Skills shortage in the packaging industry: the labour market is „virtually empty“

There is a shortage of skilled labour everywhere. According to current data, the problem is getting worse, especially for engineering and IT professions. What is the situation in the packaging industry? Packaging journal asked around. „The shortage of skilled labour is acute, and there are no signs that this is changing. On the contrary,“ says the German Packaging Institute (dvi), for example.

According to „VDI Engineer Monitor 2018/3“, companies' demand for engineers and IT specialists is increasing. At the same time, the number of job seekers in these occupational fields is decreasing. 130,520 vacancies for engineers and IT specialists were registered on a monthly average between July and September 2018. This was 7.8 per cent more than in the same period in 2017, compared to only 22,607 jobseekers in engineering and 7,784 in IT professions - 8.2 per cent fewer than a year earlier.

Economic downturn would hardly bring any relief

The packaging industry is also not immune to the Shortage of skilled labour not stop there. „This topic will keep us busy for a long time to come,“ says Peter Lamboy, Managing Director of the Federal Association of German Packaging Engineers (BDVI). The demand for modern packaged food, beverages and pharmaceuticals is increasing worldwide due to a growing urban middle class, he adds. Vera Fritsche, a consultant at the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (VDMA NuV). This means that more skilled labour is needed, but the „supply“ is not keeping pace.

„The shortage affects many segments: from engineers and designers to programmers and specialists on the production line.“
Kim Cheng and Winfried Batzke, dvi

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The managing directors of the German Packaging Institute (dvi) agree that the situation will not ease due to the diversification of the packaging industry, even if economic growth slows down, Kim Cheng and Winfried Batzke, at.

„The shortage affects many segments: from engineers and designers to programmers and skilled workers on the line,“ report the dvi managing directors, adding: „The situation is only easier for ‚unskilled labour‘ and in the office area. The logistics area is also struggling.“ Packaging machine builder were mainly looking for personnel in the areas of Construction, Assembly and Commissioning, but also in sales, Vera Fritsche also knows. The market is „virtually swept clean“ for IT and software specialists, „as almost all mechanical engineering sectors are competing for suitably qualified employees.“

There are many reasons for the shortage of skilled labour

What are the reasons for the shortage of skilled labour? Kim Cheng and Winfried Batzke, for their part, point out that packaging specialists are increasingly being sought in other sectors: „This is due to increasing requirements in the packaging sector, including those imposed by the legislator. The new Packaging Act is the most recent example. It introduces stricter reporting obligations and more extensive calculations of the amount of packaging produced, which will lead to increased labour requirements for distributors.“ The Staff shortage varies from region to region. Packaging companies would have a hard time if there are IT or mobility company are located. They simply have more „sex appeal“ and often pay better.

A major hurdle in the Personnel recruitment is not least due to the deteriorating image of packaging, laments BDVI Managing Director Lamboy: „Packaging is constantly being maligned in the normal press.“ Students then tend to opt for supposedly more promising sectors.

Companies must actively endeavour to recruit young talent

With the Recruitment of young talent speed counts, emphasised all respondents. The industry needs to present itself as an attractive employer as early as possible. Vera Fritsche refers to numerous initiatives by her association members „to familiarise young people with science and technology and the exciting world of packaging machine construction - for example by participating in the Girls‘ Day, with young talent events that give young people a playful insight into the company, or summer holiday programmes for employees“ children." The dvi also supports such initiatives as well as collaborations with the job centre and Job fairs.

„It's about getting the best students“
Peter Lamboy, BDVI

Later on, it will be a matter of Apprenticeships and to offer future engineers on-the-job training as part of a dual study programme. „It's about getting the best students,“ says Peter Lamboy pointedly. He refers to his 32 years of experience as Director Packaging Development at KAO Deutschland GmbH. He has always maintained close contact with the universities and ensured that dissertations were supervised and internships provided. Donations of money and equipment could support contacts with universities.

The dvi refers to a whole package of activities for young professionals - from the annual Student Congress about free admission to the Dresden Packaging Conference and the co-operation project „PackVision“ for students and companies through to the young talent category at the German Packaging Award. The dvi Packaging Academy offers further training - also for beginners and career changers.

„To counter the shortage of engineers, more and more companies are offering the option of training as part of a dual study programme.“
Vera Fritsche, VDMA NuV

The BDVI in turn conducts intensive public relations work in its eight regional groups and offers, among other things Company tours to which students are also invited. What the dvi has to say about its Networking offers between universities and companies also applies here: „This gives participating companies the opportunity to get to know the bright minds of tomorrow at an early stage,“ says Vera Fritsche.

Offering skilled workers something to keep them

Once the skilled labour has finally been recruited, companies must not sit back and relax. It is not uncommon for people to leave soon and even be headhunted. „There are many examples where companies in our sector have trained people, only for companies in other sectors to try and reap the rewards in the end. In some cases, handouts are even used,“ reports the dvi.

Loyalty to the company is not only encouraged by a high salary. Attractive Further training programmes and jobs with the latest technology are sometimes more important to today's packaging specialists, says Peter Lamboy, adding: „You have to offer them something.“