The battle for talent: How companies in the pipeline industry are countering the shortage of skilled workers

Despite the slight decline compared to the previous year, around 765,000 skilled workers are still being sought across Germany (source: Statista)

Like almost all industries, pipeline construction is also affected by the shortage of skilled workers. Demographic change and the lack of young talent are leading to an imbalance between applicants and vacancies. Germany is currently looking for around 765,000 skilled workers and around 70,000 trainees. Many companies were already expecting a shortage of skilled workers in 2021. Since then, the situation has worsened, as a recent analysis by the Bertelsmann Stiftung shows.

What's more, the less attractive an industry is, the more difficult it is to find skilled workers. You can read here how companies in the piping industry are trying to counteract this using the example of the #pipeline31 future initiative, the "Find & Retain" project of the pipe renovation company Aarsleff and the training and further education program of Thyssenkrupp Steel.

Dipl.-Ing. Martina Buschmann, Head of PR & Administration, and Dipl.-Ing. Dieter Hesselmann, Managing Director of Rohrleitungsbauverband, accepted the HR Energy Award for the future initiative #pipeline31 (Source: Personalforum Energie)

One of the main reasons for the shortage of skilled workers is demographic change. Many experienced specialists are retiring, while at the same time not enough young people are joining the industry. According to a recent assessment by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), 55% of companies already consider the shortage of skilled workers to be a risk. The skilled trades and professions in the metal and electrical industry and other STEM fields are particularly affected. As a result, there is currently competition for good minds in these sectors. This is all the more dramatic for the piping industry, as it is part of the critical infrastructure and needs many good specialists for the transformation.

HR Energy Award for future initiative #pipeline31

To counteract this, the Rohrleitungsbauverband (rbv) has founded the #pipeline31 initiative. Its aim is to raise public awareness of pipeline construction. The industry plays a crucial role in securing and expanding pipeline infrastructure, but has little visibility in the public eye compared to other trades. The consequence of this is an increasing shortage of skilled workers. The number of unfilled apprenticeships (for pipe fitters, sewer fitters and civil engineering specialists) rose continuously between 2013 and 2021. The rbv was recently presented with the HR Energy Award for its initiative. The award recognizes the association's commitment to attracting young talent to training in the industry.

Pipe fitters are responsible for the installation and maintenance of pipes for electricity, water, gas and telecommunications. (Source: Adobe Stock)

Communicating with the target group via TikTok

In order to achieve its goals and create more visibility, the rbv has set up its own website (www.pipeline31.de) as well as an Instagram and TikTok channel.

In addition to all the relevant facts about the profession and industry, the pipeline31 website offers access to a job board created specifically for pipeline construction.

The rbv regularly publishes content on its various social media channels. The posts consist of video snippets with facts and interesting facts about pipeline construction, insights into day-to-day work and curiosities. According to the association, it currently has 4.5 million views on all channels and a growth rate of 588%.

Skilled workers from abroad as a solution?

The pipe renovation company Aarsleff is also trying to fill vacancies with skilled workers with its "Find & Retain" program. At the same time, fluctuation within the company should be kept to a minimum. The aim is to challenge and encourage employees. It is particularly important to Rudi Feldmeier, the Commercial Director, that his colleagues are satisfied, feel valued and are involved in decisions.

In addition to the usual content on their careers page, the company offers reports from colleagues, insights into their daily routine and the opportunity to sign up for a taster day.

Dr. Veit Echterhoff on training concepts at thyssenkrupp (Source: thyssenkrupp Steel)

According to the company, it is also recruiting international workers in order to compensate for the shortfalls in demographic development. Although this is time-consuming due to cultural and linguistic differences, it is worthwhile. According to the Bertelsmann Stiftung, however, the recruitment of foreign skilled workers plays a subordinate role for the economy as a whole.

Thyssenkrupp: Hydrogen expertise and high-quality Apprenticeship

Another way to obtain specialized skilled workers is to train and educate your own employees. One example of this is the shortage of skilled workers in the field of hydrogen. Specific training and further education courses are only slowly being developed for this new market. This is why thyssenkrupp Steel has developed the nationally recognized "Additional Hydrogen Qualification" together with the Lower Rhine Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Zentrum für Brennstoffzellen-Technik GmbH, Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann and representatives of the trade union and vocational college. This year, for the first time, the IHK-certified additional qualification will prepare future specialists for working with hydrogen, which plays a significant role in the green transformation of the steel industry.

The steel group also attaches great importance to training. This begins with introductory weeks during which the apprentices, their trainers, their confidants and other contacts can get to know each other better. The trainees are given tablets to simplify communication and networking with other trainees and to enable individual and digitalized learning. After one and a half years of training, the trainees move to the companies and become part of a team. Here, they not only apply their knowledge from the workshops, but are also expected to actively shape the future of the region. This is how thyssenkrupp wants to convince young talents of its merits and retain them in the company.

Wire and Tube 2024

If you are interested in exciting presentations on all areas of the piping industry, come to wire and Tube in Düsseldorf between April 15 and 19, 2024. Not only will many well-known companies be on site as exhibitors, but they will also present a wide range of keynote speeches on the subject. Topics such as skilled workers/recruiting and the hydrogen economy will also be discussed. See you soon in Düsseldorf.