked for them actively yet. Our<br />

international professionals come from<br />

Bulgaria <strong>an</strong>d India, but they have been<br />

settled in the region for years <strong>an</strong>d feel<br />

like they’ve found their place here.<br />

They value having a long-term employment<br />

relationship <strong>an</strong>d appreciate the<br />

family environment in our comp<strong>an</strong>y. In<br />

addition, they have convinced us with<br />

their expertise, <strong>an</strong>d they contribute as<br />

team players. Incidentally, we also attach<br />

great import<strong>an</strong>ce to this with our<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong> employees. If you c<strong>an</strong> communicate<br />

with each other directly <strong>an</strong>d on<br />

<strong>an</strong> equal footing, you’ll feel at home in<br />

our comp<strong>an</strong>y. That’s also why I have a<br />

hard time when it comes to advertising<br />

vac<strong>an</strong>cies. Just checking off qualifications<br />

says nothing about applic<strong>an</strong>ts. I<br />

prefer to meet face to face <strong>an</strong>d get a<br />

feel for the positions in our comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

where they c<strong>an</strong> develop best.<br />

It’s been a pleasure talking to you.<br />

You’re welcome.<br />

DELTA BARTH has international<br />

employees from two countries<br />

on its team:<br />

Bulgaria; India<br />

Applications to:<br />

Annett Barth, M<strong>an</strong>aging Director<br />

bewerbungen@delta-barth.de<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

DELTA BARTH Sytemhaus GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/delta_barth<br />

2<br />

21


REVOLUTIONISING THE<br />

APPLICATION PROCESS<br />

The Business Village at Beckerstraße 13<br />

brings together everything that needs to<br />

come together in a sharing economy: ultra-modern<br />

office <strong>an</strong>d conference rooms<br />

for comp<strong>an</strong>ies, start-ups <strong>an</strong>d co-workers,<br />

designed <strong>an</strong>d created by Bürol<strong>an</strong>d GmbH,<br />

meet digital workplace solutions developed<br />

by e-dox GmbH. The one thing the<br />

Business Village shouldn’t be short of is<br />

the right hum<strong>an</strong> resources to fill it with<br />

life. But App Concept didn’t just w<strong>an</strong>t to<br />

develop the next job portal...<br />

ALIF KHAN<br />

22


What do recruiting <strong>an</strong>d online dating<br />

have in common? The search for the<br />

perfect match! With JobsNavi, App<br />

Concept has not only succeeded in<br />

revolutionising the application process,<br />

but has also made itself a best<br />

case. Based on AI, JobsNavi works like<br />

a dating app – it’s multilingual <strong>an</strong>d<br />

therefore international. Its prime focus<br />

is on IT specialists for SMEs. There are<br />

currently around 400 professionals registered<br />

in B<strong>an</strong>gladesh alone who are<br />

actively looking for jobs in Europe <strong>an</strong>d<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y. This is also how App Concept<br />

finds its own employees – including Alif<br />

Kh<strong>an</strong> from Dhaka. After completing his<br />

bachelor’s degree in B<strong>an</strong>gladesh, he<br />

researched universities offering Master’s<br />

degrees in Automotive Software<br />

Engineering <strong>an</strong>d came across <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

University of Technology. At the<br />

end of his studies, he started looking<br />

for jobs <strong>an</strong>d came across JobsNavi: “It<br />

was a lucky coincidence that we met!”<br />

he says.<br />

To open up prospects for Alif Kh<strong>an</strong> in<br />

the comp<strong>an</strong>y <strong>an</strong>d make it easier for<br />

him to stay, Founder <strong>an</strong>d M<strong>an</strong>aging<br />

Director Uwe Thuß is also happy to<br />

lend a h<strong>an</strong>d personally: he not only<br />

accomp<strong>an</strong>ied his new employee to<br />

the immigration office to apply for his<br />

Blue Card, but also helped him find<br />

a suitable flat <strong>an</strong>d finally move his<br />

furniture. Today, almost a year later,<br />

Uwe Thuß is already talking about Alif<br />

Kh<strong>an</strong> becoming one of the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s<br />

registered partners in the future. The<br />

last hurdle to overcome is the Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage: only B1 level will guar<strong>an</strong>tee<br />

the B<strong>an</strong>gladeshi perm<strong>an</strong>ent residence<br />

in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>. But Alif Kh<strong>an</strong> laughs: Bengali,<br />

Hindi, Arabic – those are difficult<br />

l<strong>an</strong>guages. But Germ<strong>an</strong>, with its Latin<br />

alphabet, is comparatively easy.<br />

Having its own corporate l<strong>an</strong>guage is<br />

therefore just one of m<strong>an</strong>y things App<br />

Concept sees as only natural in its<br />

efforts to make working with its international<br />

employees easier <strong>an</strong>d, above<br />

all, more fun. The list also includes<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y events, group visits to the<br />

Christmas market <strong>an</strong>d wine festival,<br />

<strong>an</strong>d the option to work remotely at <strong>an</strong>y<br />

time. But as much as Alif Kh<strong>an</strong> enjoys<br />

returning home to Dhaka to visit his<br />

family for a while, he also appreciates<br />

the office atmosphere in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>.<br />

Although he has the freedom to work<br />

from home, he comes to the Business<br />

Village every day: “I c<strong>an</strong>’t create this<br />

atmosphere at home. Working from <strong>an</strong><br />

office like this is extraordinary!” – that’s<br />

<strong>an</strong>other compliment for Bürol<strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong>d<br />

the (international) success of the Business<br />

Village.<br />

Fotos: Joh<strong>an</strong>nes Richter<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

app-concept.com GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/buerol<strong>an</strong>d<br />

Our specialists come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, B<strong>an</strong>gladesh, Ukraine <strong>an</strong>d Morocco<br />

4<br />

Applications in English or Germ<strong>an</strong> to:<br />

info@app-concept.com<br />

23


Fotos: Stadler <strong>Chemnitz</strong> GmbH<br />

HE CAME TO GIVE<br />

SOMETHING BACK<br />

As Aliaks<strong>an</strong>tr Filipavets – we’re allowed to call him Alex<strong>an</strong>der from now on – waits for his interview<br />

in the conference room of Stadler <strong>Chemnitz</strong> GmbH, his nervousness increases. His Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

is not yet as good as he would like it to be after more th<strong>an</strong> two years of l<strong>an</strong>guage lessons.<br />

However, his concerns that he won’t underst<strong>an</strong>d everything evaporate within a few minutes, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

we have before us a m<strong>an</strong> bursting with hope, joie de vivre <strong>an</strong>d a good dose of self-deprecating<br />

humour. Maybe it’s the <strong>an</strong>ticipation of his mother’s visit this week. Or maybe the 36-year-old is<br />

just happy that he has been able to overcome the hardships of the past years together with his<br />

wife <strong>an</strong>d their little daughter. Alex<strong>an</strong>der comes from Belarus, a country that has ch<strong>an</strong>ged a lot<br />

since the controversial presidential election in 2020, as he explains.<br />

24


“BUT ABOVE ALL, I WANT<br />

TO MAKE MY CONTRIBU-<br />

TION TO THE GERMAN<br />

ECONOMY.“<br />

He is one of around 300,000 people who<br />

have turned their backs on the country<br />

since then, he says. “The political situation,<br />

exorbit<strong>an</strong>t prices, hardly <strong>an</strong>y jobs<br />

<strong>an</strong>d corruption – the desire for ch<strong>an</strong>ge<br />

grows automatically.” Yet the mech<strong>an</strong>ical<br />

engineer had a reasonably secure job at<br />

Stadler’s location in Minsk: “However, the<br />

number of employees there has more<br />

th<strong>an</strong> halved since the war in Ukraine<br />

beg<strong>an</strong>, from 1,500 to 600.” Alex<strong>an</strong>der<br />

finally took the initiative <strong>an</strong>d w<strong>an</strong>ted to<br />

make a new start in Germ<strong>an</strong>y. Why here<br />

of all places? “My wife’s sister has been<br />

working as a doctor in Germ<strong>an</strong>y for<br />

some time. We visited often <strong>an</strong>d got to<br />

know <strong>an</strong>d love the country on numerous<br />

city tours.” But instead of simply moving<br />

to one of the Stadler Group’s Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

locations, Alex<strong>an</strong>der initially made about<br />

300 applications – without success. “In<br />

most cases, my lack of Germ<strong>an</strong> l<strong>an</strong>guage<br />

skills was <strong>an</strong> obstacle,” he says.<br />

Then, in the summer of 2022, he got the<br />

ch<strong>an</strong>ce to move to the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> location,<br />

where the l<strong>an</strong>guage barrier didn’t<br />

matter much. “We work with the same<br />

system worldwide. This makes integration<br />

much easier for specialists from<br />

other international Stadler locations,”<br />

explains HR M<strong>an</strong>ager Christin Walther.<br />

“To break down the l<strong>an</strong>guage barrier<br />

over time, there is a free in-house<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong> course once a week. On the<br />

other h<strong>an</strong>d, our Germ<strong>an</strong> employees get<br />

the opportunity to develop their English<br />

skills.” In this way, internationalisation<br />

at the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> location is gradually<br />

progressing, which naturally makes<br />

sense given the worldwide success of<br />

the Stadler Group. The comp<strong>an</strong>y has<br />

been building rail vehicles for customers<br />

all over the world for over 80 years <strong>an</strong>d<br />

has been the market leader in the field<br />

of alternative drive technologies such as<br />

electric <strong>an</strong>d hydrogen drives for some<br />

years now. This year alone, orders have<br />

come from the USA, Italy, Lithu<strong>an</strong>ia <strong>an</strong>d<br />

Norway, among other countries. Stadler<br />

maintains a flexible team of around 180<br />

engineers <strong>an</strong>d developers at its <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

location. Its employees provide engineering<br />

services to the Stadler Group<br />

in the areas of construction, calculations,<br />

electronics, pneumatics <strong>an</strong>d multi-body<br />

simulation. Alex<strong>an</strong>der works as <strong>an</strong><br />

installation pl<strong>an</strong>ner <strong>an</strong>d is responsible<br />

for the electrical cabling inside the rail<br />

vehicles. His <strong>Chemnitz</strong> colleagues have<br />

always been very helpful right from the<br />

start. “We even received a washing machine<br />

from a colleague. We were quite<br />

surprised that flats in Germ<strong>an</strong>y are usually<br />

let unfurnished. In Belarus, it’s the<br />

other way around,” laughs Alex<strong>an</strong>der.<br />

To further strengthen the international<br />

team’s cohesion, monthly get-togethers<br />

such as outdoor outings, picnics or rubber<br />

dinghy tours are regular<br />

fixtures on the calendar.<br />

In the me<strong>an</strong>time, Alex<strong>an</strong>der<br />

feels he has found his place<br />

<strong>an</strong>d now hopes that his wife<br />

will also soon find a job as<br />

a civil engineer. “It’ll work<br />

out,” he says confidently<br />

because he has had a lot<br />

of practice in waiting. In<br />

Belarus, he waited weeks<br />

for a positive decision from<br />

the Germ<strong>an</strong> embassy. In<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, it took <strong>an</strong>other<br />

CHRISTIN WALTHER<br />

five months for his studies to be recognised<br />

<strong>an</strong>d a further six months to find a<br />

suitable day-care place for his daughter.<br />

Opening a b<strong>an</strong>k account also proved to<br />

be extremely complicated due to the<br />

international s<strong>an</strong>ctions against Belarus.<br />

However, Alex<strong>an</strong>der is not somebody<br />

who has regrets about his past. On the<br />

contrary, he prefers to look ahead: “I<br />

w<strong>an</strong>t to grow old here,” he says with<br />

assur<strong>an</strong>ce, <strong>an</strong>d he adds: “But above<br />

all, I w<strong>an</strong>t to make my contribution to<br />

the Germ<strong>an</strong> economy. I w<strong>an</strong>t to give<br />

something back.” Christin Walther has<br />

some advice for comp<strong>an</strong>ies that w<strong>an</strong>t to<br />

improve their efforts to hire skilled workers<br />

from abroad: “Be open about it <strong>an</strong>d<br />

put your fear of trying something new<br />

to one side. There are numerous points<br />

of contact who support comp<strong>an</strong>ies in<br />

this area. In <strong>an</strong>y case, we have had very<br />

good experiences with international<br />

skilled workers.”<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Stadler <strong>Chemnitz</strong> GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/stadler<br />

Our international skilled workers<br />

come from:<br />

Deutschl<strong>an</strong>d, Belarus, Spain, India, Ir<strong>an</strong>, Morocco, Syria,<br />

Tunisia, Ukraine <strong>an</strong>d the USA.<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong>, English or Russi<strong>an</strong> to:<br />

Christin.Walther@stadlerrail.com<br />

10<br />

25


“MY WORK IS<br />

DIVERSITY THROUGH<br />

AND THROUGH.”<br />

Fotos: Vektor Informatik GmbH<br />

The 64,000-dollar question: how does a comp<strong>an</strong>y m<strong>an</strong>age to grow from just under 50 employees to<br />

more th<strong>an</strong> 4,000 overnight? The <strong>an</strong>swer is simple: it becomes part of a much larger comp<strong>an</strong>y that is<br />

represented at more th<strong>an</strong> 33 locations worldwide. This is what happened in May 2023, when Vector<br />

Informatik GmbH took over <strong>Chemnitz</strong>-based BASELABS GmbH – a software comp<strong>an</strong>y specialising in<br />

sensor data fusion for automated driving – in its entirety. BASELABS was launched in spring 2012 as<br />

a technology tr<strong>an</strong>sfer project at <strong>Chemnitz</strong> University of Technology. Just two years later, Vector, the<br />

world’s leading specialist in the development of automotive electronics, became a strategic investor.<br />

“During this time, we were able to find out how well our individual corporate cultures fit together,”<br />

explains Robin Schubert, M<strong>an</strong>aging Director of BASELABS. “From our perspective as founders, it is<br />

<strong>an</strong> absolute win for <strong>Chemnitz</strong> that a comp<strong>an</strong>y like Vector w<strong>an</strong>ts to establish a major location here<br />

for the rapidly growing field of vehicle software,” Schubert adds.<br />

26


Pratham Arora<br />

Customers from the automotive, commercial<br />

vehicle, aeronautical, tr<strong>an</strong>sport <strong>an</strong>d<br />

control engineering sectors worldwide<br />

rely on the solutions <strong>an</strong>d products of the<br />

independent Vector Group, which has been<br />

working on tomorrow’s electronic technologies<br />

for more th<strong>an</strong> 35 years. Vector’s<br />

new site in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> will also contribute<br />

signific<strong>an</strong>tly to the development of future<br />

generations of automotive software. “Our<br />

work in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> will focus on various<br />

aspects of the software-defined vehicle.<br />

To achieve this, we will continue to exp<strong>an</strong>d<br />

the site,” explains Thomas Beck, M<strong>an</strong>aging<br />

Director of Vector Informatik. In the future,<br />

the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> site is set grow to around 150<br />

employees <strong>an</strong>d will increasingly employ<br />

international specialists.<br />

Looking at the comp<strong>an</strong>y headquarters in<br />

Stuttgart shows that cooperation between<br />

different nationalities c<strong>an</strong> greatly enrich <strong>an</strong><br />

org<strong>an</strong>isation. Here, people from 64 nations<br />

work together in teams, some large, some<br />

small. “My work is diversity through <strong>an</strong>d<br />

through,” says Thomas Stolz, who has been<br />

part of the Vector family for eight years.<br />

For the past year, he has headed a team of<br />

14 in the Embedded Software Department,<br />

which acts as a point of contact for customers<br />

<strong>an</strong>d aims to ensure that the products<br />

developed by Vector are ultimately used<br />

successfully. His team members mostly<br />

work on front-line customer support, coaching<br />

or software deliveries. Thomas’s role<br />

as the first level of escalation is to make<br />

sure that problems <strong>an</strong>d conflicts are dealt<br />

with effectively <strong>an</strong>d swiftly in order to maintain<br />

customer or employee satisfaction.<br />

“That tr<strong>an</strong>slates as: if there’s a fire,<br />

we’re there,” laughs Thomas Stolz,<br />

who also acts as a mediator between<br />

cultures. “Every cultural group brings<br />

a different approach, different learning<br />

processes <strong>an</strong>d different ideas to<br />

our work. This is also personally enriching<br />

<strong>an</strong>d something I don’t have in<br />

my private life. One of my tasks is to<br />

create <strong>an</strong> awareness of the idiosyncrasies<br />

of other cultures. Incidentally,<br />

we Germ<strong>an</strong>s have our idiosyncrasies,<br />

too,” says Thomas Stolz.<br />

Team member Essam Rizk c<strong>an</strong> list<br />

some of these idiosyncrasies: “Germ<strong>an</strong>s<br />

work close to perfection. They have a<br />

fondness for details <strong>an</strong>d obviously love<br />

hiking,” smiles the 31-year-old Egypti<strong>an</strong>.<br />

The electrical engineering graduate was<br />

looking for a new personal challenge <strong>an</strong>d<br />

found it at Vector in March 2022. The<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y’s welcoming culture is one of the<br />

best he has ever experienced. He got to<br />

grips with its specialist topics with the aid<br />

of a mentor, <strong>an</strong>d his colleagues are still a<br />

great source of support with <strong>an</strong>y questions<br />

he has. He shares his tips for international<br />

specialists who w<strong>an</strong>t to follow the same<br />

path as him: “Make sure you learn Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

before you arrive. At work, communication<br />

isn’t a problem because everyone speaks<br />

English. It’s a different story in your free<br />

time. Good Germ<strong>an</strong> really helps in being<br />

able to participate fully in social <strong>an</strong>d cultural<br />

life.” Essam certainly has enough time<br />

to improve his Germ<strong>an</strong>. He would like to<br />

return to his home country in ten years at<br />

the earliest. And so that he doesn’t always<br />

have to wait until his <strong>an</strong>nual holiday to<br />

satisfy his longing to see family <strong>an</strong>d friends,<br />

Vector allows its employees to work from<br />

home for 30 days a year. On top of this, <strong>an</strong><br />

additional 28 days per year c<strong>an</strong> be spent<br />

working abroad. Essam also prefers to use<br />

these days to extend his stays in Egypt.<br />

Pratham Arora, <strong>an</strong>other member of<br />

Thomas Stolz’s team, also has no pl<strong>an</strong>s to<br />

return to his home country of India <strong>an</strong>y<br />

time soon. In September 2015, the 33-year-old<br />

moved to Germ<strong>an</strong>y to complete his<br />

Master’s degree in Automotive Software<br />

Engineering at <strong>Chemnitz</strong> University of<br />

Technology. “In 2017, I moved from <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

to Stuttgart to do <strong>an</strong> internship at Vector<br />

<strong>an</strong>d then write my master’s dissertation.<br />

A year later, I was offered a full-time job.”<br />

He has m<strong>an</strong>y more job opportunities in his<br />

field here in Germ<strong>an</strong>y, says Pratham, who<br />

clearly feels at home in the Vector family.<br />

“Internal <strong>an</strong>d cross-team events – from<br />

cinema trips to laser tag – make integration<br />

easier. Twice a week after work, there’s<br />

the opportunity to socialise with others<br />

over free drinks <strong>an</strong>d make new friends,”<br />

he explains. In addition, regular meetups<br />

are occasions for employees from the<br />

same home country to get together. The<br />

programmes offered by the Vector fitness<br />

studio, such as Zumba classes or yoga, are<br />

interesting, but unfortunately not in English.<br />

“If I were to improve <strong>an</strong>ything, it would be<br />

that,” says Pratham. Incidentally, Essam <strong>an</strong>d<br />

Pratham believe that the biggest challenge<br />

in Germ<strong>an</strong>y by far is the local bureaucracy.<br />

The fact that they c<strong>an</strong> pronounce words<br />

such as Ausländerbehörde (immigration<br />

office), Aufenthaltsgenehmigung (residence<br />

permit) <strong>an</strong>d Niederlassungserlaubnis<br />

(settlement permit) in perfect Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

shows that they have already had plenty of<br />

experience with the Germ<strong>an</strong> authorities.<br />

“If you go to the immigration office without<br />

<strong>an</strong> appointment, you should definitely allow<br />

plenty of time. Some people sleep on the<br />

street just to be at the front of the queue<br />

the next morning. The situation is horrendous,”<br />

says Pratham, speaking from experience.<br />

This is also why he does not w<strong>an</strong>t to<br />

apply for Germ<strong>an</strong> citizenship. “The process<br />

simply takes too long.”<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Vector Informatik GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/vector<br />

