High unemployment among immigrants coupled with increased incidences of xenophobic violence aimed at “foreigners” have pushed the issue of employment policy to a high position on the political agenda in Germany. It has become increasingly difficult for unemployed persons to find work, given the loss of so many positions and the failure of so many companies. Jewish immigrants between the ages of 25 and 65 have been particularly hard hit. Many still do not have a strong enough command of the German language and thus rarely make it to the final rounds.

Some have obtained legal working permits and possess the qualifications for integration. But others – even long-time citizens – have had quite complex issues to resolve: learning to speak German, completing educational and vocational degrees, achieving recognition for previous qualifications and acquiring basic social skills. Such issues are particularly acute in a job market as challenging as Berlin’s. Successful integration in society depends to a large extent on participation in the workforce. This goes for the younger generation, too. Successful integration, however, is very dependent on one’s qualifications and level of education. For community members, having a job or a vocational training position brings much more than economic independence. It also enables them to build up their contact base, strengthen their feelings of self-worth, expand their horizons and increase their identification with the community as a whole. The Integration Department supports members in the search for work.

To facilitate this process, we have set up an information and job exchange network where our clients can obtain the job counselling, information and the placement services they need. We counsel our job applicants on training and educational programmes as well as on scholarship availability. Furthermore, their chances for employment are assessed, and information about businesses in Berlin, Germany and around the world is provided. The job exchange network is another practical tool that all job seekers may use, including those who are still unsure about their future plans as well as those who are sure of their career path. Counselling each community member individually and helping him or her plan for the future is the hallmark of our work – particularly with new immigrants.

Our services include:

• Career counselling and orientation
• Job application training
• Vocational training placement for community members
• Retraining/further education/certification
• Work
• Internships
  - required for partial recertification of immigrants from Eastern Europe – in  cooperation with partners in the respective fields 
  - in publically funded employment programmes such as “MAE”, “ABM”, and “RBM”
• Online job search
• Vocational training/apprenticeships and job fairs
• Business start-up seminars.

More than 27 events already have been organised through the job exchange network, and more than 100 people have taken part in job application trainings. Over 40 community members and their family members have been placed in either full-time, part-time, freelance or work-scheme positions. The community filled an additional 170 auxiliary jobs. Seventeen young members of the community were placed in vocational training programmes. Twenty-five interns were given the opportunity to gain their first working experience with us, and thus also gained deeper insight into the working world. Twenty-seven community members have had the opportunity to take part in our further training and certification courses.

Most of our programmes would not have been possible without the generous help and support of countless businesses and educational organisations. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our many sponsors – they include Deutsche Bank AG, Volksbank Berlin, Forum Berufsbildung e.V., Kempinski Bristol Hotel Berlin, Hotel Präsident, the vocational training centre of Galerie Kaufhof, and many others.