A group of students from the Faculty of Business Law traveled to Germany’s largest government agency—the Federal Employment Agency in Nuremberg—to gain an exclusive insight into current issues related to the labor market.
Digitalization and AI, decarbonization and sustainability, demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers—numerous processes of change are shaping the current labor market to an unprecedented extent. Old occupational fields are disappearing, while new opportunities are emerging. Although many employers face business imperatives, they also recognize the irreplaceable value of their workforce. Adaptability, flexibility, and lifelong learning are becoming increasingly important for employees. The Federal Employment Agency (BA) maintains an overview in these challenging times. As a federal public-law corporation, it fulfills its statutory mandate to provide services to both sides of the labor market, focusing in particular on job placement, career counseling, and employment support.
During the discussions, the students gained insights into the structure and responsibilities of the Federal Employment Agency. A lawyer provided an introduction to the specifics of social law. They also learned about the central role that digitalization processes play in the Federal Employment Agency’s administrative work. In particular, the rising number and increasing volume of appeals account for a large portion of the work. During the ensuing discussion, participants were able to ask questions. In particular, the significance of AI for the agency’s work—as well as for the labor market as a whole and for individual employment prospects—was discussed at length.
The next item on the agenda was an informative presentation by a researcher from the Institute for Employment Research, a division of the Federal Employment Agency. With plenty of background information, the students learned how to conduct research—primarily using data—and derive recommendations for policy advice from those findings. Through vivid presentations of results—such as the Labor Market Barometer or the institute’s brief reports—it quickly became clear just how valuable the institute’s work is to the general public. The students also gained a good understanding of how important it is to carefully evaluate labor market policy measures implemented through legislation using scientific methods.
In terms of content, the field trip covered topics in labor, social, and administrative law—areas that students can focus on during their business law studies at Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences. Among those accompanying the field trip was Professor Uta Neumann, who is one of the coordinators of the “Human Resources, Labor, and Social Law” specialization.