People from 64 nations work<br />

at Vector Informatik GmbH.<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

hr@vector.com<br />

64<br />

27


NEW WORK, NEW NORMAL<br />

Bettina Helgenlechner, born in Innsbruck, has been working as a web developer for chemmedia AG, one of<br />

Europe’s leading specialists in digital learning solutions <strong>an</strong>d services, since 2017. During the six years she<br />

spent studying <strong>an</strong>d working in the USA, she met her husb<strong>an</strong>d. He w<strong>an</strong>ted to do his master’s degree in Germ<strong>an</strong>y,<br />

so they moved to Dresden. While looking for a new job, she became aware of chemmedia AG, which<br />

had its then second office in the state capital. However, when she moved back to her hometown of Innsbruck<br />

after her husb<strong>an</strong>d’s graduation, the question arose as to whether she could take her work with her, <strong>an</strong>d she<br />

got a clear <strong>an</strong>swer from both herself <strong>an</strong>d chemmedia AG. In our interview, Bettina Helgenlechner takes<br />

stock of her experiences <strong>an</strong>d tells us about cross-border remote working.<br />

How is work org<strong>an</strong>ised in the comp<strong>an</strong>y?<br />

Work is distributed via a ticket system<br />

<strong>an</strong>d assigned directly by Customer<br />

Support, Product Development <strong>an</strong>d<br />

Product M<strong>an</strong>agement. Sometimes,<br />

however, the tickets are simply in the<br />

pile, <strong>an</strong>d we take them as soon as we<br />

have capacity. Communication then<br />

usually takes place via video meetings<br />

or internal chat.<br />

Doesn’t the dist<strong>an</strong>ce sometimes have a<br />

negative effect on your sense of belonging?<br />

No, not really. After six years of working<br />

remotely, I’m just used to it. But I could<br />

imagine that it might be more difficult<br />

for extroverts. However, the p<strong>an</strong>demic<br />

also had a positive side effect in this respect:<br />

because everyone was suddenly<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Chemmedia AG<br />

chemnitz.jobs/chemmedia<br />

Our international specialists<br />

come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, The Netherl<strong>an</strong>ds, Austria, the USA,<br />

B<strong>an</strong>gladesh, Pakist<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d Portugal<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

personal@chemmedia.de or directly via:<br />

https://jobs.chemmedia.de/jobs<br />

7<br />

What about small talk in between tasks?<br />

Asking what you’re having for lunch or<br />

about the great new shirt your colleague<br />

is wearing today?<br />

You have to devote a little more attention<br />

to small talk because it doesn’t<br />

happen as spont<strong>an</strong>eously as it does<br />

in the office. However, we do see each<br />

other at the daily st<strong>an</strong>d-up – even the<br />

colleagues we don’t work with directly.<br />

Once a week, we also have a team day<br />

where the whole team works together<br />

on a specific ticket or project via video<br />

conference. We c<strong>an</strong> also just chat about<br />

things in between that might not be<br />

directly related to work – just like you<br />

would in the office. Social b<strong>an</strong>ter, so to<br />

speak.<br />

BETTINA HELGENLEHCNER<br />

28


working remotely, we learnt to chat to<br />

each other from time to time.<br />

That leads perfectly into my next question:<br />

what qualities do you think are<br />

needed for remote working to work?<br />

You need a bit of discipline <strong>an</strong>d sufficient<br />

intrinsic motivation; by that I<br />

me<strong>an</strong> that you do the work because it<br />

really interests you. And it’s definitely<br />

<strong>an</strong> adv<strong>an</strong>tage if you’re more of <strong>an</strong><br />

introvert <strong>an</strong>d don’t need to socialise<br />

all day to feel satisfied. That’s not so<br />

import<strong>an</strong>t for me. I work from home. Of<br />

course, I could also go to a co-working<br />

space if I w<strong>an</strong>ted to socialise.<br />

But c<strong>an</strong> you ever switch off properly if<br />

you are working from home?<br />

I’ve actually never had <strong>an</strong>y problems with<br />

that. I close my laptop, <strong>an</strong>d then I don’t<br />

think about it <strong>an</strong>y more – no more th<strong>an</strong><br />

when I started working in the Dresden<br />

office. I c<strong>an</strong> separate them both quite<br />

well – staying focused at work <strong>an</strong>d then<br />

it’s time to call it a day. I also like the fact<br />

that I c<strong>an</strong> org<strong>an</strong>ise my day more flexibly.<br />

You c<strong>an</strong> spread the housework out a bit<br />

throughout the day, <strong>an</strong>d you don’t always<br />

have to do everything after work, so you<br />

c<strong>an</strong> make better use of the times when<br />

you’re really focused.<br />

Would you say that the future viability<br />

of comp<strong>an</strong>ies also depends on whether<br />

they offer their employees remote<br />

working?<br />

I’m actually pretty sure of that. I think<br />

m<strong>an</strong>y employees are interested in<br />

whether they c<strong>an</strong> work remotely – at<br />

least a few days a week. Even before<br />

the p<strong>an</strong>demic, there were always a<br />

few colleagues working from home<br />

because chemmedia AG has always<br />

been very considerate of families with<br />

children <strong>an</strong>d employees who had a<br />

particularly long journey to the office.<br />

But now, after the p<strong>an</strong>demic, it’s <strong>an</strong><br />

exception for someone to actually be<br />

working in the office every day. I’m<br />

convinced that this is a more attractive<br />

way of working.<br />

Will your colleagues still see you at the<br />

Christmas party in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>?<br />

Definitely! I’ve already been to <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

twice this year for comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

events, <strong>an</strong>d I’m looking forward to<br />

seeing everyone again.<br />

Fotos: chemmedia<br />

29


ANDREY AND MONA<br />

Fotos: Dental Wings, Joh<strong>an</strong>nes Richter<br />

“BETTER TO WORK IN<br />

GERMANY THAN FIGHT<br />

FOR PUTIN“<br />

30


If you live in a peaceful country,<br />

you c<strong>an</strong> forget that things are not as<br />

harmonious everywhere in the world<br />

as they are in Germ<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

Just 1,500 kilometres away, Ukraine<br />

is fighting for its survival: since the<br />

Russi<strong>an</strong> war of aggression last year,<br />

m<strong>an</strong>y Ukraini<strong>an</strong> families have fled to<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y. But what is rarely mentioned<br />

are the people in Russia who are<br />

against the war <strong>an</strong>d don’t w<strong>an</strong>t to be<br />

used in Putin’s dreams of conquest.<br />

Andrey is one such person. In September<br />

2022, Putin ordered the<br />

general mobilisation of his country.<br />

This me<strong>an</strong>t that men of fighting age<br />

were to go to war against Ukraine.<br />

The police were already at the house<br />

of the then 49-year-old mech<strong>an</strong>ical<br />

engineer. Without further ado, he fled<br />

to Kazakhst<strong>an</strong> to avoid serving in a<br />

war he opposed.<br />

In the past, Andrey had worked for<br />

m<strong>an</strong>y Russi<strong>an</strong> br<strong>an</strong>ches of Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

comp<strong>an</strong>ies, including BOSCH <strong>an</strong>d<br />

BASF. In exile, he wrote letters to Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

friends. One recipient was Fr<strong>an</strong>k<br />

Stockm<strong>an</strong>n, the m<strong>an</strong>aging director of<br />

the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> site of the Straum<strong>an</strong>n<br />

subsidiary DENTAL WINGS. Fr<strong>an</strong>k already<br />

knew Andrey’s older daughter,<br />

who was spending her year abroad in<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> <strong>an</strong>d living with the Stockm<strong>an</strong>n<br />

family. It was clear to Fr<strong>an</strong>k that<br />

he <strong>an</strong>d his team had to help. So his<br />

HR m<strong>an</strong>ager Madlen Lauterbach got<br />

on the ball <strong>an</strong>d took charge of org<strong>an</strong>ising<br />

<strong>an</strong> accelerated skilled worker<br />

procedure <strong>an</strong>d a work visa. And their<br />

efforts were rewarded: Andrey was<br />

able to start at DENTAL WINGS as a<br />

test engineer in J<strong>an</strong>uary 2023. His<br />

new employer paid for his further<br />

training.<br />

The fact that he no longer works in<br />

his actual profession doesn’t bother<br />

Andrey. “I enjoy the work, <strong>an</strong>d I like<br />

the atmosphere in the team,” explains<br />

the family m<strong>an</strong>. Having breakfast<br />

each day with his friendly colleagues,<br />

m<strong>an</strong>y of whom have foreign roots,<br />

certainly helps.<br />

Not just a professional<br />

home in <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

One of them is Mona from Ir<strong>an</strong>. She<br />

came to Germ<strong>an</strong>y with her husb<strong>an</strong>d<br />

in 2017. Mona is responsible for the<br />

quality assur<strong>an</strong>ce of DENTAL WINGS’<br />

medical software within the international<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y. This me<strong>an</strong>s that, before<br />

the software’s launch, she checks<br />

which legal requirements it must<br />

fulfil for the respective market <strong>an</strong>d<br />

documents precisely that the criteria<br />

are met. As she works in <strong>an</strong> international<br />

environment <strong>an</strong>d the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

documentation is also in English,<br />

integration was very easy for her. She<br />

also learnt Germ<strong>an</strong> to B2 level in just<br />

six months.<br />

Skilled workers like Mona with her<br />

international professional experience<br />

are in dem<strong>an</strong>d on the labour market.<br />

While the authorities don’t always<br />

make immigration easy, there are still<br />

opportunities to gain a foothold. Comp<strong>an</strong>ies<br />

with international operations<br />

such as DENTAL WINGS are happy<br />

to welcome qualified immigr<strong>an</strong>ts, as<br />

the <strong>Chemnitz</strong> site communicates with<br />

other comp<strong>an</strong>y locations all over the<br />

world: in C<strong>an</strong>ada, the USA <strong>an</strong>d even<br />

Brazil, to name just a few.<br />

Russi<strong>an</strong> engineer Andrey now feels at<br />

home in Germ<strong>an</strong>y, as do his wife <strong>an</strong>d<br />

young son, who have joined him. He<br />

doesn’t like the political situation in<br />

his home country at all, which is why<br />

he has made a new home here. He<br />

has already bought a small house in<br />

a suburb of <strong>Chemnitz</strong>. “But it never<br />

would have worked without Madlen<br />

<strong>an</strong>d Fr<strong>an</strong>k,” says Andrey.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Dental Wings GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/dental<br />

Our nationalities:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Israel, Russia, Fr<strong>an</strong>ce, Pol<strong>an</strong>d, India, Nigeria,<br />

Turkey, Ir<strong>an</strong>, Peru, China <strong>an</strong>d Vietnam<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

hr.de@dental-wings.com<br />

12<br />

31


SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES<br />

TOGETHER<br />

E-commerce is a growing industry, including in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>.<br />

There are several online shops in the area that<br />

have experienced considerable success, <strong>an</strong>d in specialised<br />

niches at that. PIXXASS is one of them. The retail<br />

br<strong>an</strong>d of the Revolte Group’s e-commerce subsidiary<br />

primarily sells board games <strong>an</strong>d torches. Games are<br />

sometimes tested by the team around the lunch table.<br />

It’s <strong>an</strong> unusual product mix that pays off th<strong>an</strong>ks to<br />

m<strong>an</strong>y years of hard work. Revolte Campus, the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

behind the PIXXASS br<strong>an</strong>d, also takes on other<br />

tasks for the agency group, including selling successful<br />

br<strong>an</strong>ds such as MOY beer on the web.<br />

Mahshid stayed true to her dream<br />

Fotos: Revolte GmbH / Stef<strong>an</strong> Lorse<br />

32


E-commerce is more varied th<strong>an</strong> some<br />

people realise. Selecting <strong>an</strong>d purchasing<br />

products is just as much a part of the<br />

job as photographing <strong>an</strong>d editing the<br />

product displays, <strong>an</strong>d roles r<strong>an</strong>ge from<br />

order processing to h<strong>an</strong>dling customer<br />

feedback. Employees c<strong>an</strong> utilise their<br />

creative streaks as well as their business<br />

<strong>an</strong>d technical skills, swapping the shop for<br />

a cosy office.<br />

So it’s no wonder that training in e-commerce<br />

was a long-held dream for Mahshid.<br />

The 23-year-old grew up in Ir<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d<br />

came to Germ<strong>an</strong>y with her family back in<br />

2015, graduating from secondary school<br />

here in 2020. However, she dropped out<br />

of her vocational baccalaureate <strong>an</strong>d started<br />

working in a different field.<br />

Mahshid stayed true to her<br />

dream<br />

She had been interested in e-commerce<br />

since her school days, as it was one of the<br />

areas her career counsellor believed she<br />

was suited to. However, the teams in the<br />

region’s online shops are often too small<br />

to provide the necessary resources for<br />

a trainee position. After all, it takes time<br />

to train young people, plus the cost of a<br />

training licence.<br />

In 2023, Mahshid contacted the employment<br />

agency <strong>an</strong>d joined a pre-vocational<br />

training programme. She was encouraged<br />

to go directly to the online shops in<br />

the region <strong>an</strong>d enquire about <strong>an</strong> apprenticeship.<br />

One day, Mahshid was st<strong>an</strong>ding<br />

in the corridor at Revolte. The bosses<br />

didn’t think twice. Mahshid was able to get<br />

a taste of the comp<strong>an</strong>y very quickly, familiarising<br />

herself with the various areas<br />

of the Group, including its websites, print<br />

media <strong>an</strong>d campaigns. It quickly became<br />

clear that Mahshid was a perfect fit for<br />

the world of e-commerce.<br />

Her current trainer Robert was impressed<br />

by the 23-year-old from the outset.<br />

When she successfully created a product<br />

for the first time, Mahshid’s delight was<br />

obvious. “You c<strong>an</strong> teach a lot of things,<br />

but you c<strong>an</strong>'t teach people to enjoy their<br />

One of the first e-commerce<br />

trainees in the region<br />

work”, explains the 39-year-old e-commerce<br />

professional. So Robert sat down<br />

with his team to make a decision: could<br />

they run a training programme for the<br />

first time in the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s 20-plus year<br />

history? What would they need to bear<br />

in mind? Would everyone w<strong>an</strong>t to be<br />

involved?<br />

One of the first e-commerce<br />

trainees in the region<br />

The result? Mahshid beg<strong>an</strong> her apprenticeship<br />

as <strong>an</strong> e-commerce clerk in<br />

October 2023, giving up her other job.<br />

Her dream has now come true in a place<br />

where training in this field is still a real rarity.<br />

Robert spent several weeks at night<br />

school to obtain his training licence <strong>an</strong>d<br />

appreciates the theory he learned. “At<br />

one time I w<strong>an</strong>ted to be a nursery school<br />

teacher. By doing this, I c<strong>an</strong> bring some of<br />

my old career aspirations to the table <strong>an</strong>d<br />

learn something interesting.”<br />

So Mahshid has made her mark <strong>an</strong>d<br />

her family <strong>an</strong>d four siblings are proud of<br />

her. Her vocational school is in Zwickau,<br />

so she will have to commute there for a<br />

few weeks at a time in the future. She is<br />

already looking forward to this <strong>an</strong>d to the<br />

variety in her job. Further training in specialised<br />

English is still to come, <strong>an</strong>d next<br />

year she will be attending a trade fair for<br />

the first time. But she is already able to<br />

complete tasks independently <strong>an</strong>d is a<br />

natural part of the team. “I look forward to<br />

my work every day <strong>an</strong>d am happy to have<br />

received my dream training at Revolte<br />

Campus.”<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Revolte GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/revolte<br />

Nationalities in the comp<strong>an</strong>y:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Sweden, Afgh<strong>an</strong>ist<strong>an</strong>, Ir<strong>an</strong><br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

bewerbung@die-revolte.de<br />

4<br />

33


Fotos: Joh<strong>an</strong>nes Richter<br />

IT’S WHAT THEY WANT TO<br />

ACHIEVE THAT COUNTS, NOT<br />

WHERE THEY COME FROM<br />

In times of a shortage of skilled workers, comp<strong>an</strong>ies are<br />

faced with the difficult task of promoting their own young<br />

talent <strong>an</strong>d ensuring their training <strong>an</strong>d qualification. In<br />

the best-case scenario, there is someone in the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

who c<strong>an</strong> inspire future trainees <strong>an</strong>d employees with<br />

enthusiasm for their daily work. This is especially true for<br />

professions that seem less exciting at first gl<strong>an</strong>ce, such as<br />

the police service, pilot training or <strong>an</strong> apprenticeship as a<br />

game designer. Petra Lüth is one such “door opener”. The<br />

hum<strong>an</strong> resources m<strong>an</strong>ager is the first point of contact for<br />

students <strong>an</strong>d professionals who w<strong>an</strong>t to gain a foothold at<br />

the SRS Audit-Group. What beg<strong>an</strong> in 1988 as a small law<br />

firm in Cologne now offers comprehensive auditing <strong>an</strong>d<br />

consulting services at five locations across Germ<strong>an</strong>y –<br />

including tax <strong>an</strong>d m<strong>an</strong>agement consulting. The SRS team<br />

in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> has around 25 employees, four trainees, two<br />

