Securing your skilled workforce

Experience companies up close and personal

The economy in the Dahme-Spreewald district is constantly in flux: new companies are setting up, expanding their operations or investing in new technologies. However, what goes on behind the factory gates in modern production and service processes, and where attractive jobs and training positions may be waiting, often remains hidden. The first “Dahme-Spreewald Long Night of Business” was initiated in 2015 under the patronage of District Administrator Stephan Loge with the aim of bringing curious young people and committed employers together.

Every two years since that time, schoolchildren, students, job and training-place seekers, professionals from blue-collar workers to academics and people with a general interest have had the opportunity to watch employees at work at an unusual time of the day and to talk directly to them. From 5:00 to 11:00 p.m., companies from the region open their doors and present themselves, their technologies, working processes, products and services. Organised bus tours take visitors to places where otherwise only employees have access.

Further information, dates and participating companies:

• www.lange-nacht-der-wirtschaft-lds.de

You can find the film of the event here:

• YouTube film

Partners

• Dahme-Spreewald Economic Development Agency
• Dahme-Spreewald district
• Cottbus Chamber of Industry and Commerce
• Cottbus Chamber of Trade
• Municipalities in the Dahme-Spreewald district

Get yourself recognised as an attractive employer

Companies whose employees enjoy going to work and feel highly valued and supported not only have better chances on the recruitment market, but also have more productive and loyal employees and thus more lasting economic success.

Increasing numbers of companies in the Dahme-Spreewald district have come to recognise this and are creating attractive and family-friendly career options. In order to showcase and pay tribute to this commitment, the Dahme-Spreewald district and the Dahme-Spreewald Economic Development Agency jointly organise the “Best Employer in the Dahme-Spreewald District” competition every two years.

The competition is aimed at companies that are committed to the local economy with good ideas, special initiatives and an attractive workplace culture. Entries are open to all companies and public institutions with at least three employees, as well as to employees who would like to nominate their company for the “Best Employer in the Dahme-Spreewald District” award. Nomination is made by means of a short application. After the application deadline, a jury of experts from administration, business and the labour market visits the participating companies, evaluates them and chooses the winners. The prizes are awarded in five categories depending on the number of employees at the LDS Economic Reception, which also takes place every two years. The next competition will take place in 2021.

Impressions of the award ceremony in 2019 can be found here:

• Film youtube
• Gallery

Partners

• Dahme-Spreewald district
• Dahme-Spreewald Economic Development Agency
• Dahme-Spreewald Job Centre
• Cottbus Employment Agency
• Cottbus Chamber of Trade
• Cottbus Chamber of Industry and Commerce
• DGB German Trade Union Confederation
• Wirtschaftsförderung Land Brandenburg GmbH

Employment best practice in airport areas

When the DREAAM project started, in 2018, air traffic was growing at an unprecedented pace, airports throughout Europe and beyond were continuing to expand and develop, and so did the surrounded areas. At the same time, many airports were struggling to respond to the needs that the numerous companies on their platforms had. In particular, they were dealing with an ever-increasing skill gap problem, as well as an issue in attracting employees to the airport area.

Project objective

Therefore, in 2018, a group of regional public authorities, airports and, economic and development agencies started the Development of Regional Employment and Airport Areas Manpower (DREAAM) project. Supported by Erasmus+, the objective, over two years of activity has been to exchange good practices mainly on vocational education, training in airport areas, branding and recruitment.

Project partners

• Paris CDG Alliance (France)
• Orly International (France)
• Airport Regions Council (Belgium)
• Aviato (Belgium)
• El Prat de Llobregat Town Council (Spain)
• Municipality of Beek (The Netherlands)
• Economic Development Agency Dahme-Spreewald (Germany)
• Regional Authority FrankfurtRheinMain (Germany)

Main activities

• Perception and promotion of jobs in airport areas: considering the perception of jobs in those areas, are the existing promotion tools efficient? How to duplicate them in other territories? What are the remaining gaps?
• Matching workforce qualifications with the companies’ requirements: is there really a shortage between the needs of employers and existing staff qualifications? What are the good practices to reduce this gap?
• Anticipation of future work patterns: will anticipating the future needs of companies allow for the development of relevant skills before they become a gap? What are the best practices in this respect?
• Synthesis of the findings, implications for the attractiveness of airport areas: considering the project’s analysis, which solutions can be developed to promote these jobs?

At the end of all our transnational meetings, the answers to all the above mentioned questions were collected in order to design a small guide which includes the best practices which were identified among all consortium partners during the implementation of the project. It can be split into nine categories and covers all information from branding

The profiles of the airport regions and their best practice examples for employment can be found here:

Flyer Employment best practice in airport areas

The project was funded with support from the European Commission under Erasmus+.