The right candidate for the job - helping SMEs to find the right applicant to fill training positions and integrate foreign skilled professionals

The programme aimed to find "perfect-fit" German and foreign young people to fill training positions in small and medium-sized enterprises, and to strengthen the performance and competitiveness of SMEs through this contribution to securing the future supply of skilled labour. Support was granted to advisory services and support measures of the chambers of trade, industry and commerce, the liberal profession associations and other not-for-profit organisations in the economy.

The consultants visited and advised the businesses, identified the business's apprentice needs, created job profiles, looked for potential apprentice candidates, sorted applications, hold interviews with selected candidates and performed aptitude tests. Based on the results, they created a short-list of suitable apprentices and made a recommendation to the business that was tailored to its needs.

"The right candidate for the job" (Passgenaue Besetzung) was the follow-up programme to the "Perfect-fit placement" programme (Passgenaue Vermittlung) from the 2007-2013 programming period. It has been extended to include services to advise SMEs on how to integrate young foreign apprentices, particularly those from other European countries, and how to integrate foreign skilled professionals. The aim was to establish a welcoming culture in the businesses.