BA students <strong>an</strong>d three student trainees. In our interview,<br />

Petra Lüth reveals why it is difficult – but not impossible –<br />

for professionals from abroad to succeed in this industry.<br />

Her maxim: behind every application is a person who is<br />

much more th<strong>an</strong> a portfolio of certificates or a qualification<br />

(that is not recognised in Germ<strong>an</strong>y)...<br />

34


H<strong>an</strong>d on heart, Ms Lüth, how m<strong>an</strong>y of your<br />

applic<strong>an</strong>ts have always had a childhood dream<br />

of working in the tax sector when they<br />

grew up?<br />

(laughs) I have to admit it rarely happens.<br />

That makes it all the more import<strong>an</strong>t for us<br />

to share our enthusiasm for this profession<br />

from <strong>an</strong> early stage <strong>an</strong>d to dispel<br />

<strong>an</strong>y misconceptions. Of course, this is part<br />

of diligent public relations work. We are<br />

represented at trade fairs, take part in<br />

open days, go to schools <strong>an</strong>d give young<br />

people the opportunity to get a taste of<br />

the comp<strong>an</strong>y through a work placement<br />

at <strong>an</strong>y time. Anyone who dares to experiment<br />

<strong>an</strong>d take a look behind the scenes<br />

at our comp<strong>an</strong>y will quickly realise how<br />

exciting this field of work c<strong>an</strong> be <strong>an</strong>d that<br />

we don’t just leaf through tax documents<br />

in a quiet room. Th<strong>an</strong>ks to our active work<br />

with young people, we have been training<br />

assist<strong>an</strong>t tax consult<strong>an</strong>ts <strong>an</strong>d office m<strong>an</strong>agement<br />

assist<strong>an</strong>ts in our comp<strong>an</strong>y for<br />

over 30 years. In addition, we are a training<br />

partner for the vocational academies in<br />

Dresden <strong>an</strong>d Glauchau.<br />

What makes the work so exciting in your<br />

eyes?<br />

First <strong>an</strong>d foremost, it’s working with people<br />

who come from a wide variety of industries<br />

– from car mech<strong>an</strong>ics to book authors,<br />

from cabaret artists to corporate groups.<br />

It’s import<strong>an</strong>t to have a good underst<strong>an</strong>ding<br />

of figures <strong>an</strong>d to be able to interpret<br />

those figures in the context in which the<br />

individual client operates. This is the foundation<br />

of our consulting work. The increasing<br />

digitalisation of our industry is also <strong>an</strong><br />

exciting process. And no one should shy<br />

away from familiarising themselves with<br />

the wording of the legislation. It ch<strong>an</strong>ges<br />

frequently, which is why our profession<br />

never st<strong>an</strong>ds still.<br />

Speaking of legislation, sometimes even we<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>s find it difficult to underst<strong>an</strong>d those<br />

texts. I c<strong>an</strong> imagine that they are <strong>an</strong> even<br />

greater hurdle for people with a migration<br />

background.<br />

That’s right: it me<strong>an</strong>s that good Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage skills are the be-all <strong>an</strong>d end-all.<br />

For international skilled workers, further<br />

training such as Germ<strong>an</strong> l<strong>an</strong>guage courses<br />

is stipulated in their employment contract<br />

<strong>an</strong>d regulated in terms of remuneration.<br />

On the other h<strong>an</strong>d, we offer free English<br />

lessons for all employees to minimise l<strong>an</strong>guage<br />

barriers. This is particularly import<strong>an</strong>t<br />

in the context of increasing internationalisation.<br />

Quite a few of our clients are<br />

exp<strong>an</strong>ding abroad, for example. To support<br />

such comp<strong>an</strong>ies with overseas operations,<br />

we work with Inpact International, <strong>an</strong> international<br />

alli<strong>an</strong>ce of auditors. They know the<br />

legal regulations in the country in question,<br />

so they c<strong>an</strong> support us.<br />

That has got to be easier th<strong>an</strong> bringing<br />

international experts into the comp<strong>an</strong>y...<br />

Definitely. Nevertheless, we are open<br />

to every professional from abroad who<br />

w<strong>an</strong>ts to gain a foothold in our industry<br />

<strong>an</strong>d especially at SRS Audit. But unlike<br />

in IT comp<strong>an</strong>ies, for example, where you<br />

c<strong>an</strong> get very far with a good comm<strong>an</strong>d of<br />

English, it is much more difficult in the tax<br />

sector because of the legal texts I mentioned.<br />

Unfortunately, there have been some<br />

applic<strong>an</strong>ts from abroad in the past who<br />

ultimately failed because of the l<strong>an</strong>guage<br />

barrier.<br />

On the other h<strong>an</strong>d, have there also been<br />

some positive examples?<br />

Yes, a Ukraini<strong>an</strong> wom<strong>an</strong>, who had previously<br />

worked as <strong>an</strong> interpreter, became very<br />

familiar with the subject matter as <strong>an</strong> office<br />

m<strong>an</strong>ager <strong>an</strong>d eventually completed <strong>an</strong> apprenticeship<br />

as <strong>an</strong> assist<strong>an</strong>t tax consult<strong>an</strong>t.<br />

She was even able to bring the exam forward<br />

because of her existing qualifications.<br />

An employee from Thail<strong>an</strong>d, who moved to<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> for love, also worked really hard<br />

to overcome the l<strong>an</strong>guage barrier <strong>an</strong>d<br />

successfully complete her training with us.<br />

I c<strong>an</strong> only take my hat off to so much drive,<br />

ambition <strong>an</strong>d enjoyment in the work.<br />

Are there <strong>an</strong>y exceptions for trainees from<br />

abroad, such as more time during exams?<br />

Hardly <strong>an</strong>y, sadly. A dictionary is allowed,<br />

but there is still no extended writing time<br />

in the exam. This is one area where I’d like<br />

our country to move with the times a bit<br />

more <strong>an</strong>d recognise the need for international<br />

professionals. The recognition of<br />

training <strong>an</strong>d qualifications is also <strong>an</strong> issue<br />

in Germ<strong>an</strong>y. It sometimes makes it incredibly<br />

difficult for comp<strong>an</strong>ies to integrate<br />

skilled workers from abroad into the local<br />

labour market.<br />

How does SRS Audit facilitate getting<br />

started in the comp<strong>an</strong>y for international<br />

professionals?<br />

Anyone starting their professional journey<br />

with us c<strong>an</strong> be sure that they’ll receive the<br />

necessary support in all areas. We are<br />

open to different religions <strong>an</strong>d also take religious<br />

traditions into account. Depending<br />

on how far away their home country is, we<br />

sometimes gr<strong>an</strong>t four weeks’ leave as a<br />

single block so that they c<strong>an</strong> spend a lot of<br />

time with friends <strong>an</strong>d family. It is import<strong>an</strong>t<br />

that we always see the person first – no<br />

matter where they come from, what the<br />

grades are on their report card or what<br />

qualifications they have. If they have the<br />

right motivation, everybody c<strong>an</strong> achieve<br />

fulfilment in our comp<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

SRS Audit GmbH<br />

Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft •<br />

Steuerberatungsgesellschaft<br />

chemnitz.jobs/srsaudit<br />

Apply to:<br />

bewerbung@srsaudit.de<br />

Applications are welcome in Germ<strong>an</strong>, English or Russi<strong>an</strong>.<br />

35


“EVERYONE KNOWS<br />

EVERYONE HERE”<br />

Fotos: Ernesto Uhlm<strong>an</strong>n<br />

36


Duc comes from Vietnam, Joey from<br />

Iraq – <strong>an</strong>d both have found a professional<br />

home at SITEC. What else connects the<br />

mech<strong>an</strong>ical engineering graduate <strong>an</strong>d the<br />

former interpreter?<br />

His full name is Ngyuen Viet Duc. “Duc”<br />

me<strong>an</strong>s Germ<strong>an</strong>y in Vietnamese – but<br />

the name is no coincidence. “My father<br />

has m<strong>an</strong>y friends in Germ<strong>an</strong>y, <strong>an</strong>d his<br />

doctoral supervisor also comes from<br />

here”, explains the younger Dr Nguyen.<br />

When he was working at H<strong>an</strong>oi University<br />

in Vietnam, joining a Germ<strong>an</strong>-<br />

Vietnamese exch<strong>an</strong>ge programme<br />

was <strong>an</strong> obvious choice. He obtained<br />

his doctorate at Dresden University of<br />

Technology in 2014, partly th<strong>an</strong>ks to a<br />

project with Chemitz-based firm SITEC.<br />

He has been working there since 2014,<br />

joining its Research & Development<br />

department in 2018. He <strong>an</strong>d two other<br />

colleagues work with partners to develop<br />

<strong>an</strong>d optimise pioneering technologies,<br />

such as laser material processing.<br />

The fact that SITEC is able to keep<br />

up with <strong>an</strong>d actively shape the major<br />

topics of our time is also down to Duc’s<br />

department: fuel cells, battery recycling<br />

<strong>an</strong>d automation are just a few of<br />

the m<strong>an</strong>y factors that play a major role<br />

in the automotive industry <strong>an</strong>d beyond.<br />

The department is also involved in the<br />

digitalisation of m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing <strong>an</strong>d<br />

solar cells.<br />

import<strong>an</strong>t role in SITEC’s machine<br />

room. He has had m<strong>an</strong>y jobs in his<br />

life – he has worked as a hairdresser<br />

<strong>an</strong>d in the catering trade, <strong>an</strong>d he was<br />

<strong>an</strong> interpreter in the once booming<br />

textile industry in Turkey. He now uses<br />

his talent for communication when he<br />

helps colleagues with limited l<strong>an</strong>guage<br />

skills to underst<strong>an</strong>d instructions <strong>an</strong>d<br />

operate the machines correctly. “It’s<br />

import<strong>an</strong>t to learn Germ<strong>an</strong>, because<br />

you won’t get very far without it”, explains<br />

the 44-year-old Turkm<strong>an</strong>. As he<br />

also speaks Turkish <strong>an</strong>d Arabic, he c<strong>an</strong><br />

be a real help to colleagues just arriving<br />

from abroad. His openness <strong>an</strong>d<br />

warmth are appreciated by m<strong>an</strong>agers<br />

<strong>an</strong>d colleagues alike.<br />

lot, although he didn't have the opportunities<br />

for support that his children<br />

have today. Duc used to d<strong>an</strong>ce too, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

also enjoys photography.<br />

At SITEC, employees with international<br />

experience are welcome in all of its<br />

departments, from machine operation<br />

to development. And the 250 or so<br />

colleagues get to meet up regularly at<br />

events like the Easter barbecue, the<br />

summer party <strong>an</strong>d the departmental<br />

Christmas parties. “Everyone simply<br />

knows everyone here, from the technici<strong>an</strong>s<br />

to the m<strong>an</strong>aging director”, says<br />

Duc. And Joey adds “The atmosphere<br />

here is just super nice.”<br />

“Make or buy“<br />

SITEC’s unique nature also gave Joey<br />

his job. The comp<strong>an</strong>y not only m<strong>an</strong>ufactures<br />

large machines, but c<strong>an</strong> also<br />

make the products itself if customers<br />

so wish. The “make or buy” concept<br />

me<strong>an</strong>s that customers decide for<br />

themselves whether they w<strong>an</strong>t to have<br />

products mass-produced by SITEC, or<br />

buy the machine <strong>an</strong>d do it themselves.<br />

Machine operator Joey plays <strong>an</strong><br />

A family employer for<br />

family people<br />

Joey <strong>an</strong>d Duc are both family men.<br />

Joey is proud of his older daughter,<br />

who is studying acting <strong>an</strong>d has already<br />

performed for Dieter Bohlen on<br />

“Deutschl<strong>an</strong>d sucht den Superstar”.<br />

“She got four yeses!”, he says proudly.<br />

He is also musical <strong>an</strong>d used to d<strong>an</strong>ce a<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

SITEC Industrietechnologie<br />

GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/sitec<br />

We have employed people of the<br />

following nationalities:<br />

Vietnamese, Iraqi, Afgh<strong>an</strong>, Czech, Syri<strong>an</strong>, Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

bewerbung@sitec-technology.de<br />

6<br />

37


INTERNATIONALITY DE-<br />

SPITE THE CHALLENGES<br />

Jihed Lazibi is a computer scientist, a<br />

sought-after commodity on the labour<br />

market, <strong>an</strong>d yet, after arriving in Germ<strong>an</strong>y,<br />

he initially trained as a nurse. Jihed’s<br />

new professional home is SIGMA.<br />

Foto: Joh<strong>an</strong>nes Richter<br />

“There’s always someone<br />

here I c<strong>an</strong> ask.<br />

It’s a bit like family.”<br />

The IT service provider <strong>an</strong>d its subsidiaries<br />

with locations in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> <strong>an</strong>d<br />

Dresden operate in various fields of IT,<br />

including IT security <strong>an</strong>d infrastructure,<br />

ERP software, embedded systems <strong>an</strong>d<br />

RFID/Auto-ID. Although <strong>Chemnitz</strong> University<br />

of Technology offers computer<br />

science programmes, the number of<br />

graduates does not meet the dem<strong>an</strong>d.<br />

Immigration is therefore essential in<br />

the IT sector. Jihed studied information<br />

technology in Tunisia, specialising in embedded<br />

systems, <strong>an</strong>d learned Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

to level B2. He worked in the Tunisi<strong>an</strong> IT<br />

sector for a year <strong>an</strong>d a half before <strong>an</strong> old<br />

school friend recommended he come to<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y <strong>an</strong>d gain a professional foothold<br />

here. In September 2022, he made<br />

the leap, but instead of being welcomed,<br />

he was met with bureaucratic hurdles.<br />

Matthias from SIGMA was <strong>an</strong> early ray of<br />

hope. The RFID/Auto-ID software developer<br />

met Jihed in <strong>an</strong> Arabic café <strong>an</strong>d was<br />

quickly taken with the young m<strong>an</strong>. What<br />

followed was a year-long wait on the Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

authorities until Jihed was finally<br />

able to start at SIGMA in August 2023<br />

<strong>an</strong>d contribute his professional expertise<br />

to the comp<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

Instead of quickly finding a suitable job<br />

as <strong>an</strong> urgently needed specialist with<br />

good Germ<strong>an</strong> l<strong>an</strong>guage skills, Jihed first<br />

had to start a non-specialist training programme<br />

in nursing to obtain a residence<br />

38


permit. This is because foreign skilled<br />

workers only have six months to find a<br />

job before their temporary residence<br />

permit expires.<br />

Bureaucracy <strong>an</strong>d a willingness<br />

to help<br />

But Jihed also received some guid<strong>an</strong>ce:<br />

a friend helped him find accommodation<br />

<strong>an</strong>d his colleagues at SIGMA supported<br />

him in obtaining the urgently needed<br />

recognition of his Tunisi<strong>an</strong> qualification.<br />

Once all the documents were submitted<br />

in March 2023, it took until July for<br />

the Central Office for Foreign Education<br />

(ZAB) to send its decision.<br />

Fortunately, everyone at SIGMA was ready<br />

to go. Everything was quickly finalised<br />

contractually <strong>an</strong>d Jihed was able to start<br />

the very next month. “I feel welcome<br />

because I’m not just <strong>an</strong> employee here”,<br />

explains the 30-year-old Tunisi<strong>an</strong>. He<br />

appreciates the friendly atmosphere,<br />

even if he still has a little difficulty with<br />

how quickly everyone speaks. “For me,<br />

challenges are always opportunities”, he<br />

adds. He has learnt m<strong>an</strong>y new words in<br />

a short amount of time, has been able to<br />

get a flavour of all the departments, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

his colleague Arvid actively helps him.<br />

Jihed is one of m<strong>an</strong>y international employees<br />

at SIGMA. The IT comp<strong>an</strong>y values<br />

what people from different cultures <strong>an</strong>d<br />

regions bring to the table. From the m<strong>an</strong>y<br />

l<strong>an</strong>guages in which they c<strong>an</strong> speak to<br />

their customers to the new perspectives<br />

<strong>an</strong>d approaches that make <strong>an</strong> international<br />

team so successful. A collegial<br />

atmosphere where everyone treats each<br />

other as <strong>an</strong> equal is part of the recipe<br />

for success. Team events such as the<br />

summer <strong>an</strong>d Christmas parties <strong>an</strong>d participation<br />

in sporting competitions also<br />

contribute to rapid integration.<br />

Jihed, for one, feels at home at SIGMA:<br />

“There’s always someone here I c<strong>an</strong> ask.<br />

It’s a bit like family.”<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

SIGMA <strong>Chemnitz</strong> GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/sigma<br />

