German Consul General wants India's help to tide over skilled manpower shortage

Germany has sought India's help in meeting the country's requirement for skilled manpower.

Pointing out that German society is ageing and facing a shortage of 4 lakh skilled manpower annually, the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany Achim Fabig, during his meeting with Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, sought India's help in this regard.

The Consul General told the Governor that Germany needs nurses, electricians, solar utility technicians, and even skilled butchers.

Also Read | German Vice Chancellor Habeck arrives in Ukraine on surprise visit

Stating that one-third of Germany's investment in India goes to Maharashtra, where 300 of Germany's 800 companies are operating, he said the thrust of his work in Mumbai will be primarily on bridging the gap between Germany's requirement for skilled manpower and India's availability of a large pool of young workforce. He said the migration of skilled labour will be beneficial to both countries.

“Bais said Maharashtra has created a Skill University to produce a large pool of skilled manpower who will be trained in diverse trades. “The skilled workforce from Maharashtra will be useful not only for India but also for other countries,” the Governor added.

Fabig, who has earlier served as the Consul General of Germany in Chennai, told the Governor that 35,000 Indian students are pursuing higher education in Germany and that a large number of techies from India are working as IT professionals in his country.

He said even though India and Germany have long-standing relations, the people from both countries need to understand each other's country in the modern context.

The Consul General told the Governor that the visa section of Germany in Mumbai is currently the third largest in the world and added that the section will soon become the largest visa section in the world.

The Consul General told the Governor that the German football club Bayern Munich is keen to organise football training camps and tournaments, especially in rural parts of India to promote the game in India.