eDIToRIAl / MAyoR Top locATIon foR SkIlleD peRSonnel AnD MAnAgeRS Bringing talent to <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> and positioning the city as a top location for managers and other skilled employees are more than just the focus topics of the latest edition of the business magazine “<strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> – <strong>Stadt</strong> <strong>im</strong> <strong>Quadrat</strong>”; these a<strong>im</strong>s also guide our efforts to secure <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong>’s future. The process of demographic change is currently in full swing, and a dearth of skilled personnel has already reared its head in numerous cases. The forecasts of Prognos AG anticipate a shortfall of 280,000 employees – including 100,000 university graduates – in the year 2015 in <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong>’s home state of Baden-Wuerttemberg alone. This number is expected to increase to 500,000 by 2030. Meanwhile, research conducted as part of <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong>’s Change 2 process has shown that by 2020, around 21,000 additional skilled employees and managers will be needed in the key industries that employ some 40 percent of citizens required to pay into social insurance in the city. We need to meet these challenges headon; sitting back and doing nothing would not reflect the character of our city or the companies who work here. In her recent study of the spirit that drives <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong>, Martina Löw offers a succinct summary of the city’s self-<strong>im</strong>age: “We’ve got the power to handle it ourselves!” True to form, <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> has responded with two courses of action. The city’s Department of Economic and Structural Development has been reorganized in the course of <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong>’s new politico-economic strategy, which focuses on maintaining the portfolio of companies that call <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> home. The department will be striving to play an even greater role with these clients as an <strong>im</strong>portant sounding board for matters of urban development. Thanks to its appointment of an official “talents & professionals” representative, <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> now also has a designated contact person tasked with supporting local companies in all issues regarding skilled personnel. In its talent and skilled employee strategy, meanwhile, the city is taking a comprehensive approach that should enable us not only to bring the brightest minds to <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong>, but to encourage them to stay long-term, as well. In addition to attractive residential areas and ways to balance one’s family and career, our collaboration with the University of <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> and other local institutions of higher learning represents a major strategic component of this effort. Various studies have revealed that the cities that come out ahead in regional competition will be those that offer an appealing uni versity landscape. The universities themselves will benefit in turn from having attractive companies nearby, as well as a high standard of living. For young people who decide to pursue a degree, the quality of life and career perspectives in the places they choose to study will be of even greater <strong>im</strong>portance in the future. Not to be outdone by the city, <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong>’s companies are also taking action. Employer branding and activities designed to get people excited about companies at a young age are becoming more and more essential. At career fairs, <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> and its local employers present themselves in a joint effort to promote the area’s business credentials. After all, a tightly knit network of companies, universities, and the area at large is just another <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> specialty. Dr. Peter Kurz City supporting businesses Bringing Talent to <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> Due to inexorably shifting demographics, <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> is projected to face a shortfall of around 21,000 skilled employees by the year 2020. The city is not taking this news lying down, however: It has developed a new strategy designed to support local businesses by attracting talent and qualified personnel. The German labor market is undergoing major changes: A shift in demographics is in full swing and many industries are already dealing with a lack of executives and other skilled employees. The city of <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> is among those facing the effects of this problem. “The city needs to take action to ensure its future as an attractive location for business,” declares <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> mayor Dr. Peter Kurz, referring to an analysis conducted by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. In the context of the current upheaval, the study in question took a close look at industries relevant to <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> – from creative businesses to medical technology, mechanical engineering, and service providers. The result? By 2020, the city will need 21,000 more skilled personnel and managers than it has. “A region’s prosperity always depends on the talented individuals who live there,” explains Dr. Björn Bloching of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. In a “society shaped by knowledge work,” Bloching believes quality of life is playing an ever- greater role. He views <strong>Mannhe<strong>im</strong></strong> as already well equipped to meet the corresponding demands: The city features a diversified industrial base that dovetails well with its dynamic landscape of up-and-coming businesses, and the same could be said of its scientific institutions and local economy. An above-average number of qualified 4 MANNHEIM STADT IM QUADRAT 2012 MANNHEIM STADT IM QUADRAT 2012 5
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