Our nationalities:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Ir<strong>an</strong>, Pakist<strong>an</strong>, Ukraine, Russia, Tunisia<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

bewerbung@sigma-chemnitz.de<br />

6<br />

39


INTERNATIONALIZATION<br />

2.0<br />

Foto: Niles Simmons<br />

40


What if the internationalization of<br />

teams was no longer just a necessity<br />

in the fight against the shortage of<br />

skilled workers, but a multiplier from<br />

which everyone involved could benefit<br />

equally? And how much more motivated<br />

<strong>an</strong>d perhaps also more satisfied could<br />

foreign employees be if their diverse<br />

cultural backgrounds were no longer<br />

just a challenge, but a valuable asset?<br />

As <strong>an</strong> international machine tool<br />

m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer with numerous service<br />

locations on all continents, NILES-SIM-<br />

MONS-HEGENSCHEIDT GmbH (NSH<br />

Group for short) knows only too well<br />

how enormous the potential of cultural<br />

education is for opening up new markets.<br />

Marketing m<strong>an</strong>ager Pierre Seidel<br />

explains: “India, for example, is one of<br />

the emerging markets that we c<strong>an</strong> only<br />

tap into if we supply more th<strong>an</strong> just<br />

machines there. We need to know the<br />

culture. So if we succeed in establishing<br />

a mech<strong>an</strong>ical engineer with us, then<br />

we also benefit from his cultural background<br />

– <strong>an</strong>d not just vice versa. For us,<br />

it’s about exch<strong>an</strong>ge, helping each other<br />

to become better established in the<br />

other country.”<br />

Integration within the comp<strong>an</strong>y is correspondingly<br />

extensive <strong>an</strong>d unaffected:<br />

joint activities, hikes, private leisure<br />

groups, comp<strong>an</strong>y runs, etc. At the NSH<br />

Group, it is common practice for colleagues<br />

to travel together. Nazhmiddin<br />

Bakhridinov, originally<br />

from Tajikist<strong>an</strong>, discovered<br />

climbing this<br />

way <strong>an</strong>d regularly goes<br />

climbing with the team<br />

in Bohemi<strong>an</strong> Switzerl<strong>an</strong>d.<br />

But now that it’s<br />

getting cold, he’s looking<br />

forward to a group skiing<br />

holiday: he estimates<br />

that 30 to 40 people<br />

will be joining them this<br />

year, if colleagues bring<br />

their partners <strong>an</strong>d friends with them, as<br />

they did recently.<br />

„We have a lot of people who aren’t just<br />

called ‘integration m<strong>an</strong>ager’ on paper,<br />

but really embody it – perhaps because<br />

they have traveled a lot themselves,<br />

perhaps because they are often abroad<br />

for the NSH Group. And then, of course,<br />

there are also those who have studied in<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, speak very good English <strong>an</strong>d<br />

then offer integration from the professional<br />

side,” says Seidel, explaining<br />

how the comp<strong>an</strong>y has so far m<strong>an</strong>aged<br />

without traditional integration m<strong>an</strong>agement<br />

despite having 30 internationals.<br />

His magic word for success: individuality.<br />

„Our machines are highly individual.<br />

When customers show us a workpiece<br />

<strong>an</strong>d ask for a technical solution, the<br />

result is machines that are often only<br />

available once in the world in such a<br />

customer-specific design. And that’s<br />

exactly how we see our internationals:<br />

each person comes with their own biography<br />

<strong>an</strong>d their own problems, so we<br />

c<strong>an</strong>’t follow a rigid pl<strong>an</strong>; we always need<br />

personalized support.”<br />

Nevertheless, Pierre Seidel is aware that<br />

even <strong>an</strong> NSH Group with its progressive<br />

integration policy has much more potential.<br />

“Imagine if we could offer young<br />

people a complete package. An apprenticeship<br />

with guar<strong>an</strong>teed employment<br />

including low-cost or perhaps even free<br />

accommodation in the form of a young<br />

shared flat with 360-degree support... I<br />

imagine that the apprentices could cook<br />

together, go out together, not be alone<br />

<strong>an</strong>d come to work as a team in the morning.”<br />

He hopes to be able to implement<br />

this vision in just one to three years – a<br />

speed that, in his opinion, is mainly due<br />

to the fact that the comp<strong>an</strong>y is still family-run.<br />

“In a large corporate structure,<br />

we wouldn’t be able to implement things<br />

so quickly.” If the pl<strong>an</strong> succeeds, the NSH<br />

Group could perhaps even be the first<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> to offer its trainees<br />

such a comprehensive program.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

NSH TECHNOLOGY GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/nsh<br />

Our nationalities:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Central <strong>an</strong>d Southern Europe, Asia, America,<br />

Russia, Africa <strong>an</strong>d India<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

hr.nsi@shgroup.com<br />

30<br />

41


JUMPING IN AT THE<br />

DEEP END<br />

Ms Hofm<strong>an</strong>n, what motivated you to take<br />

the brave step of applying to become <strong>an</strong><br />

integration m<strong>an</strong>ager for 72 international<br />

specialists?<br />

The thought of our future! We will be<br />

500,000 nursing staff short by 2035.<br />

That’s why we’ve been focusing on<br />

recruiting specialists from abroad for<br />

ten years now. I think it’s very import<strong>an</strong>t<br />

to offer support not just to those who<br />

are just coming over, but also to those<br />

who are already here to see how we c<strong>an</strong><br />

grow together better. And that’s why I<br />

said: „OK, I’ll jump in at the deep end!”<br />

Where do you see the biggest challenges<br />

right now?<br />

Despite the B2 certification requirement,<br />

it’s more the l<strong>an</strong>guage barriers<br />

that are challenging, especially here<br />

in Saxony where most people speak a<br />

dialect. Of course, Germ<strong>an</strong> employees<br />

are also required to speak more clearly,<br />

perhaps choose a simpler l<strong>an</strong>guage, or<br />

label the devices they work with.<br />

Dealing with the authorities is even<br />

more difficult. The trainees who come to<br />

us are only allowed to enter the country<br />

when they start their training contract –<br />

from the airport straight to the classroom,<br />

so to speak. This me<strong>an</strong>s that we<br />

c<strong>an</strong> only deal with the authorities during<br />

school hours. The residents’ register<br />

office, health insur<strong>an</strong>ce, opening a b<strong>an</strong>k<br />

Having started out as the coordinator of a residential<br />

centre for people with disabilities, J<strong>an</strong>et Hofm<strong>an</strong>n<br />

moved into the challenging role of integration coach<br />

at Heim gGmbH in June 2023 – no easy task with<br />

more th<strong>an</strong> 50 international employees from over 25<br />

nations to look after. She is happy to share <strong>an</strong> insight<br />

into the measures she uses to make it easier for the<br />

international staff to settle into the country <strong>an</strong>d work,<br />

but also speaks honestly about the hurdles she has to<br />

overcome.<br />

42


Fotos: Joh<strong>an</strong>nes Richter<br />

themselves to decide whether they w<strong>an</strong>t<br />

to make contact or not. After all, I don’t<br />

w<strong>an</strong>t to patronise them – they are adults<br />

after all. My main concern is to make<br />

sure that the offer is there.<br />

account, immigration office, it goes<br />

on <strong>an</strong>d on. Just imagine: you arrive,<br />

perhaps from Africa or Asia, where the<br />

structures are completely different,<br />

move into a flat, don’t even know the local<br />

tr<strong>an</strong>sport system – it’s not easy when<br />

everything is new all of a sudden. I would<br />

at least like to pick them up <strong>an</strong>d then<br />

drive them back to the training centre<br />

so that they don’t miss out on so much.<br />

Are you taking <strong>an</strong>y other measures to<br />

support integration?<br />

We are currently in the process of<br />

drawing up a concept for integration<br />

m<strong>an</strong>agement. We are primarily focusing<br />

on the three trainees who arrived from<br />

Togo <strong>an</strong>d Morocco in September, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

looking at where the biggest construction<br />

sites are. We’ll then use this information<br />

to develop concept <strong>an</strong>d process<br />

diagrams.<br />

At the same time, I am endeavouring not<br />

only to integrate the young people on a<br />

professional level, but also to offer them<br />

things that will help them feel at home<br />

in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> so that they will hopefully<br />

remain with us as perm<strong>an</strong>ent employees<br />

after completing their training.<br />

This starts with me asking them what<br />

sports they like to do, for example, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

then looking for suitable clubs for them.<br />

There are also pl<strong>an</strong>s to set up a Café<br />

International in-house, where <strong>an</strong>yone<br />

who is interested c<strong>an</strong> come together to<br />

practise Germ<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d talk about their<br />

cultures. But that’s not easy, of course,<br />

as we work in shifts.<br />

We are also currently developing a<br />

cycling proficiency course because<br />

the trainees often arrive here without<br />

a driving licence <strong>an</strong>d our facilities are<br />

scattered all over the city. They often<br />

don’t dare to cycle because they don’t<br />

know the Germ<strong>an</strong> road traffic regulations.<br />

We hope that the course will give<br />

them a little more confidence.<br />

I’m also working on a welcome pack<br />

with the most import<strong>an</strong>t information for<br />

them to read. When you are told a lot<br />

in a foreign l<strong>an</strong>guage, some information<br />

always gets lost. Medical care, local<br />

tr<strong>an</strong>sport, waste separation – it’s all in<br />

there.<br />

And what’s the atmosphere like among<br />

the employees?<br />

Due to the great diversity, it is sometimes<br />

difficult to build connections between<br />

the international staff – in m<strong>an</strong>y<br />

cases we only have a single person from<br />

<strong>an</strong>y one country. Of course, I still try<br />

<strong>an</strong>d ask employees if I c<strong>an</strong> pass on their<br />

contact details if <strong>an</strong>other person from<br />

their home country joins us. Ultimately,<br />

however, I leave it up to the employees<br />

How did you gain your knowledge for<br />

your new role as integration m<strong>an</strong>ager so<br />

quickly?<br />

Further training courses in the field of<br />

corporate integration m<strong>an</strong>agement are<br />

rather rare at the moment, with most<br />

focusing on the integration of refugees.<br />

That’s why I’ve read around a lot, especially<br />

about the laws. There are const<strong>an</strong>t<br />

ch<strong>an</strong>ges <strong>an</strong>yway, for example in immigration<br />

law. You really have to stay on the<br />

ball. I also do a lot of liaising with others<br />

in similar roles. There is now a network<br />

of comp<strong>an</strong>y integration m<strong>an</strong>agers <strong>an</strong>d<br />

luckily, I have also found competent contacts<br />

at the Immigration Advice Centre.<br />

And of course it’s import<strong>an</strong>t to take part<br />

in the online events that are org<strong>an</strong>ised<br />

on the topic. You c<strong>an</strong> also make valuable<br />

contacts there.<br />

And the success of Heim gGmbH’s longst<strong>an</strong>ding<br />

internationalisation strategy is<br />

something to be proud of.<br />

Definitely! We no longer have to actively<br />

recruit at all as we receive enough applications.<br />

As the org<strong>an</strong>iser of the voluntary<br />

service, we also receive m<strong>an</strong>y international<br />

applications <strong>an</strong>d quite a few of<br />

the graduates stay with us afterwards to<br />

start <strong>an</strong> apprenticeship.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Heim gemeinnützige GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/heim<br />

We have employed people of the<br />

following nationalities:<br />

72 nations<br />

Applications in English or Germ<strong>an</strong> to:<br />

bewerbung@heimggmbh.de<br />

72<br />

43


“THE MOST IMPORTANT<br />

THING IS NOT TO STOP<br />

BEING CURIOUS.”<br />

“KOMSA, they’re the ones who repair mobile phones.” True enough, but it doesn’t do<br />

justice to the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s portfolio. Eastern Germ<strong>an</strong>y’s largest family business<br />

by turnover has established itself as a telecommunications wholesaler <strong>an</strong>d<br />

specialist for digital infrastructures. In a world where mobile living<br />

<strong>an</strong>d working is commonplace, this me<strong>an</strong>s bringing the necessary<br />

technologies to where they are needed. Almost 1,200 men <strong>an</strong>d<br />

women ensure that people all over the world c<strong>an</strong> communicate<br />

<strong>an</strong>d work digitally. Because “it’s here to stay”. KOMSA<br />

CEO Pierre-Pascal Urbon is certain of this.<br />

What also “won’t go away” is the international orientation of the<br />

Hartm<strong>an</strong>nsdorf-based comp<strong>an</strong>y. Its merger with the British IT<br />

service provider Westcoast has been a catalyst for markets,<br />

partnerships <strong>an</strong>d employees. Press spokeswom<strong>an</strong> Andrea Fiedler-Braunschweig<br />

adds: “We have been living ch<strong>an</strong>ge <strong>an</strong>d tr<strong>an</strong>sformation<br />

for thirty years. We have reinvented ourselves almost<br />

every year. In all this time, we have always been caught between<br />

what technology produces in terms of innovation <strong>an</strong>d what our<br />

customers dem<strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong>d ultimately buy. If you w<strong>an</strong>t to be successful<br />

in a field like this, you have to be const<strong>an</strong>tly ready to ch<strong>an</strong>ge.”<br />

OLENA AYARI<br />

44<br />

Inner attitude is crucial<br />

A working environment that is <strong>an</strong>ything but rigid requires <strong>an</strong><br />

appropriate mindset. What does it take to work, grow <strong>an</strong>d develop<br />

at KOMSA? Openness in terms of dynamism <strong>an</strong>d innovation,<br />

<strong>an</strong> open-minded nature <strong>an</strong>d the ability to work in a team. All of<br />

this characterises Olena Ayari. How she came to Saxony from<br />

Ukraine is a story of motivation, strength <strong>an</strong>d potential opportunities<br />

within Europe. „ first came to Germ<strong>an</strong>y when I was ten years<br />

old. I was allowed to stay with a host family for a week as part of<br />

a school exch<strong>an</strong>ge programme. I was impressed by everything<br />

– from the food to the waste separation. Because that still isn’t<br />

really a thing in Ukraine today. In <strong>an</strong>y case, I w<strong>an</strong>ted to live in a<br />

country like Germ<strong>an</strong>y. And I wondered why I was born in Kiev<br />

Fotos: Leo<strong>an</strong> Haubner / KOMSA


<strong>an</strong>d not here,” says the 38-year-old. So<br />

impressed, she decides to learn Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

at the Goethe-Institut in Kiev while<br />

studying marketing. This fun comes at<br />

a cost. Olena works for it. She uses her<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong> skills privately. Nothing more.<br />

But she c<strong>an</strong>’t let go of Germ<strong>an</strong>y. The<br />

desire for ch<strong>an</strong>ge keeps popping up.<br />

“It’s now or never,” she thought when<br />

she was on parental leave with her second<br />

child in 2018. From Kiev, she sends<br />

unsolicited applications to various<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>ies in Saxony, on the recommendation<br />

of her Germ<strong>an</strong> brother-inlaw.<br />

He, in turn, is firmly convinced that<br />

“<strong>an</strong>ything is possible” in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> <strong>an</strong>d<br />

that the city has real potential. Ayari<br />

also sends her CV to KOMSA, but does<br />

not know the comp<strong>an</strong>y. “How could I?<br />

VW, Siemens, Bayer, etc. These are the<br />

br<strong>an</strong>ds that are local <strong>an</strong>d well-known<br />

in Ukraine,” she says, describing her<br />

situation. “If you’re in a third country<br />

like me <strong>an</strong>d then get invited to a job<br />

interview, it’s like winning the jackpot.<br />

Because it’s really difficult to find<br />

a job in the EU from abroad.” She is<br />

convincing, receives her employment<br />

contract <strong>an</strong>d has to wait. Without a visa,<br />

of course, there is no entry, no first day<br />

of work. This bureaucratic hurdle tests<br />

both sides’ patience. Me<strong>an</strong>while, Ayari is<br />

sitting on packed suitcases, struggling<br />

to get her diploma recognised <strong>an</strong>d not<br />

knowing when she will be able to move<br />

to Hartm<strong>an</strong>nsdorf without her husb<strong>an</strong>d<br />

<strong>an</strong>d children. The time will come in mid-<br />

February 2019. She flies to Germ<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

Three days later, she starts at KOMSA.<br />

You c<strong>an</strong>’t drink coffee together in English<br />

in Saxony.<br />

But you c<strong>an</strong> in Germ<strong>an</strong>.<br />

„The first few days were really exhausting.<br />

From one day to the next, I only<br />

spoke Germ<strong>an</strong>. Processing all the<br />

information in <strong>an</strong>other l<strong>an</strong>guage... In the<br />

evening, when I was lying in bed, the<br />

sentences were still running round <strong>an</strong>d<br />

round in my head. And KOMSA is big. It<br />

takes months to underst<strong>an</strong>d the structures,”<br />

she recalls. What irritated <strong>an</strong>d<br />

impressed her at the same time was<br />

the question: How are you? Colleagues<br />

<strong>an</strong>d m<strong>an</strong>agers keep asking her this. “In<br />

Ukraine, nobody at work asked me how<br />

I was doing. Why should that be of interest?<br />

I’m here voluntarily; I c<strong>an</strong> m<strong>an</strong>age.<br />

And if I was feeling bad, I wouldn’t say<br />

so. At some point, I realised that I really<br />

me<strong>an</strong>t it.” She realises that people tick<br />

differently in Germ<strong>an</strong>y <strong>an</strong>d experiences<br />

a small culture shock. “In Ukraine, what<br />

counts is what expensive h<strong>an</strong>dbag you<br />

have. You have to impress with your<br />

appear<strong>an</strong>ce. Here, m<strong>an</strong>agers are completely<br />

relaxed about wearing shoes<br />

under 100 euros. It doesn’t matter what<br />

iPhone you have. I was accepted for<br />

who I am. What counts is how open <strong>an</strong>d<br />

hard-working you are. And whether you<br />

c<strong>an</strong> learn quickly <strong>an</strong>d work well.” She<br />

approaches her job at KOMSA with ambition,<br />

discipline <strong>an</strong>d courage, const<strong>an</strong>tly<br />

improving her Germ<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d familiarising<br />

herself with the job. Her husb<strong>an</strong>d<br />

<strong>an</strong>d children join her after a good three<br />

months; the family is finally complete<br />

again. There are still a few hurdles to<br />

overcome: driving licence from scratch,<br />

recognition of her husb<strong>an</strong>d’s physiotherapy<br />

diploma, waiting for the integration<br />

course, etc. Olena Ayari is not discouraged.<br />

On the contrary. Her motto is: Don’t<br />

get scared. Keep going. Keep learning.<br />

Don’t give up. Most things come with<br />

experience <strong>an</strong>d time.<br />

M<strong>an</strong>y different characters make a great,<br />

multi-faceted whole<br />

On the road to internationality, KOMSA<br />

remains true to itself. There have never<br />

been <strong>an</strong>y special recruitment campaigns<br />

<strong>an</strong>d probably never will be. Recruitment<br />

takes place via the internet, social media<br />

ch<strong>an</strong>nels, networks <strong>an</strong>d by word of<br />

mouth. What has ch<strong>an</strong>ged over the years<br />

is the time window in which you have<br />

to react. “Speed is the be-all <strong>an</strong>d end-all.<br />

Today, we are the ones who introduce<br />

ourselves to applic<strong>an</strong>ts. We have to show<br />

what we are actually like. The diversity of<br />

our employees c<strong>an</strong> be a key reason for<br />

choosing us. Different perspectives <strong>an</strong>d<br />

openness towards each other make us<br />

richer <strong>an</strong>d more considerate as a team.<br />

Without these skills, we run the risk of<br />

becoming rigid,” summarises Andrea<br />

Fiedler-Braunschweig.<br />

A perfect match then. For Olena Ayari<br />

<strong>an</strong>d the comp<strong>an</strong>y.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

KOMSA AG<br />

chemnitz.jobs/komsa<br />

We have employed people of the<br />

following nationalities:<br />

Alb<strong>an</strong>ia, China, Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Greece, Iraq, Italy, New Zeal<strong>an</strong>d,<br />

Netherl<strong>an</strong>ds, Austria, Pol<strong>an</strong>d, Rom<strong>an</strong>ia, Syria, Czech Republic,<br />

Ukraine, Hungary<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

jobs@komsa.com<br />

15<br />

45


I AM ONE IN 83 MILLION.<br />

AND ONE IN 250,000.<br />

Foto: Joh<strong>an</strong>nes Richter<br />

4,000 EMPLOYEES, 26 OF-<br />

FICES, THREE MUNICIPAL<br />

ENTERPRISES:<br />

what do the people who work in <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

