Pune : Baden-Wurttemberg Signs MoU With Maha to fill up 4 lakh vacancies 

Skilled workers from Maharashtra will soon get a direct opportunity to get jobs in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany. It was announced in a press conference yesterday where the joint declaration of intent was signed with the Maharashtra govt in the field of labour migration and skilling. Iris Becker, BW state’s representative said, “The recruitment was currently being facilitated by third parties but the govt of BW was looking for long term partnerships with ITI’s for direct recruitments.

Becker further informed that we have a private agency that is in touch with ITI’s in Maharashtra. It will scan all CVs, verify documentation and then prepare them language wise. Apprentices need to clear the B1 level of German language proficiency test. Once this is all done, the visa and offer letter will be issued. The employer will pick them from the airport and a three year training shall be given. For this period they will be paid. One must note that different sectors will have different approaches.

State partnership between Baden-Württemberg (BW) and Maharashtra / India In January 2015

BW established a state partnership with the Indian state of Maharashtra. An agreement was signed that provides for cooperation in the areas of business and IT, urban infrastructure, science, education and culture, viticulture and tourism as well as skills development. 

In 2017, a state cooperation office was set up in Pune and Ms. Iris Becker was appointed as BW’s representative in Maharashtra. In 2020, the state partnership was renewed by former Minister of State Theresa Schopper with a joint declaration of intent (focus on digitalization, networking of start-up ecosystems, scientific and cultural cooperation, climate protection and cooperation in the field of renewable energies, environmental technologies and sustainable mobility solutions). 

In terms of content, the state partnership with Maharashtra has so far focused on the economy, in particular environmental technologies, renewable energies, hydrogen, scientific cooperation and culture.

Representation of the state of BW in Maharashtra (state co-operation office) 

 Location marketing for BW as an excellent location for business, science, urban infrastructure, education and culture.

  Initiation of and new trade, cooperation investment relations; first point of contact for business and science in the development of the Indian market. 

 Maintaining contacts with authorities, companies, universities and similar institutions, associations and other organizations and bodies relevant to the partners. 

– 2 –  Supporting companies from BW in entering the Indian market and attracting investors from Indian companies for settlement and cooperation (focus on energy, information technology, mobility and traffic planning, environmental technology, water and waste as well as automotive and mechanical engineering).

  Promotion of scientific and university cooperation, including support for internationally oriented start-ups. Increased involvement in India BW is planning to step up its engagement with India, which is also strategically important in the context of the state government’s planned Asia-Pacific guidelines. 

In view of a long series of disruptions in international relations and the reorganization of world trade and international supply chains (trade war between the USA and China, Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), the country’s international relations are to be further diversified, especially in the major growth markets of Asia. Joint Declaration of Intent Following on from talks with the Education Minister of Maharashtra, Deepak Kesarkar, in 2023, the signing of the joint declaration of intent is planned during the trip by Minister of State and Head of the State Chancellery Dr. Florian Stegmann from February 24 to March 01, 2024. 

 The signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent on cooperation in skilled migration and skilling between BW and Maharashtra took place on February 25, 2024 at 6.30 pm at Raj Bhavan (Governors Guest House) on Malabar Hill in Mumbai. It is intended to provide a political framework for planned and future activities. 

Background: Skilled manpower initiative in BW, reforms in the education/qualification sector in Maharashtra. Surplus of young job seekers in Maharashtra, shortage of skilled workers in BW. 

Areas of cooperation:

  Information technology (IT), science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), electrical engineering and construction as well as related technologies in energy and climate, logistics, skilled trades and production as well as health and care professions and the hotel and catering industry. All qualification levels should be taken into account. 

 Increased contacts and cooperation between stakeholders in vocational and academic education and the private sector 

 Exchange of good practice examples (e.g. development of curricula, concepts for practical vocational training programs, teacher training, etc.) – 

3 –  Cooperation office of the state of BW in Maharashtra central role in implementation as contact partner in India Service desk for the recruitment of skilled workers With the establishment of a service desk at the cooperation office in Pune, a single point of contact is created for the recruitment of skilled workers in Maharashtra, which will be the local contact for companies, associations, chambers and other stakeholders in the recruitment of skilled workers from BW, establish a partner network and accompany and support skilled worker projects. 

 The Service Desk will be officially opened by Minister of State Dr. Stegmann on February 27, 2024 at the state’s evening reception in the garden of the Goethe Institut in Pune.

Other important pillars of the state partnership with Maharashtra are – the long-standing twinning of the city of Stuttgart with Mumbai (since 1968), – the cooperation established in 2013 between the city of Karlsruhe and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry MCCIA in Pune (focus: smart cities) and the signing of a MoU between Pune and Karlsruhe in 2018, – the commitment of the Indian Honorary Consul Andreas Lapp with the Indian Film Festival Stuttgart and the annual event “Stuttgart meets Mumbai” in Mumbai – the “India Summer Days” in Karlsruhe as another outstanding cultural event .