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    Investing in people through education, integration and skills 

    CONTENTS

    The Challenge

    Europe needs more skilled workers across sectors

    Education and qualification are the keys to economic prosperity and social cohesion, as they ensure that all social groups have access to opportunities. They are also a major factor propelling transformation. A well-educated population, fully integrated into the labor market, is essential to driving economic, ecological, and societal change. With this vision in mind, addressing the following key challenges is crucial:

    • There is a major shortage of skilled workers driven by structural changes, including demographic trends such as an aging workforce, the green and digital transitions, and the lasting impact of recent economic disruptions and geopolitical conflicts. This problem extends far beyond Germany. Labor and skills shortages have become a persistent and growing challenge across Europe.

    • Moreover, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and clean tech accelerate the demand for new skill sets in the labor market. While some jobs may diminish, new skills and qualifications are needed. This is particularly true in the areas of data analysis, cybersecurity, and the energy transition. Helping individuals adapt to changing labor market landscapes to address the growing mismatch between skill supply and demand requires the urgent prioritization of reskilling and upskilling across the workforce as well as fostering adaptability and future-proof leadership skills.

    • At the same time, Germany currently has 2.8 million people aged 20 to 34 who have no vocational training. 630,000 young people under the age of 24 are not in school, work, or other support programs. This underscores the urgent need for more inclusive workforce integration strategies, as we cannot afford to waste any talent in light of accelerating labor and skill shortages. Many young people struggling to enter the job market lack relevant experience, have misaligned skills, and face limited policy support. To future-proof Germany and Europe, we must establish effective support systems to motivate young people and help prepare them for the challenges of the job market.

    Our Approach

    Aligning education and qualification with the actual needs of the labor market 

    Following the OECD, we view education as a lifelong continuum (Bildungsbiographie) that spans initial education, academic and vocational pathways, and continuous learning in the labor market. All education stages connect and shape a person’s growth. However, not everyone has equal access to this path.Obstacles and barriers to access already appear in (early) childhood education – e.g., lack of basic skills, such as literacy, numeracy, and digital abilities – and continue all the way through tertiary education – with, e.g., limited resources stopping people from accessing quality education and training.Even after formal education ends, barriers can continue to exist if employers do not focus enough on continuous reskilling and upskilling efforts to help employees adjust to changes and stay relevant in the job market. Addressing access barriers and obstacles along the education continuum requires a closer alignment of education, training systems, and the evolving needs of the labor market.

    Integrating young people into the job market through career orientation and skills building
    The school-to-work transition is a crucial step in the lifelong education continuum. Young people need support to ensure that their starting conditions do not limit their futures. JOBLINGE addresses this need by engaging youth, placing them in training through career orientation, and providing long-term support to help them develop key skills.Founded in 2008 by the Boston Consulting Group and the Eberhard von Kuenheim Stiftung, JOBLINGE is the leading social organization supporting young, disadvantaged individuals with and without refugee and migration backgrounds in entering vocational training. So far, roughly 25,000 youth have taken part in the program. JOBLINGE successfully places nearly 80% of long-term unemployed youth. JOBLINGE is the first initiative we are supporting as part of Challenge 3. We will help JOBLINGE in reaching their ambitious vision “JOBLINGE 2030”: supporting a total of 100,000 young people until 2030 by providing financial backing and attracting other supporters. Our goal is to enable more young people to enter the workforce and to create an impact-driven support system. 
    Promoting a reform of the funding system for placing young people in the labor market
    We believe that JOBLINGE has the potential to be part of a system change for securing skilled workers and equal opportunities. By showcasing measurable results, we want to raise public awareness and highlight necessary policy changes in the German labor market integration system. The ultimate goal is distributing funds in a more efficient and impact-oriented way and building a local blueprint promoting equity of opportunities.To achieve this, we are forming an impact alliance through our Start to Impact process to enable cross-sector cooperation among stakeholders. With our mission of uniting the brightest minds from business, policy, science, and civil society to collaborate on forward-looking approaches and solutions, the BMW Foundation is perfectly positioned to do so.

    The InitiativeJOBLINGE

    The school-to-work transition is a crucial step in the lifelong education continuum. Young people need support to ensure that their starting conditions do not limit their futures. JOBLINGE, co-founded by the BMW Foundation in 2008, addresses this need by engaging youth, placing them in training through career orientation, and providing long-term support to help them develop key skills.

    JOBLINGE

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