City Council do? M<strong>an</strong>age l<strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong>d<br />

buildings? Issue building permits, registration<br />

certificates, parking tickets<br />

<strong>an</strong>d birth certificates? Authorise social<br />

assist<strong>an</strong>ce? Facilitate foreign nationals’<br />

arrival in Germ<strong>an</strong>y?<br />

The City is the second largest employer<br />

in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>. Anyone who thinks that<br />

only administrative staff <strong>an</strong>d civil serv<strong>an</strong>ts<br />

work here is mistaken: lifeguards,<br />

urb<strong>an</strong> pl<strong>an</strong>ners, doctors, educators,<br />

road builders, gardeners – everyone is<br />

helping to shape the present <strong>an</strong>d the<br />

future of <strong>Chemnitz</strong>. Immigr<strong>an</strong>ts from all<br />

over the world have long been playing<br />

their part in its development.<br />

Maya Alkurdi is <strong>an</strong> honest, respectable<br />

wom<strong>an</strong>. Behind her quiet nature lies a<br />

good dose of ambition, plenty of confidence<br />

<strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong> even temperament. Her<br />

engaging nature is matched by a life of<br />

escape, loss, courage <strong>an</strong>d resist<strong>an</strong>ce to<br />

the adversities of moving<br />

to a foreign country. She<br />

grew up in Syria, graduated<br />

high school in Egypt <strong>an</strong>d<br />

studied English literature<br />

in Damascus. For one year.<br />

She was then selected <strong>an</strong>d<br />

recognised as a refugee by<br />

the United Nations (UNHCR)<br />

as part of a “resettlement<br />

programme”. Within three<br />

months, she had to ab<strong>an</strong>don<br />

everything in Syria <strong>an</strong>d<br />

leave the country. She came<br />

to <strong>Chemnitz</strong> in 2015 at the<br />

age of nineteen, where she<br />

found her feet. In this interview,<br />

she <strong>an</strong>d her supervisor,<br />

Martin Weinert (Social<br />

Welfare Office, Accommoda-<br />

46


tion Department), explain why a job with<br />

the City was her biggest goal <strong>an</strong>d how<br />

she achieved it.<br />

What l<strong>an</strong>guages do you speak?<br />

Alkurdi: Arabic, English <strong>an</strong>d Germ<strong>an</strong>.<br />

After I arrived here, it took six months<br />

to get a place on <strong>an</strong> integration course.<br />

Six months of waiting! Then I reached<br />

level B1 within a year. That me<strong>an</strong>s you<br />

c<strong>an</strong> communicate quite well in Germ<strong>an</strong>.<br />

Then, in August 2016, I started <strong>an</strong> apprenticeship<br />

as <strong>an</strong> office m<strong>an</strong>agement<br />

assist<strong>an</strong>t.<br />

From English literature to a commercial/<br />

administrative job: why the ch<strong>an</strong>ge?<br />

Alkurdi: Despite achieving very good<br />

grades in high school, I was only recognised<br />

as having a school leaving certificate<br />

here. To resume my studies <strong>an</strong>d be<br />

authorised to do so, I would have had to<br />

pass a few exams at the Studienkolleg<br />

Sachsen in Leipzig. However, due to my<br />

family ties to <strong>Chemnitz</strong>, moving was out<br />

of the question. That’s why I decided on<br />

the apprenticeship instead.<br />

How did you end up at <strong>Chemnitz</strong> City<br />

Council?<br />

Alkurdi: I was a client of the social welfare<br />

office myself. The idea of working<br />

for the council came to me through <strong>an</strong><br />

acquaint<strong>an</strong>ce. Her tip gave me the idea<br />

to apply. I w<strong>an</strong>ted to be treated fairly. Be<br />

at the same pay grade as my colleagues,<br />

like all other Germ<strong>an</strong>s. I fought for<br />

that; that was my big goal. I w<strong>an</strong>ted to<br />

seize the opportunity <strong>an</strong>d accepted the<br />

challenge.<br />

It didn’t work right away, but after my<br />

second attempt, I received the letter<br />

saying “Welcome to the city administration.”<br />

That was in July 2020. I then<br />

moved to the social welfare office in August<br />

2022 via various other offices <strong>an</strong>d<br />

workplaces. My boss made sure that I<br />

had long-term prospects here.<br />

What exactly is your area of responsibility?<br />

Alkurdi: What exactly do I do? I draw up<br />

notifications for people so that they are<br />

officially registered <strong>an</strong>d<br />

then also receive money,<br />

etc. Because nothing<br />

works in Germ<strong>an</strong>y<br />

without a registration.<br />

Weinert: We are generally<br />

responsible for<br />

finding accommodation<br />

for homeless people,<br />

i.e. for asylum seekers<br />

assigned to the city of<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong>. But also for<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong> citizens who<br />

are homeless <strong>an</strong>d need<br />

help. We provide them<br />

with a place to sleep in<br />

our housing project, for example in the<br />

Nachtquartier.<br />

You have been in Germ<strong>an</strong>y for eight<br />

years now. Is there <strong>an</strong>ything that still<br />

impresses you?<br />

You have been in Germ<strong>an</strong>y for eight<br />

years now. Is there <strong>an</strong>ything that still<br />

impresses you?<br />

Alkurdi: The system. Actually, that word<br />

says it all. It doesn’t exist in Syria. There<br />

you pay a lot of money to get things org<strong>an</strong>ised.<br />

Here there are laws <strong>an</strong>d rules;<br />

they are adhered to. Sometimes they<br />

are a bit much. But you have peace of<br />

mind <strong>an</strong>d know what is right <strong>an</strong>d wrong.<br />

Mr Weinert, what stumbling blocks do<br />

you see in the integration of foreign<br />

skilled workers?<br />

Weinert: L<strong>an</strong>guage skills are the be-all<br />

<strong>an</strong>d end-all. In administration, the official<br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage is Germ<strong>an</strong>. It is therefore essential<br />

to be able to communicate well.<br />

As far as our work is concerned, administrative<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong> c<strong>an</strong> be a stumbling<br />

block.<br />

What have you learned from Ms Alkurdi?<br />

Weinert: She represents <strong>an</strong> exemplary<br />

career path in Germ<strong>an</strong>y. There are<br />

probably not m<strong>an</strong>y people who m<strong>an</strong>age<br />

to make such a career for themselves<br />

in such a short time. Starting out<br />

in administration involves more th<strong>an</strong><br />

just speaking Germ<strong>an</strong> because of the<br />

legalities <strong>an</strong>d the administrative l<strong>an</strong>guage.<br />

She is incredibly ambitious. Out<br />

of 17 employees in the department, Ms<br />

Alkurdi is the only person with a migr<strong>an</strong>t<br />

background. We chose her because she<br />

simply impressed us. With her knowledge,<br />

her cheerful nature, her willingness,<br />

her achievements <strong>an</strong>d because she fits<br />

into the team.<br />

How does the City of <strong>Chemnitz</strong> sell itself<br />

as <strong>an</strong> attractive employer?<br />

Weinert: We are now in competition<br />

with other administrations, institutions<br />

<strong>an</strong>d businesses. That is why we have<br />

worked so hard on establishing our<br />

employer br<strong>an</strong>d. Our aim is to highlight<br />

the benefits of a job in the public sector<br />

both internally <strong>an</strong>d externally. Among<br />

other projects, there will be a completely<br />

new online presence for the City of<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> soon, which will include a new<br />

careers website, for example. This will be<br />

advertised on all common social media<br />

ch<strong>an</strong>nels, job exch<strong>an</strong>ges, specialised<br />

media, etc.<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> to:<br />

karriere@stadt-chemnitz.de<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Stadt <strong>Chemnitz</strong> Hauptamt<br />

chemnitz.jobs/stadtverwaltung<br />

47


Foto: Klinikum <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

INTEGRATION WITH<br />

HEART AND MIND<br />

Broadly speaking, the integration of international skilled<br />

workers has at least two levels: <strong>an</strong> external <strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong><br />

internal one. On the outside, new arrivals with foreign<br />

roots have to fight their way through a jungle of regulations<br />

<strong>an</strong>d legal provisions that are difficult or impossible<br />

for them to underst<strong>an</strong>d on their own. What do I need<br />

to bear in mind? Which contact points c<strong>an</strong> I turn to for<br />

help? Which forms do I have to submit, by when <strong>an</strong>d<br />

where? And where do I even find them in the first place?<br />

On the other h<strong>an</strong>d, there is the inner, hum<strong>an</strong> level,<br />

which raises questions about how to integrate socially.<br />

The feeling of being a str<strong>an</strong>ger needs to be overcome.<br />

And sometimes, when the feeling of homesickness is<br />

simply overwhelming, a hug is needed.<br />

48


Anyone who has ever spent some time<br />

with Maria Süß <strong>an</strong>d Heike Palm at Klinikum<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> gGmbH (<strong>Chemnitz</strong> Hospital) will<br />

never get rid of the feeling that both levels<br />

are brought together here. The team of two<br />

looks after the international specialists at<br />

the hospital. They know how to h<strong>an</strong>dle external<br />

factors <strong>an</strong>d internal attitudes to create<br />

harmony. Which one of them is the pragmatic,<br />

conscientious side for the external factors<br />

becomes clear at the latest when Maria<br />

Süß pulls out a folder: “All our international<br />

skilled workers get one of these from me,”<br />

she explains. “Experience has shown that<br />

piles <strong>an</strong>d piles of documents accumulate<br />

during the integration process. It helps us<br />

keep track of everything.” Heike Palm sees<br />

people first <strong>an</strong>d foremost, as she demonstrates<br />

by calling them colleagues right from<br />

the start. They’re not “the newbies” or “the<br />

others”. “No, they’re people like you <strong>an</strong>d me.<br />

They all have their own history, their hopes,<br />

<strong>an</strong>d they often have their own baggage to<br />

carry, too,” she says. It’s absolutely clear that<br />

respect, toler<strong>an</strong>ce <strong>an</strong>d attentiveness are import<strong>an</strong>t<br />

to her – not only between local <strong>an</strong>d<br />

international professionals, but also on the<br />

part of the patients. “In Saxony, we still have<br />

some catching up to do here. The process<br />

of internationalisation in the field of nursing<br />

professionals has been firmly embedded<br />

in everyday working life in the old federal<br />

states for a long time. It’s only just begun<br />

here. We w<strong>an</strong>t to reach out to local people<br />

<strong>an</strong>d make it clear that it doesn’t matter<br />

whether a carer is called Arndt or Mohammed.<br />

Qualifications <strong>an</strong>d expertise are what<br />

count.” As a rule, international colleagues<br />

have a lot to contribute, as almost all nursing<br />

staff from the EU <strong>an</strong>d other countries do<br />

not complete <strong>an</strong> apprenticeship, but rather<br />

a bachelor’s degree programme with <strong>an</strong> integrated<br />

practical component. Only Germ<strong>an</strong>y<br />

takes a different approach: <strong>an</strong>yone who<br />

w<strong>an</strong>ts to become a carer here completes a<br />

three-year<br />

training<br />

course.<br />

However,<br />

specialised<br />

knowledge alone is not enough to create<br />

accept<strong>an</strong>ce. Communication plays a particularly<br />

import<strong>an</strong>t role: “Developing Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage skills is extremely import<strong>an</strong>t – <strong>an</strong>d<br />

not just for dealing with patients. You c<strong>an</strong>’t<br />

make a home here with English alone,” says<br />

Heike Palm, firmly convinced. This is where<br />

the hospital’s one-year “adaptation courses”,<br />

which were launched in 2022, come into<br />

play. “They are held in Germ<strong>an</strong>. The particip<strong>an</strong>ts<br />

discuss not only underst<strong>an</strong>ding what<br />

is being said, but also knowing what is me<strong>an</strong>t.”<br />

A sound <strong>an</strong>d wide-r<strong>an</strong>ging underst<strong>an</strong>ding<br />

of the l<strong>an</strong>guage is import<strong>an</strong>t to prevent<br />

misunderst<strong>an</strong>dings in everyday working life<br />

<strong>an</strong>d beyond. Only after the adaptation year,<br />

during which the particip<strong>an</strong>ts also learn a lot<br />

about the system, do they spend six months<br />

familiarising themselves with a defined area<br />

of work. This gives them a sense of security.<br />

Of around 2,500 nursing staff in the hospital<br />

network, a total of 111 have their roots in<br />

other countries. There are even international<br />

specialists in the “st<strong>an</strong>d-in pool”, which<br />

consists of 80 employees. This is remarkable,<br />

as these employees “have to be even<br />

quicker on the uptake,” explains Heike Palm.<br />

“They have to const<strong>an</strong>tly reorient themselves<br />

at different workstations <strong>an</strong>d get to grips<br />

with their tasks as quickly as possible.” This<br />

is a challenge even for local native speakers.<br />

All things<br />

QUALIFICATIONS AND<br />

EXPERTISE ARE WHAT COUNT<br />

considered,<br />

you have to<br />

take your<br />

hat off to<br />

all the international specialists who have<br />

found their feet here. “The path in Germ<strong>an</strong>y<br />

is extremely difficult, <strong>an</strong>d we should<br />

do everything we c<strong>an</strong> to make sure these<br />

colleagues stay with us. The social environment<br />

is crucial here. Everyday racism<br />

on the way to work, being stopped by the<br />

police more frequently because they have<br />

a different skin colour or bouncers refusing<br />

them entry to the club doesn’t help. Sadly,<br />

this has all happened before,” says Maria<br />

Süß, who is responsible for a special tool as<br />

part of the culture of welcome at Klinikum<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> – a weekly newsletter. “I regularly<br />

send out tips on everyday life in Germ<strong>an</strong>y,<br />

what traditions we have, what holidays we<br />

celebrate <strong>an</strong>d what makes us tick.” From<br />

<strong>2024</strong>, a regulars’ table is also pl<strong>an</strong>ned as <strong>an</strong><br />

opportunity for international specialists <strong>an</strong>d<br />

other staff members to exch<strong>an</strong>ge ideas. “We<br />

w<strong>an</strong>t to know what we still need to work on in<br />

terms of integration so that we c<strong>an</strong> use this<br />

knowledge to keep on improving.”<br />

HEIKE PALM<br />

MARIA SÜß<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Klinikum <strong>Chemnitz</strong> gGmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/klinikum<br />

We have employed people of the<br />

following nationalities:<br />

40 nations<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> to:<br />

m.suess@skc.de<br />

40<br />

49


TRUST WELDS PEOPLE TOGETHER<br />

Foto: Ernesto Uhlm<strong>an</strong>n<br />

He c<strong>an</strong> hardly believe it himself:<br />

next April, Alex Quint will have<br />

been with OMEGA Blechbearbeitung<br />

Limbach-Oberfrohna AG for<br />

20 years. The production forem<strong>an</strong><br />

in the assembly department originally<br />

comes from Siberia. And he is<br />

not the only specialist with international<br />

roots at the Limbach-based<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y. Almost a dozen nations –<br />

from Russia to Kazakhst<strong>an</strong>, Pol<strong>an</strong>d,<br />

Algeria, Syria, Afgh<strong>an</strong>ist<strong>an</strong>, Georgia<br />

<strong>an</strong>d Hungary – work together at<br />

OMEGA. “And very successfully<br />

too,” says CEO Ingolf Baum.<br />

For more th<strong>an</strong> 25 years, the name<br />

OMEGA Blechbearbeitung has stood for<br />

high-quality machine housing as well as<br />

laser, bended <strong>an</strong>d welded components.<br />

OMEGA products c<strong>an</strong> be found in pl<strong>an</strong>t<br />

engineering as well as in mech<strong>an</strong>ical<br />

<strong>an</strong>d apparatus engineering, container<br />

<strong>an</strong>d vehicle construction, medical<br />

technology <strong>an</strong>d machine tool construction.<br />

Switch cabinets for the electrical<br />

industry <strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong> in-house production<br />

line for medical cabinets, doctors’ cabinets<br />

<strong>an</strong>d hospital equipment round off<br />

the product r<strong>an</strong>ge. All of this requires a<br />

strong team. “We have m<strong>an</strong>y international<br />

employees who have been with us<br />

for ten, 15 or 20 years,” says Baum. This<br />

speaks for a good relationship between<br />

employer <strong>an</strong>d employee, but also between<br />

colleagues themselves. And this<br />

c<strong>an</strong> be seen, for example, in the support<br />

provided to foreign specialists when it<br />

comes to finding accommodation or<br />

dealing with the authorities. “If there<br />

are l<strong>an</strong>guage barriers at the beginning,<br />

the employees help each other,” Baum<br />

continues. This reduces inhibitions <strong>an</strong>d<br />

quickly conveys a feeling of accept<strong>an</strong>ce.<br />

Alex Quint reports on day-to-day production.<br />

Over the last 20 years, it has<br />

not been uncommon for employees not<br />

to speak a word of Germ<strong>an</strong> when they<br />

start out. “But people w<strong>an</strong>t to integrate<br />

<strong>an</strong>d develop,” he says. After all, his comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

is also a modern one that provides<br />

incentives to persevere <strong>an</strong>d make <strong>an</strong> effort.<br />

And not just during working hours.<br />

“We also org<strong>an</strong>ize celebrations, such<br />

as a summer party where families are<br />

invited, <strong>an</strong>d a Christmas party. That kind<br />

of thing brings people together,” says<br />

Quint, whose wife also works at OMEGA.<br />

She works in the secretarial department<br />

<strong>an</strong>d has also been happy at the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

for years.<br />

The continuous growth of the team <strong>an</strong>d<br />

its expertise, combined with a strong<br />

customer focus, has made OMEGA<br />

Blechbearbeitung Limbach-Oberfrohna<br />

AG a valued partner for customers all<br />

over the world. “Our employees are the<br />

most import<strong>an</strong>t factor in our success,”<br />

says Ingolf Baum. The comp<strong>an</strong>y is currently<br />

looking primarily for welders <strong>an</strong>d<br />

fitters for perm<strong>an</strong>ent positions. Applications<br />

c<strong>an</strong> be sent to bewerbung@omega-blech.de<br />

at <strong>an</strong>y time. Apprenticeships<br />

as metalworkers specializing in construction<br />

technology are also available<br />

for the <strong>2024</strong>/2025 training year. There<br />

are also internship opportunities to get<br />

to know the Limbach-based comp<strong>an</strong>y at<br />

<strong>an</strong>y time.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

OMEGA Blechbearbeitung<br />

Limbach-Oberfrohna AG<br />

chemnitz.jobs/omega<br />

Our international specialists<br />

come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Russia, Kazakhst<strong>an</strong>, Pol<strong>an</strong>d, Algeria, Syria, Afgh<strong>an</strong>ist<strong>an</strong>,<br />

