LIFTjournal 5/2020

The skilled labour shortage in the lift sector is a constantly recurring topic. Has the Corona crisis changed anything about it? What are its causes? We asked Andreas Hönnige about this. He is the managing director of the VFA-Akademie, which is responsible for lift technology further training and education. He has been in charge of the Working Group Safety, Education & Training at the ELA European Lift Association. Hönnige is managing partner of Liftcore – a techno- logy provider for the lift sector. Some time ago, Schindler announced it would cut 2,000 jobs worldwide. Is the shor- tage of skilled labour in the lift sector still an issue in the era of the Corona pandemic? Hönnige: The shortage of skilled labour will re- main an issue irrespective of economic condi- tions, since due to technological developments and changing market requirements, the require- ments for skilled labour will change constantly. Cutting jobs in big companies and the associated higher number of skilled workers on the labour market can only relieve the shortage of skilled workers regionally and for a short period. Does the situation differ in the sector or are all suffering – from lift builders to com- ponent manufacturers? Hönnige: The activities and as a result also the knowledge required of skilled workers often differ considerably between lift builders and compo- nent manufacturers. The shortage of qualified workers does in fact affect everyone in our sector. What are the causes? Hönnige: The lift sector is relatively small and not very present in the media. Those starting their careers or changing them often do not perceive it as an interesting professional option. What counts is getting the idea of the lift sector as an attractive and forward-looking sector into people’s heads via all effective media. Will the situation ease in themedium term, because workers are entering the market due to the crisis of the automotive industry and its subcontractors? 11 PERSPEKTIVEN  PERSPECTIVES