AP, Lower Saxony explore collaboration in skilling
Germany is currently facing an acute shortage of skilled professionals, with over 700,000 job vacancies and a projected demand for seven million additional workers by 2035. The shortage spans critical sectors such as transportation, construction, healthcare, engineering, and information technology, significantly impacting economic growth. As part of its response, Germany has identified India as a strategic partner, formalised through the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement and the launch of the India Skilled Labour Strategy in 2024.
During his visit, Dr Ramani held a high-level meeting with Kona Sasidhar, Secretary for Skill Development & Training, Higher Education, and School Education and A Venkata Ramana, OSD to Minister Nara Lokesh.
Discussions centred on forging long-term collaboration in talent mobility frameworks, German language training and certification, institutional partnerships with ITIs and diploma institutes, Industry-academia collaboration.
Addressing the media at the APSSDC Headquarters, Dr Ramani emphasised that Lower Saxony is prioritising international recruitment in high-demand sectors, including Industry 4.0 & Automation, Green Technologies, Healthcare & Social Services, Digital Transformation & IT and Hospitality Management. He highlighted that Andhra Pradesh, with its robust skilling ecosystem, technical institutions, and growing global outlook, is well-positioned to become a key talent partner.
Ganesh Kumar, MD and CEO, APSSDC and Seetha Sharma, advisor to the State Government, International Skilling and Mobility, stated that this visit lays the foundation for a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Lower Saxony and Andhra Pradesh to enable structured international workforce mobility, enhance youth employability, and promote mutual growth through knowledge exchange and institutional cooperation.
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