Georgia <strong>an</strong>d Hungary<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

bewerbung@omega-blech.de<br />

9<br />

50


Fotos: Starrag Group<br />

“NOBODY IS LEFT TO FEND FOR<br />

THEMSELVES HERE”<br />

Starrag GmbH is a comp<strong>an</strong>y with a long history, but also with a great future<br />

ahead of it. It has been m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing milling machines in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> for well<br />

over a century, <strong>an</strong>d today is part of the Starrag Group, a leading global supplier<br />

of machining centres <strong>an</strong>d technological m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing systems. Heckert<br />

machines made in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> are renowned for their precision, reliability, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

high level of technical innovation, particularly in the production of automotive<br />

<strong>an</strong>d industrial parts. Every day, 460 employees ensure that the comp<strong>an</strong>y continues<br />

along this upward path of growth.<br />

SAP consult<strong>an</strong>t. Anyone interested in <strong>an</strong><br />

apprenticeship is also welcome to contact<br />

Simone Pinarski or Kirsten Olomek.<br />

One of them is Inhw<strong>an</strong> Choi. The 29-yearold<br />

from South Korea has been working<br />

for Starrag as a service technici<strong>an</strong><br />

since the summer. “I was given a very<br />

warm welcome, especially from the area<br />

m<strong>an</strong>ager. He made sure that I was well<br />

integrated into the team”, says Choi, who<br />

has been living in Germ<strong>an</strong>y since 2017.<br />

The trained precision mech<strong>an</strong>ic w<strong>an</strong>ted to<br />

develop his technical skills in the machine<br />

tool industry, which is how he became<br />

aware of the comp<strong>an</strong>y. “There were several<br />

training courses to help him familiarise<br />

himself with the job. Nobody is left to fend<br />

for themselves here”, says HR M<strong>an</strong>ager<br />

Simone Pinarski. As well as Korea, Starrag<br />

also employs skilled workers from China,<br />

Russia, Syria <strong>an</strong>d Afgh<strong>an</strong>ist<strong>an</strong>.<br />

There are various steps that all new<br />

employees go through when they join<br />

Starrag. “We look at their individual<br />

skills <strong>an</strong>d knowledge”, explains Kirsten<br />

Olomek from the Training <strong>an</strong>d Development<br />

department. Those who opt for a<br />

job at the <strong>Chemnitz</strong>-based comp<strong>an</strong>y are<br />

also offered all kinds of extra benefits.<br />

For example: 13 monthly salaries, <strong>an</strong><br />

employee stock option <strong>an</strong>d profit-sharing<br />

scheme, a childcare allow<strong>an</strong>ce, capital-forming<br />

benefits, <strong>an</strong>d birthday <strong>an</strong>d<br />

Christmas presents. In most areas, staff<br />

are also offered flexible working hours to<br />

help them achieve a better work/life bal<strong>an</strong>ce.<br />

Individual training opportunities, a<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y health m<strong>an</strong>agement programme<br />

– which includes ergonomic workstations,<br />

sports facilities <strong>an</strong>d bicycle leasing<br />

– plus a children’s Christmas party, round<br />

off the benefits.<br />

Starrag is currently looking for CNC milling<br />

machine operators, service technici<strong>an</strong>s,<br />

industrial mech<strong>an</strong>ics, <strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong> in-house<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Starrag GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/starrag<br />

Our international specialists<br />

come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Korea, China, Russia, Syria <strong>an</strong>d Afgh<strong>an</strong>ist<strong>an</strong><br />

Send applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

career.che@starrag.com<br />

6<br />

51


“WE MAKE THE WORLD<br />

A LITTLE SAFER.”<br />

“We started out with great ambitions <strong>an</strong>d visions,<br />

which we realised, occasionally overturned or simply<br />

rethought, as is only natural” says Matthias Domes,<br />

one of the founders of domeba GmbH, looking back<br />

on the beginnings of the “classic garage start-up”.<br />

Their ambition to set up <strong>an</strong> agency specialising in<br />

web applications has grown into a comp<strong>an</strong>y that c<strong>an</strong><br />

rightly claim to save lives every day: domeba GmbH<br />

is now one of the leading providers of compli<strong>an</strong>ce<br />

m<strong>an</strong>agement software <strong>an</strong>d develops digital solutions<br />

for occupational health <strong>an</strong>d safety, quality assur<strong>an</strong>ce<br />

<strong>an</strong>d sustainability.<br />

Modular software in 30 l<strong>an</strong>guages helps<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>ies from almost all sectors to<br />

implement internal or legally prescribed<br />

rules <strong>an</strong>d objectives. domeba GmbH<br />

marked two milestones in 2023: the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y celebrated its 25th <strong>an</strong>niversary,<br />

<strong>an</strong>d its employee headcount simult<strong>an</strong>eously<br />

entered the three-digit r<strong>an</strong>ge.<br />

Test Engineer Robert Montell is one of<br />

the new employees. The Finnish floorball<br />

player is a guest player with the Floor<br />

Fighters <strong>Chemnitz</strong> this season. Matthias<br />

Domes: “Before the start of the new<br />

season, we as a sponsor were informed<br />

that the new guest player was looking<br />

for a job at <strong>an</strong> IT comp<strong>an</strong>y. He had just<br />

completed his bachelor’s degree in programming.”<br />

The successful application<br />

process beg<strong>an</strong> immediately, <strong>an</strong>d Robert<br />

Montell has been a perm<strong>an</strong>ent member<br />

of the “domebi<strong>an</strong>ers” team since mid-<br />

October. Being international has been<br />

on domeba’s agenda for some time, says<br />

Matthias Domes, who prefers a “healthy<br />

pace” when it comes to internationalisation.<br />

“Cultural worlds collide [during<br />

international encounters], which c<strong>an</strong> be<br />

enriching <strong>an</strong>d challenging at the same<br />

time. We need a workforce that has not<br />

just been persuaded to accept this process,<br />

but firmly believes in it. And that<br />

takes time.” The best way to find out how<br />

international specialists have settled in<br />

at domeba <strong>an</strong>d in Germ<strong>an</strong>y is for them<br />

to tell us themselves:<br />

Khaoula Bouguerra<br />

Khaoula Bouguerra from Tunisia,<br />

IT Application Development Trainee<br />

Why did you decide to work in Germ<strong>an</strong>y,<br />

<strong>an</strong>d what expectations did you have?<br />

First <strong>an</strong>d foremost, it was for family<br />

reasons, as my spouse works here. I also<br />

w<strong>an</strong>ted to take the opportunity to adv<strong>an</strong>ce<br />

my career <strong>an</strong>d exp<strong>an</strong>d my CV. A<br />

good work-life bal<strong>an</strong>ce, career development<br />

opportunities <strong>an</strong>d a friendly, cooperative<br />

team were some of the things<br />

I expected to find. I also hoped to gain<br />

intercultural experiences <strong>an</strong>d improve<br />

my l<strong>an</strong>guage skills.<br />

Did you encounter <strong>an</strong>y particular challenges<br />

or positive experiences?<br />

My integration into the comp<strong>an</strong>y has<br />

been very positive. All the employees<br />

here are very nice <strong>an</strong>d co-operative,<br />

which has made my experience of<br />

working here very pleas<strong>an</strong>t. In terms<br />

of the local community, I’ve had a few<br />

difficulties adjusting socially, but nothing<br />

serious. I’m happy with my life here.<br />

What advice would you give to other<br />

international professionals?<br />

Be open to new experiences. Accept cultural<br />

differences <strong>an</strong>d respect diversity.<br />

Be patient <strong>an</strong>d focus on your professional<br />

development.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

domeba GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/domeba<br />

Our international specialists<br />

come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Colombia, Italy, Finl<strong>an</strong>d, India, Tunisia,<br />

Kazakhst<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d Fr<strong>an</strong>ce<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

bewerbung@domeba.de<br />

8<br />

52


Fotos: Domeba<br />

Luz Patricia Arévalo Pardo<br />

Luz Patricia Arévalo Pardo from Colombia,<br />

Test Engineer<br />

In Germ<strong>an</strong>y since 2007<br />

How was integration into the comp<strong>an</strong>y <strong>an</strong>d<br />

the local community for you?<br />

At the beginning, it’s import<strong>an</strong>t to find social<br />

networks that already exist. Initially, I had the<br />

support of my husb<strong>an</strong>d’s family <strong>an</strong>d a group<br />

of Latin Americ<strong>an</strong> women who advised me<br />

on m<strong>an</strong>y legal <strong>an</strong>d cultural issues. However,<br />

to avoid remaining isolated <strong>an</strong>d to integrate<br />

into the new culture, it’s essential to create<br />

your own networks over time.<br />

How welcome <strong>an</strong>d accepted do you feel in<br />

your new environment?<br />

At domeba in particular, everyone has<br />

made me feel part of the org<strong>an</strong>isation, both<br />

at work <strong>an</strong>d socially. I feel respected <strong>an</strong>d<br />

considered when I suggest concepts or give<br />

my opinions on professional topics. They let<br />

me be myself, <strong>an</strong>d they’re interested in my<br />

culture <strong>an</strong>d professional experiences.<br />

What is the biggest difference between<br />

Colombia <strong>an</strong>d Germ<strong>an</strong>y?<br />

We Colombi<strong>an</strong>s are happy with, <strong>an</strong>d proud<br />

of, what we do <strong>an</strong>d who we are. Although the<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>s have achieved much more th<strong>an</strong><br />

others c<strong>an</strong> achieve, they aren’t able to be<br />

proud of themselves. That’s something they<br />

should ch<strong>an</strong>ge. I love both countries, but I<br />

have pl<strong>an</strong>ted my roots here, <strong>an</strong>d that makes<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y special.<br />

Mari<strong>an</strong>gela Gi<strong>an</strong>nattasio<br />

Mari<strong>an</strong>gela Gi<strong>an</strong>nattasio from Italy, International<br />

Activities Coordinator<br />

In Germ<strong>an</strong>y since 2020<br />

How was integration into the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

<strong>an</strong>d the local community for you?<br />

At the beginning, my Germ<strong>an</strong> l<strong>an</strong>guage<br />

skills weren’t good enough. That led<br />

to some challenges. But the Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage is really beautiful <strong>an</strong>d rich<br />

in nu<strong>an</strong>ces. And by working here <strong>an</strong>d<br />

attending intensive Germ<strong>an</strong> courses, I<br />

was able to familiarise myself not only<br />

with the l<strong>an</strong>guage but also with the local<br />

mentality. My colleagues have always<br />

been helpful <strong>an</strong>d interested in Itali<strong>an</strong><br />

culture.<br />

What helped you the most to find your<br />

feet in your new work <strong>an</strong>d social environment?<br />

I firmly believe that the core values on<br />

which a comp<strong>an</strong>y is based have a signific<strong>an</strong>t<br />

impact on the onboarding process<br />

<strong>an</strong>d everyday work. Having friendly <strong>an</strong>d<br />

patient colleagues naturally makes a big<br />

difference. What I c<strong>an</strong> recommend to<br />

everyone as a way to exp<strong>an</strong>d their social<br />

circle is to take part in Germ<strong>an</strong> courses<br />

<strong>an</strong>d join sports groups.<br />

Robert Montell<br />

Robert Montell from Finl<strong>an</strong>d,<br />

Test Engineer<br />

In Germ<strong>an</strong>y since 2023<br />

What cultural differences or similarities<br />

are there between Finl<strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong>d Germ<strong>an</strong>y?<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>s are generally much more<br />

open-minded th<strong>an</strong> Finns. Outside Finl<strong>an</strong>d,<br />

this makes it much easier to enter<br />

unfamiliar environments. There’s also a<br />

clear difference in the way of thinking:<br />

in Germ<strong>an</strong>y, there isn’t much thinking<br />

<strong>an</strong>d more doing, which gives me extra<br />

motivation. People here also don’t try<br />

to simply shirk their responsibilities, but<br />

face up to them instead.<br />

Do you have <strong>an</strong>y advice or suggestions<br />

for improving the culture of welcome in<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y?<br />

The locals should practise their English<br />

more. This could improve communication<br />

with international workers who speak<br />

little or no Germ<strong>an</strong>.<br />

What tips would you give to other international<br />

professionals facing a similar<br />

career ch<strong>an</strong>ge?<br />

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes,<br />

be curious <strong>an</strong>d take every opportunity<br />

– whether it’s at work or in your free<br />

time. In the beginning, everything will be<br />

new <strong>an</strong>d seem overwhelming, but that’s<br />

completely fine.<br />

53


THE PIONEERS OF<br />

E-LEARNING<br />

Let’s turn back time three<br />

years: it’s the end of 2020<br />

<strong>an</strong>d the world is in the<br />

middle of a p<strong>an</strong>demic. We<br />

are st<strong>an</strong>ding in line at the<br />

supermarket, waiting for <strong>an</strong><br />

employee to disinfect <strong>an</strong>d<br />

allocate us the next shopping<br />

trolley. We spend our<br />

free time going for walks<br />

because Christmas markets,<br />

concerts <strong>an</strong>d other gatherings<br />

of people no longer<br />

exist. And we are learning<br />

to appreciate the adv<strong>an</strong>tages<br />

of the digital age.<br />

Fotos: Bildungsportal Sachsen GmbH<br />

We meet via video link, spend more of<br />

our working days in the home office or<br />

use online learning platforms. During<br />

this time, BPS Bildungsportal Sachsen<br />

GmbH was booming, as the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

has spent 20 years working on the very<br />

e-learning tools that were invaluable<br />

during the p<strong>an</strong>demic. Even before the<br />

first year of Covid-19, around 30,000 students<br />

<strong>an</strong>d teachers across Saxony were<br />

already using BPS’s learning platform<br />

OPAL, short for Online Platform for Academic<br />

Teaching <strong>an</strong>d Learning, on a daily<br />

basis. “During the p<strong>an</strong>demic, the number<br />

of users rose to up to 60,000 a day<br />

– a level that has almost been maintained<br />

to this day,” says m<strong>an</strong>aging director<br />

Sven Morgner, who has been with the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y since 2001. The idea behind<br />

OPAL: a comprehensive integration of<br />

e-learning <strong>an</strong>d new media in everyday<br />

university life in Saxony. BPS Bildungsportal<br />

Sachsen GmbH was founded at<br />

the end of 2004 by a total of eleven<br />

54


Saxon universities in order to establish<br />

a Saxony-wide st<strong>an</strong>dard. Today, the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y’s ONYX examination software<br />

also offers the option of creating tests,<br />

exams <strong>an</strong>d final examinations online<br />

<strong>an</strong>d conducting them securely <strong>an</strong>d digitally<br />

– <strong>an</strong>other area where dem<strong>an</strong>d has<br />

grown since Covid-19. The BLok training<br />

record also provides trainers <strong>an</strong>d trainees<br />

with a digital report booklet. With<br />

its innovative products, Bildungsportal<br />

Sachsen now operates far beyond the<br />

borders of the Free State of Saxony. To<br />

ensure that everything runs smoothly<br />

at the comp<strong>an</strong>y, this reliable partner for<br />

digitalization in education <strong>an</strong>d training<br />

brings together a total of 33 employees<br />

from the fields of economics <strong>an</strong>d social<br />

sciences, IT <strong>an</strong>d media m<strong>an</strong>agement,<br />

among others. They work in product<br />

m<strong>an</strong>agement, software development,<br />

quality assur<strong>an</strong>ce, admin <strong>an</strong>d customer<br />

support. From time to time, international<br />

specialists also embark on their educational<br />

<strong>an</strong>d career path at BPS GmbH.<br />

Maria Kretz, m<strong>an</strong>agement assist<strong>an</strong>t, for<br />

example, has Russi<strong>an</strong> roots <strong>an</strong>d underst<strong>an</strong>ds<br />

the challenges of being a native<br />

speaker of <strong>an</strong>other l<strong>an</strong>guage. As a rule,<br />

however, applic<strong>an</strong>ts rarely lack knowledge<br />

of Germ<strong>an</strong>: “Specialists from abroad<br />

usually have a good level of Germ<strong>an</strong>.<br />

Most of them come from a university<br />

background <strong>an</strong>d have already settled<br />

in well in Germ<strong>an</strong>y before they apply to<br />

us.” This is necessary, as the day-to-day<br />

work mainly takes place in Germ<strong>an</strong>. To<br />

ensure that new colleagues are “taken<br />

on board” from the outset, they are<br />

supported by experienced employees<br />

during the initial phase. “Of course, this<br />

applies to all applic<strong>an</strong>ts regardless of<br />

their origin,” says Sven Morgner. Further<br />

support is provided by the works<br />

council, which is <strong>an</strong> import<strong>an</strong>t point of<br />

contact in all matters. For example, the<br />

employee representatives recently supported<br />

a colleague from Kyrgyzst<strong>an</strong> who<br />

had already been working at the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

while studying at Zwickau University<br />

of Applied Sciences. The boss summarises:<br />

“Basically, geographical roots are<br />

not a deciding factor for us. What interests<br />

us are professional qualifications<br />

<strong>an</strong>d what makes someone tick.” And how<br />

exactly does someone have to tick to be<br />

shortlisted at BPS? Morgner laughs, but<br />

then paints a surprisingly clear picture<br />

of future colleagues: “You have to have a<br />

good dose of pragmatism <strong>an</strong>d, above all,<br />

enjoy our work. We work a lot as a team,<br />

which is why a certain level of communication<br />

skills is <strong>an</strong> adv<strong>an</strong>tage. If you also<br />

have good social skills, you should get in<br />

touch with us today.”<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

BPS Bildungsportal Sachsen<br />

GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/bps<br />

Our employees currently<br />

come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Kazakhst<strong>an</strong>, Russia<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

bewerbung@bps-system.de<br />

3<br />

55


INSIDER TIP:<br />

LEARN GERMAN WITH<br />

FOLK SONGS<br />

Fotos: Intenta<br />

It crunches softly when you bite into it. Waferthin<br />

sheets of pastry melt in your mouth, then<br />

come the nuts <strong>an</strong>d the sugar shock. Because<br />

the magnificent oriental dessert baklava is<br />

one thing above all: very sweet.<br />

Why are we drifting into the world of<br />

food at this point in a magazine with<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y profiles? Quite simply because<br />

at Intenta GmbH it is not uncommon<br />

for the boss to bring some of the Syri<strong>an</strong><br />

specialities from his home country<br />

into the office. H<strong>an</strong>g on a minute, don’t<br />

those pastries come from Turkey? No,<br />

the Turkish national pastry originally<br />

comes from Syria <strong>an</strong>d was “Turkified”<br />

in the Ottom<strong>an</strong> Empire. CEO Dr Basel<br />

Fardi insists on this correction with a<br />

wink. At Intenta, integration starts on<br />

56


the m<strong>an</strong>agement floor: “The topic is<br />

embedded in our comp<strong>an</strong>y DNA, so to<br />

speak,” laughs HR officer Steph<strong>an</strong>ie<br />

Blönau, one of almost 70 employees in<br />

the entire Intenta universe. This universe<br />

stretches from <strong>Chemnitz</strong> via Hamburg<br />

to Aachen <strong>an</strong>d is home to a wide<br />

r<strong>an</strong>ge of expertise in software <strong>an</strong>d<br />

hardware development. The Software<br />

Engineering Department in Hamburg<br />

specialises in areas such as traditional<br />

application development, automotive<br />

Steph<strong>an</strong>ie Blönau. Nevertheless, the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y attaches great import<strong>an</strong>ce<br />

