The Welcome Center East Wuerttemberg
Since its foundation, the Welcome Center has been the central point of contact, initial consultation, and information center for companies (especially SMEs), international skilled workers, and international students in the East Württemberg region for all questions relating to arriving and working in the region.
Small and medium-sized enterprises receive support in recruiting international skilled workers and ensuring their successful integration. In this way, the Welcome Center Ostwürttemberg makes an important contribution to securing skilled workers for the region and retaining international talent. At the same time, it acts as a guide and bridge by referring people to suitable and relevant actors in the network and the business community.
Review
In the East Württemberg region, the Ministry of Economic Affairs funded the successful model project “Welcome Office for International Students in East Württemberg (WISO)” until 2020, which was coordinated by Aalen University. The “WISO” project already implemented formats for successfully addressing international students and attracting them to the regional labor market.
Following the model project, the wealth of knowledge and experience gained was used as a basis for setting up a fully-fledged Welcome Center.
“Our Welcome Centers offer important support to international professionals and our companies. The East Württemberg region is also to be strengthened by a Welcome Center,” said Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut.
With Aalen University as its cooperation partner, today's Welcome Center has the unique feature of maintaining close contact with international students from all universities in the region through consultations and events. The aim is to tap into the potential of these students as skilled workers for the regional economy in the long term.
The Welcome Center East Württemberg is publicly funded and can therefore make its services available to skilled workers, students, and companies free of charge.