to gradually improving l<strong>an</strong>guage skills<br />

over time. “Because at some point work<br />

is over, <strong>an</strong>d you’re on your own again.<br />

Without Germ<strong>an</strong> l<strong>an</strong>guage skills, integration<br />

into society is scarcely possible.<br />

You c<strong>an</strong>’t rely on everyone speaking<br />

English, even for small everyday things<br />

like dealing with the authorities, visiting<br />

the doctor or doing the weekend<br />

shopping. Communication on <strong>an</strong> equal<br />

“small city” of <strong>Chemnitz</strong> with its abund<strong>an</strong>ce<br />

of nature. This is also th<strong>an</strong>ks to<br />

the people who have accomp<strong>an</strong>ied him<br />

over the years: “From fellow students<br />

to my current colleagues, I’ve always<br />

had friendly <strong>an</strong>d helpful people around<br />

me. That makes integration so much<br />

easier.” At some point, the newcomers<br />

to the Intenta family should feel just<br />

as if they were at home. Steph<strong>an</strong>ie<br />

Blönau: “Of course, this only works if<br />

you take them out of their ‘community’,<br />

<strong>an</strong>d they get to know the country <strong>an</strong>d<br />

its people better through team events.<br />

We make sure that integration is not<br />

a one-way street. This me<strong>an</strong>s that we<br />

share typical Germ<strong>an</strong> customs, too,<br />

such as group trips to the Christmas<br />

market. On the other h<strong>an</strong>d, we also<br />

adapt to the cultural customs of the<br />

countries represented at team events,<br />

for example by taking cultural <strong>an</strong>d<br />

religious specificities into account with<br />

the catering.” Jaroslav Dousa advises<br />

all new arrivals who w<strong>an</strong>t to gain a professional<br />

foothold in Germ<strong>an</strong>y to not<br />

just sit at home, but to immerse themselves<br />

in cultural life. His insider tip for<br />

learning the l<strong>an</strong>guage: “Germ<strong>an</strong> folk<br />

songs,” smiles the passionate accordion<br />

player. “In the early days, they were<br />

my best l<strong>an</strong>guage lessons, even if they<br />

weren’t always popular with everyone<br />

around me.”<br />

Software developer Jaroslav Dousa <strong>an</strong>d personnel officer Steph<strong>an</strong>ie Blönau<br />

software <strong>an</strong>d exciting new AI algorithms.<br />

The development, production<br />

<strong>an</strong>d sale of intelligent, camera-based<br />

sensor systems for recognising people<br />

is based in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>, <strong>an</strong>d so, too, is the<br />

Group’s administration, which focuses<br />

on image processing. Across all the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>ies in the Group, a total of 20<br />

per cent of employees have foreign<br />

roots. “This is due to the fact that software<br />

development is a highly suitable<br />

field for international specialists with a<br />

limited knowledge of Germ<strong>an</strong>,” explains<br />

footing is also essential to overcome<br />

cultural differences,” says Jaroslav<br />

Dousa. The software developer learnt<br />

this 20 years ago. At that time, his<br />

home country, the Czech Republic,<br />

had just become a member of the<br />

Europe<strong>an</strong> Union. A semester abroad at<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> University of Technology was<br />

to seal his career path in Germ<strong>an</strong>y. “It<br />

could have also been the UK,” says Jaroslav<br />

Dousa. “But Saxony’s proximity<br />

to my home country was the deciding<br />

factor.” He has since embraced the<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Intenta GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/intenta<br />

Our skilled workers come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, the Czech Republic, Syria <strong>an</strong>d Leb<strong>an</strong>on<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

karriere@intenta.de<br />

4<br />

57


FROM A SPANIARD WHO<br />

TOOK HEART AND GAINED A<br />

FOOTHOLD IN CHEMNITZ<br />

Fotos: Ernesto Uhlm<strong>an</strong>n<br />

58


“We bridge the gap between science<br />

<strong>an</strong>d industry, so we serve as a research<br />

partner for SMEs. This me<strong>an</strong>s that our<br />

scientific staff use their expertise to<br />

develop application-orientated <strong>an</strong>d industry-oriented<br />

solutions for small <strong>an</strong>d<br />

medium-sized enterprises.” So Bi<strong>an</strong>ka<br />

Albrecht introduces the Institut <strong>Chemnitz</strong>er<br />

Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e. V.,<br />

or ICM for short. The non-profit research<br />

org<strong>an</strong>isation focuses on regional project<br />

partners; international projects are only<br />

worked on selectively. The approximately<br />

80 employees are primarily active<br />

in Central Germ<strong>an</strong>y, me<strong>an</strong>ing that their<br />

expertise benefits both the economy<br />

<strong>an</strong>d the university l<strong>an</strong>dscape in Saxony<br />

<strong>an</strong>d Thuringia.<br />

However, the ICM does not “only” work<br />

on innovative solutions in mech<strong>an</strong>ical<br />

engineering. It also builds bridges<br />

between people, their home countries<br />

<strong>an</strong>d their values, including <strong>an</strong> intercultural<br />

working atmosphere. The l<strong>an</strong>guage<br />

barrier, however, poses daily challenges.<br />

As a result of various aspects, there<br />

is a mix of nationalities in the teams.<br />

This situation is not so easy to master.<br />

Communication with partners is primarily<br />

in Germ<strong>an</strong>. Project <strong>an</strong>d funding<br />

applications must necessarily be written<br />

in Germ<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d formulated in a generally<br />

underst<strong>an</strong>dable, scientific way. Even<br />

for native speakers, this is a complex<br />

task. Writing specialised articles, interim<br />

<strong>an</strong>d final reports is often difficult even<br />

for Germ<strong>an</strong> students, let alone those<br />

working in Germ<strong>an</strong> as a foreign l<strong>an</strong>guage.<br />

The institution relies on the students;<br />

they bring fresh ideas to the teams.<br />

Everyone benefits from their thoughts<br />

<strong>an</strong>d innovative approaches.<br />

On the other h<strong>an</strong>d, <strong>Chemnitz</strong> offers<br />

certain study conditions that attract<br />

young people from all over the world. A<br />

bachelor’s degree without basic Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage skills? Not <strong>an</strong> issue. English is<br />

the l<strong>an</strong>guage of study, even at <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

University of Technology. What is <strong>an</strong><br />

adv<strong>an</strong>tage for students – from China or<br />

India, for example – proves to be rather<br />

difficult in terms of recruitment, staff<br />

retention <strong>an</strong>d their roots here in the region.<br />

After all, <strong>an</strong>yone who dares to take<br />

the step of moving to <strong>an</strong>other country<br />

to study is flexible in their choice of job<br />

<strong>an</strong>d place of residence. So it’s a complex<br />

matter.<br />

This makes Álvaro Oteros Pérez’s career<br />

all the more interesting. The 29-year-old<br />

comes from north-east Spain<br />

– Catalonia, to be precise. He grew up in<br />

the small town of Olot, which is surrounded<br />

by (inactive) volc<strong>an</strong>oes. An idyllic<br />

corner of the world, but unfortunately<br />

with few future prospects for young<br />

people. In order to create prospects, the<br />

Europe<strong>an</strong> Union is counteracting this<br />

with support programmes, for example.<br />

Integration through exch<strong>an</strong>ge is one<br />

such instrument. Oteros Pérez came to<br />

the ICM via a comp<strong>an</strong>y internship abroad.<br />

After eight weeks, he knew he w<strong>an</strong>ted<br />

to stay in Germ<strong>an</strong>y. Today, he is part<br />

of the Information <strong>an</strong>d Communication<br />

Technology team <strong>an</strong>d programs web<br />

<strong>an</strong>d database applications. His expertise<br />

is put to use in the MINTsportRegion<br />

project, which aims to get children <strong>an</strong>d<br />

teenagers interested in maths, IT, science<br />

<strong>an</strong>d technology outside of school.<br />

The app for one of ICM’s latest in-house<br />

developments – the Innvelo scooter,<br />

<strong>an</strong> electric cargo scooter – also bears<br />

his signature. When asked whether he<br />

has arrived, he replies: “I w<strong>an</strong>ted to<br />

experience working in <strong>an</strong>other country<br />

<strong>an</strong>d learn something new. So I took this<br />

opportunity. I stayed at the ICM because<br />

the team spirit is good. The work<br />

content is exciting. We have breakfast<br />

together every day; no one eats alone<br />

at lunchtime either. Sometimes we have<br />

cake <strong>an</strong>d occasionally play skat. And<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> is the right size for me, not too<br />

big <strong>an</strong>d not too small. Everything is well<br />

connected <strong>an</strong>d accessible.”<br />

Álvaro is <strong>an</strong> example of successful integration<br />

<strong>an</strong>d a valuable employee at the<br />

ICM. Intercultural work c<strong>an</strong> succeed. We<br />

would like to see more people follow in<br />

his footsteps.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

ICM - Institut <strong>Chemnitz</strong>er Maschinen-<br />

und Anlagenbau e.V.<br />

chemnitz.jobs/icm<br />

Our international specialists<br />

come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Ir<strong>an</strong>, India, China, Pakist<strong>an</strong>, B<strong>an</strong>gladesh,<br />

Spain, Russia<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d English to:<br />

personal@icm-chemnitz.de<br />

8<br />

59


Group structures c<strong>an</strong> make perfect<br />

sense for a comp<strong>an</strong>y – for example, to<br />

spread out the economic risk, to optimise<br />

production processes or to separate<br />

operational <strong>an</strong>d administrative parts of<br />

the business. However, factors such as<br />

flexibility <strong>an</strong>d speed often suffer in these<br />

environments. “Unfortunately, these<br />

are precisely the dem<strong>an</strong>ds the market<br />

places on technological developments”,<br />

says Karsten Schulze. He is one of<br />

FDTech’s five founders, all of whom had<br />

previously worked in structures like<br />

this within the automotive industry.<br />

Until 2017, that is, when they created a<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y that aligned with their requirements<br />

for adaptable further development<br />

in the field of mobility. Their vision:<br />

self-determined mobility for everyone.<br />

Anytime, <strong>an</strong>ywhere. Today, the comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

specialises in automated driving,<br />

devising processes, methods <strong>an</strong>d tools<br />

<strong>an</strong>d developing algorithms for automated<br />

driving functions. FDTech is just as<br />

flexible as it is in its core business when<br />

it comes to recruiting qualified personnel.<br />

Just six years in, it already has 175<br />

employees, including 25 students <strong>an</strong>d<br />

trainees on dual training programmes.<br />

Thirty of them have international roots,<br />

covering a total of 14 different nationalities.<br />

And the upward trend is continuing.<br />

Schulze sees <strong>an</strong> adv<strong>an</strong>tage in the<br />

international specialists’ high level of<br />

motivation. “It starts with training <strong>an</strong>d<br />

extends to the energy they put into<br />

their everyday working lives.” People<br />

with roots in other cultures are often<br />

highly educated <strong>an</strong>d highly motivated.<br />

“M<strong>an</strong>y people in this country could take<br />

Fotos: Ernesto Uhlm<strong>an</strong>n<br />

a leaf out of their book”, says Schulze.<br />

Now, you might think that FDTech<br />

operates in <strong>an</strong> industry where international<br />

specialists c<strong>an</strong> rest on their<br />

laurels somewhat <strong>an</strong>d communicate<br />

largely in English. “Not at all”, replies<br />

Schulze. “Of course we are bilingual in<br />

the comp<strong>an</strong>y, but a good knowledge<br />

of Germ<strong>an</strong> is a must for our staff with<br />

international roots. In our customer-facing<br />

environment, most meetings are<br />

held in Germ<strong>an</strong>. And you also need to<br />

be able to communicate well in your<br />

life outside of work.” FDTech provides<br />

support in the form of Germ<strong>an</strong> courses<br />

with a local service provider, among<br />

other things. Saba Abdollahi adds that<br />

the comp<strong>an</strong>y is also on h<strong>an</strong>d to help<br />

with finding accommodation, getting<br />

visas <strong>an</strong>d naturalisation. The 33-yearold<br />

Ir<strong>an</strong>i<strong>an</strong> completed her degree in<br />

Biomedical Engineering at <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

University of Technology <strong>an</strong>d joined the<br />

FDTech team at the start of 2020. Germ<strong>an</strong>y<br />

was her first choice, followed by<br />

Australia <strong>an</strong>d C<strong>an</strong>ada. “Order, security,<br />

the quality of the degree programme<br />

<strong>an</strong>d, above all, the country’s democratic<br />

values were the deciding factors<br />

in the end”, she says. But her start in<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y was <strong>an</strong>ything but easy. “To<br />

open a b<strong>an</strong>k account, you need confirmation<br />

from the immigration office. This<br />

requires a registration certificate, which<br />

in turn requires <strong>an</strong> address. However,<br />

you need a b<strong>an</strong>k account to get a flat<br />

– <strong>an</strong>d the cycle starts all over again”,<br />

says Saba, who would like to see better<br />

org<strong>an</strong>isational support for international<br />

skilled workers. “It really hurts when<br />

you realise how high the dem<strong>an</strong>d for<br />

skilled workers from abroad is <strong>an</strong>d how<br />

INTEGRATION IS NOT<br />

A ONE-WAY STREET<br />

60


poor Germ<strong>an</strong>y is at welcoming them.”<br />

The months-long struggle to obtain<br />

a visitor's visa for her parents is one<br />

example. “We skilled workers from abroad<br />

are not machines. We are people<br />

who w<strong>an</strong>t their parents to be present<br />

at import<strong>an</strong>t events like weddings <strong>an</strong>d<br />

births.” Despite all the hurdles, she<br />

now describes Germ<strong>an</strong>y as her second<br />

home. “When I return here from holidays,<br />

I feel at home. I’m grateful because<br />

I’ve been able to evolve <strong>an</strong>d develop<br />

the way that I w<strong>an</strong>t to here.” Ary Frigeri<br />

from Brazil was also motivated by the<br />

search for a better quality of life. The<br />

28-year-old software developer w<strong>an</strong>ted<br />

to work in a welcoming <strong>an</strong>d pluralistic<br />

environment in which he could openly<br />

share his experiences. “However, this<br />

step requires patience. There’s a lot of<br />

paperwork to do in the first few months.<br />

At the same time, you have to create a<br />

new routine for yourself – at work <strong>an</strong>d<br />

at home.” He had less difficulty adapting<br />

to the Germ<strong>an</strong> habit of making <strong>an</strong> appointment<br />

for almost everything, even for<br />

“smaller” social activities. “Punctuality<br />

goes h<strong>an</strong>d in h<strong>an</strong>d with appointments.<br />

In Brazil, on the other h<strong>an</strong>d, it’s st<strong>an</strong>dard<br />

to be late for social activities.” Ary<br />

also quickly felt welcome in his new working<br />

environment. “My colleagues were<br />

very interested in my culture right from<br />

the start <strong>an</strong>d w<strong>an</strong>ted to know more<br />

about the food, cities <strong>an</strong>d Brazili<strong>an</strong><br />

customs.” This culture of togetherness<br />

– regardless of background – is firmly<br />

<strong>an</strong>chored in the comp<strong>an</strong>y philosophy,<br />

explains Schulze. Anyone who lacks<br />

respect <strong>an</strong>d toler<strong>an</strong>ce has no place in<br />

the comp<strong>an</strong>y, he says. “Of course, this<br />

applies to both sides – to our Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

workforce as well as our international<br />

specialists.” Saba adds: “Integration is<br />

a two-way street. Anyone who w<strong>an</strong>ts to<br />

gain a foothold here should respect the<br />

country’s values <strong>an</strong>d, ideally, appreciate<br />

them. On the other h<strong>an</strong>d, successful<br />

integration also requires the help of<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong> society. In a perfect world, both<br />

sides should approach each other with<br />

respect <strong>an</strong>d work together.” To enable<br />

both sides to get to know each other<br />

outside the working environment at<br />

FDTech, the comp<strong>an</strong>y regularly org<strong>an</strong>ises<br />

barbecue afternoons, games evenings<br />

<strong>an</strong>d participation in various public<br />

events. Families <strong>an</strong>d partners also come<br />

along to the <strong>an</strong>nual comp<strong>an</strong>y <strong>an</strong>niversary<br />

party. Schulze: “We promote these<br />

events in the interests of cultural education.<br />

But it's not compulsory, otherwise<br />

it wouldn't be authentic.”<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

FDTech GmbH<br />

chemnitz.jobs/fdtech<br />

Our international specialists<br />

come from :<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, India, Italy, Brazil, China, Pakist<strong>an</strong>, Syria, Czech<br />

Republic, Cameroon,<br />

Pol<strong>an</strong>d, India, Ir<strong>an</strong>, Azerbaij<strong>an</strong>, Kyrgyzst<strong>an</strong>, Ukraine<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

apply@fdtech.de<br />

15<br />

61


INNOVATION MEETS<br />

INTERNATIONALITY<br />

Developing intelligent IT solutions <strong>an</strong>d consulting<br />

approaches, having scope for ideas <strong>an</strong>d experiencing<br />

teamwork in a spirit of partnership. If you w<strong>an</strong>t all this<br />

<strong>an</strong>d more, the msg group is the place for you. The international<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y, which works in IT consulting <strong>an</strong>d<br />

software development, offers challenging <strong>an</strong>d varied<br />

tasks. The comp<strong>an</strong>y has been on the market for over<br />

40 years <strong>an</strong>d has 170 employees on site in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>.<br />

Ingo Gringer has been with the comp<strong>an</strong>y for 25 years.<br />

As the current site m<strong>an</strong>ager, he is joined by numerous<br />

colleagues who have been with msg for decades. “There<br />

is no hierarchical atmosphere here; everything is open,<br />

cooperative <strong>an</strong>d always challenging due to project business<br />

<strong>an</strong>d technological ch<strong>an</strong>ge,” says Gringer.<br />

Fotos: Ernesto Uhlm<strong>an</strong>n, privat<br />

Nagima Mendigulova<br />

The comp<strong>an</strong>y thrives on innovation <strong>an</strong>d<br />

internationality. In addition to Germ<strong>an</strong>y,<br />

employees also hail from China, Russia,<br />

Kyrgyzst<strong>an</strong>, Ukraine <strong>an</strong>d Turkey. The<br />

foundations for successful collaboration<br />

are often laid during studies: strong<br />

collaborations with <strong>Chemnitz</strong> University<br />

of Technology, Zwickau University of Applied<br />

Sciences <strong>an</strong>d Mittweida University<br />

of Applied Sciences, resulting in ongoing<br />

research projects with students from all<br />

over the world, pay dividends.<br />

This is exactly how Iuli<strong>an</strong>a Schreiber<br />

came to msg. Born in St. Petersburg,<br />

she has been living in Germ<strong>an</strong>y since<br />

2015. In the third semester of her<br />

master’s degree in computer science at<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong> University of Technology, she<br />

was thinking about where she should<br />

complete her m<strong>an</strong>datory internship.<br />

With this in mind, she attended a lecture<br />

series on the industrial application of<br />

computer science. The event gave her<br />

<strong>an</strong>d her fellow students <strong>an</strong> insight into<br />

the IT l<strong>an</strong>dscape in <strong>Chemnitz</strong>. “One of<br />

the comp<strong>an</strong>ies was msg, <strong>an</strong>d I still re-<br />

62


Iuli<strong>an</strong>a Schreiber<br />

member the presentation by Ingo Gringer<br />

on the topic of digitalization, which<br />

impressed me. What particularly stood<br />

out for me was the fact that the introduction<br />

of digitalization has signific<strong>an</strong>tly<br />

reduced the processing time for clerks.<br />

That’s what prompted me to apply<br />

directly to msg,” says Schreiber. She has<br />

never regretted this decision. She describes<br />

the working atmosphere at msg<br />

as extremely supportive <strong>an</strong>d collaborative.<br />

“From the very first day as <strong>an</strong> intern<br />

at msg, I felt like part of the team. I was<br />

given intensive induction <strong>an</strong>d support<br />

<strong>an</strong>d even now I always find someone to<br />

help me with problems straight away,”<br />

says the 30-year-old. Her comp<strong>an</strong>y<br />

attaches great import<strong>an</strong>ce to promoting<br />

a diverse <strong>an</strong>d inclusive working environment<br />

that offers space for different perspectives<br />

<strong>an</strong>d backgrounds. In addition,<br />

msg regularly org<strong>an</strong>izes joint celebrations<br />

<strong>an</strong>d events that allow employees to<br />

get to know each other better, not only<br />

professionally but also personally, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

to build a strong, supportive community.<br />

Iuli<strong>an</strong>a Schreiber gives international<br />

specialists a clear recommendation to<br />

apply to msg.<br />

Her colleague Nagima Mendigulova<br />

feels the same way. She comes from<br />

the Central Asi<strong>an</strong> country of Kyrgyzst<strong>an</strong><br />

<strong>an</strong>d has been living in Germ<strong>an</strong>y<br />

since 2020. She was looking for a<br />

suitable job after her studies <strong>an</strong>d found<br />

msg on LinkedIn. “What I particularly<br />

liked about the msg job offer were<br />

the good working conditions <strong>an</strong>d the<br />

comp<strong>an</strong>y values such as ‘people first’<br />

<strong>an</strong>d ‘diversity & variety’,” says Mendigulova.<br />

She works at the comp<strong>an</strong>y as<br />

<strong>an</strong> IT consult<strong>an</strong>t <strong>an</strong>d finds the working<br />

atmosphere friendly <strong>an</strong>d supportive. If<br />

you need help, you c<strong>an</strong> always turn to a<br />

colleague. “I was impressed by the flat<br />

hierarchy <strong>an</strong>d the ‘you culture’, because<br />

these are rare in my home country,”<br />

says the 26-year-old. All employees<br />

also go on various training courses<br />

when they start work. This onboarding<br />

really helps to underst<strong>an</strong>d the import<strong>an</strong>t<br />

topics for working at msg. “For<br />

example, I learned a lot about insur<strong>an</strong>ce<br />

<strong>an</strong>d brushed up on some IT skills.<br />

It was also very import<strong>an</strong>t for me that<br />

msg was underst<strong>an</strong>ding about my visa<br />

matters,” Mendigulova remarks.<br />

In the more th<strong>an</strong> two decades since the<br />

site was founded, the employees have<br />

achieved a great deal. msg is not only a<br />

reliable employer, but also plays a key<br />

role in the lives of its employees <strong>an</strong>d<br />

their families. It is particularly import<strong>an</strong>t<br />

to msg to extend its responsibility<br />

beyond the business world <strong>an</strong>d it greatly<br />

values being part of the community in<br />

<strong>Chemnitz</strong>.<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

msg systems AG<br />

chemnitz.jobs/msg<br />

Our international specialists<br />

come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, China, Russia, Kyrgyzst<strong>an</strong>, Ukraine, Turkey<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

msg.group/chemnitz<br />

6<br />

63


Foto: Ernesto Uhlm<strong>an</strong>n<br />

INTEGRATION DURING<br />

NURSING TRAINING<br />

64


Hardly <strong>an</strong>y other sector reflects Germ<strong>an</strong>y’s shortage<br />

of skilled labour to the extent that nursing<br />

does. There will be a deficit of up to 120,000 qualified<br />

nursing assist<strong>an</strong>ts <strong>an</strong>d carers in Saxony alone<br />

in the coming years. The Federal Government’s<br />

response has been to reorg<strong>an</strong>ise training structures.<br />

The generalised nursing training programme<br />

introduced at the beginning of 2020 now combines<br />

the once separate areas of paediatric, nursing<br />

<strong>an</strong>d geriatric care. The government w<strong>an</strong>ted this<br />

reorg<strong>an</strong>isation to increase the number of trainees<br />

by ten per cent by 2023. Instead, it actually fell by<br />

7 per cent nationwide in 2022 compared to the<br />

previous year (Saxony: down 2 per cent).<br />

“The fact that a total of nine years<br />

of training experience is now being<br />

crammed into three c<strong>an</strong> be taken m<strong>an</strong>y<br />

different ways”, says Jörg Ahner diplomatically.<br />

However, a failure rate of around<br />

20 per cent speaks for itself. Ahner is<br />

the director of the Rembr<strong>an</strong>dtstraße<br />

nursing home for the elderly, one of the<br />

m<strong>an</strong>y facilities run by the ASB (Workers’<br />

Samarit<strong>an</strong> Federation) in <strong>Chemnitz</strong><br />

<strong>an</strong>d the surrounding area. In addition<br />

to providing care for the elderly across<br />

three nursing homes in <strong>Chemnitz</strong> <strong>an</strong>d<br />

Burgstädt, the association also has<br />

involvement in outpatient care services,<br />

a residential care home for people with<br />

severe physical disabilities, <strong>an</strong>d rescue<br />

services – from emergency rescue to<br />

disaster m<strong>an</strong>agement. The org<strong>an</strong>isation<br />

currently has 630 employees <strong>an</strong>d 46<br />

trainees, with people from 17 countries<br />

working across the facilities, from the<br />

laundry to the nursing homes. This impressive<br />

number reflects the fact that<br />

the ASB started looking at international<br />

skilled workers at <strong>an</strong> early stage: “In<br />

2010, it was not yet <strong>an</strong> issue in the care<br />

sector, but it was definitely on our minds<br />

by 2013. That was when it slowly became<br />

apparent that m<strong>an</strong>y expert predictions<br />

would come to fruition”, says Ahner.<br />

To mitigate the shortage of skilled<br />

workers, the ASB has been working with<br />

BIP <strong>Chemnitz</strong>, the Berufliches Schulzentrum<br />

für Gesundheit und Sozialwesen<br />

(Vocational School Centre for Health<br />

<strong>an</strong>d Social Services) at the Markthalle,<br />

<strong>an</strong>d Medicampus <strong>Chemnitz</strong> since 2014.<br />

The F&U gGmbH facility started training<br />

young Vietnamese people to become<br />

nurses in the same year. The practical<br />

portion of the training is completed<br />

with the local ASB br<strong>an</strong>ch, among other<br />

org<strong>an</strong>isations, where m<strong>an</strong>y of the trainees<br />

also gain a foothold in perm<strong>an</strong>ent<br />

employment after their training. “To<br />

make integration easier, we regularly<br />

org<strong>an</strong>ise trainee events. There are also<br />

team building activities <strong>an</strong>d team days<br />

that c<strong>an</strong> be org<strong>an</strong>ised by the individual<br />

teams”, explains Katharina Busch, Central<br />

Practice Instructor. To get students<br />

in Germ<strong>an</strong>y interested in training in the<br />

care sector at <strong>an</strong> early age, she partners<br />

with schools, attends training fairs<br />

<strong>an</strong>d is active on relev<strong>an</strong>t social media<br />

ch<strong>an</strong>nels. “However, most applic<strong>an</strong>ts still<br />

find their way to us through recommendations<br />

from friends or acquaint<strong>an</strong>ces.”<br />

Thi Nhung Pham was one of those to become<br />

aware of the career opportunities<br />

at ASB through a tip from a friend. She<br />

came to Germ<strong>an</strong>y in 2014 <strong>an</strong>d completed<br />

her nursing training in 2018. She<br />

had previously undertaken a three-year<br />

pharmacy apprenticeship in Vietnam<br />

before working in a pharmacy there for<br />

very little pay. “That wasn’t my future.<br />

I w<strong>an</strong>ted a better life”, recalls the now<br />

31-year-old. The step into a completely<br />

new environment was not easy for her,<br />

<strong>an</strong>d the biggest hurdle was the Germ<strong>an</strong><br />

l<strong>an</strong>guage. After all, a good knowledge<br />

of Germ<strong>an</strong> is extremely import<strong>an</strong>t for<br />

carers as it enables them to communicate<br />

well with people in need of care<br />

or receiving inpatient treatment. With<br />

good Germ<strong>an</strong> l<strong>an</strong>guage skills, carers<br />

from abroad c<strong>an</strong> support patients <strong>an</strong>d<br />

give them confidence <strong>an</strong>d a sense of<br />

security. In Saxony, l<strong>an</strong>guage skills at<br />

level B2 are a prerequisite for taking<br />

up a position in the medical or nursing<br />

sector. However, the Germ<strong>an</strong> l<strong>an</strong>guage<br />

is not the only hurdle that needs to be<br />

overcome in care facilities. As Ahner<br />

explains: “In addition to the staff, our<br />

care home residents, too, need to be<br />

involved in the integration of international<br />

specialists. This is a task that we take<br />

very seriously, as different cultures <strong>an</strong>d<br />

ways of thinking come together here.”<br />

In the event of problems, <strong>an</strong> integration<br />

officer is always ready to listen to the<br />

200 or so employees. Thi Nhung Pham’s<br />

advice to skilled workers from abroad?<br />

“Follow your path, be diligent <strong>an</strong>d learn<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>. Then m<strong>an</strong>y opportunities will<br />

be open to you.”<br />

WEITERE INFOS:<br />

Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund<br />

Ortsverb<strong>an</strong>d <strong>Chemnitz</strong> und<br />

Umgebung e.V.<br />

chemnitz.jobs/asb<br />

Our international specialists<br />

come from:<br />

Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Afgh<strong>an</strong>ist<strong>an</strong>, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria,<br />

Eritrea, Georgia, Ir<strong>an</strong>, Kazakhst<strong>an</strong>, Leb<strong>an</strong>on, Nigeria, Pol<strong>an</strong>d,<br />

Russi<strong>an</strong> Federation, Syria, Czech Republic, Ukraine,<br />

Venezuela, Vietnam<br />

Applications in Germ<strong>an</strong> or English to:<br />

bewerbung@asb-ov-chemnitz.de<br />

18<br />

65


me, Bien<br />

овать, Καλώς ορίσατε, Hoş geldin<br />

обредојдовте, Sveiki atvykę, Laipni lūdzam, Tere tulemas<br />

lutem, Chào mng, Selamat dat<strong>an</strong>g, Maligay<strong>an</strong>g pagdating, A<br />

kwemukela, Ndiy<strong>an</strong>ith<strong>an</strong>da, E ku abo, Nnabata, Soo dhaw<br />

o/a, Bem-vindo/a, Welkom, Välkommen, Tervetuloa, Добро<br />

ítejte, Vitajte, Dobrodošli, Добре дошли, Bun venit, Mirë s<br />

ast, Velkomin(n), Fàilte, Croeso, Weelcume, Bonvenon, Sa<br />

, Aloha, Haere mai, Afio mai, Malo e lelei, Ni sa bula, Ka<br />

hawow, Welcome, Bienvenido/a, Bienvenue, Willkommen, B<br />

о пожаловать, Καλώς ορίσατε, Hoş geldiniz, Üdvözöljük, W<br />

se vini, Добредојдовте, Sveiki atvykę, Laipni lūdzam, Tere<br />

, Salutem, Chào mng, Selamat dat<strong>an</strong>g, Maligay<strong>an</strong>g pagdat<br />

Ngiyakwemukela, Ndiy<strong>an</strong>ith<strong>an</strong>da, E ku abo, Nnabata, Soo<br />

enuto/a, Bem-vindo/a, Welkom, Välkommen, Tervetuloa, До<br />

j, Vítejte, Vitajte, Dobrodošli, Добре дошли, Bun venit, Mir<br />

ast, Velkomin(n), Fàilte, Croeso, Weelcume, Bonvenon, S<br />

g, Aloha, Haere mai, Afio mai, Malo e lelei, Ni sa bula, K<br />

dhawow,Welcome, Bienvenido/a, Bienvenue, Willkommen,<br />

ро пожаловать, Καλώς ορίσατε, Hoş geldiniz, Üdvözöljük,<br />

se vini, Добредојдовте, Sveiki atvykę, Laipni lūdzam, Tere<br />

e, Salutem, Chào mng, Selamat dat<strong>an</strong>g, Maligay<strong>an</strong>g pagda<br />

, Ngiyakwemukela, Ndiy<strong>an</strong>ith<strong>an</strong>da, E ku abo, Nnabata, So<br />

venuto/a, Bem-vindo/a, Welkom, Välkommen, Tervetuloa, Д<br />

aj, Vítejte, Vitajte, Dobrodošli, Добре дошли, Bun venit, Mi<br />

mast, Velkomin(n), Fàilte, Croeso, Weelcume, Bonvenon, S<br />

ing, Aloha, Haere mai, Afio mai, Malo e lelei, Ni sa bula, K<br />

dhawow, Welcome, Bienvenido/a, Bienvenue, Willkommen<br />

бро пожаловать, Καλώς ορίσατε, Hoş geldiniz, Üdvözöljük<br />

ë se vini, Добредојдовте, Sveiki atvykę, Laipni lūdzam, Ter<br />

lve, Salutem, Chào mng, Selamat dat<strong>an</strong>g, Maligay<strong>an</strong>g pagd<br />

u, Ngiyakwemukela, Ndiy<strong>an</strong>ith<strong>an</strong>da, E ku abo, Nnabata, S<br />

nvenuto/a, Bem-vindo/a, Welkom, Välkommen, Tervetuloa,<br />

taj, Vítejte, Vitajte, Dobrodošli, Добре дошли, Bun venit, M<br />

omin(n), Fàilte, Croeso, Weelcume, Bonvenon, S<br />

lelei, Ni sa bula, Karibu<br />

66<br />

chemnitz-<strong>zieht</strong>-<strong>an</strong>.de<br />

chemnitz.jobs


loha, Haere mai, Afio ma<br />

ow, Welcome, Bienvenido/a, Bienvenue, Willkomm<br />

пожаловать, Καλώς ορίσατε, Hoş geldiniz, Üdvözöljük, Wie<br />

vini, Добредојдовте, Sveiki atvykę, Laipni lūdzam, Tere<br />

lve, Salutem, Chào mng, Selamat dat<strong>an</strong>g, Maligay<strong>an</strong>g pag<br />

ribu, Ngiyakwemukela, Ndiy<strong>an</strong>ith<strong>an</strong>da, E ku abo, Nnabata<br />

envenuto/a, Bem-vindo/a, Welkom, Välkommen,Tervetuloa<br />

itaj, Vítejte, Vitajte, Dobrodošli, Добре дошли, Bun venit<br />

tulemast, Velkomin(n), Fàilte, Croeso, Weelcume,Bonvenon<br />

ing, Aloha, Haere mai, Afio mai, Malo e lelei, Ni sa bula, Ka<br />

dhawow, Welcome, Bienvenido/a, Bienvenue, Willkommen<br />

бро пожаловать, Καλώς ορίσατε, Hoş geldiniz, Üdvözöljük<br />

ë se vini, Добредојдовте, Sveiki atvykę, Laipni lūdzam, Ter<br />

alve, Salutem, Chào mng, Selamat dat<strong>an</strong>g, Maligay<strong>an</strong>g pag<br />

aribu, Ngiyakwemukela, Ndiy<strong>an</strong>ith<strong>an</strong>da, E ku abo, Nnabat<br />

Benvenuto/a, Bem-vindo/a, Welkom, Välkommen, Tervetulo<br />

Witaj, Vítejte, Vitajte, Dobrodošli, Добре дошли, Bun ven<br />

tulemast, Velkomin(n), Fàilte, Croeso, Weelcume, Bonveno<br />

ting, Aloha, Haere mai, Afio mai, Malo e lelei, Ni sa bula, K<br />

o dhawow, Welcome, Bienvenido/a, Bienvenue, Willkomme<br />

обро пожаловать, Καλώς ορίσατε, Hoş geldiniz, Üdvözöljü<br />

rë se vini, Добредојдовте, Sveiki atvykę, Laipni lūdzam, Te<br />

alve, Salutem, Chào mng, Selamat dat<strong>an</strong>g, Maligay<strong>an</strong>g pa<br />

aribu, Ngiyakwemukela, Ndiy<strong>an</strong>ith<strong>an</strong>da, E ku abo, Nnaba<br />

, Benvenuto/a, Bem-vindo/a, Welkom, Välkommen, Tervetul<br />

, Witaj, Vítejte, Vitajte, Dobrodošli, Добре дошли, Bun ve<br />

e tulemast, Velkomin(n), Fàilte, Croeso, Weelcume, Bonven<br />

ating, Aloha, Haere mai, Afio mai, Malo e lelei, Ni sa bula,<br />

oo dhawow, Welcome, Bienvenido/a, Bienvenue, Willkomm<br />

Добро пожаловать, Καλώς ορίσατε, Hoş geldiniz, Üdvözöl<br />

irë se vini, Добредојдовте, Sveiki atvykę, Laipni lūdzam, T<br />

alve, Salutem, Chào mng, Selamat dat<strong>an</strong>g, Maligay<strong>an</strong>g pag<br />

, Ngiyakwemukela, Ndiy<strong>an</strong>ith<strong>an</strong>da, E ku abo, Nnabata, Soo d<br />

uto/a, Bem-vindo/a, Welkom, Välkommen, Tervetuloa, До<br />

i, Добре дошли, Bun venit, Mirë<br />

non, Sa<br />

67

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