German Craftsmen Abroad

Morsbach on the Sieg River is a small town near the western city of Cologne. Friedhelm Müller is packing the last things into his suitcase, but his telephone is always nearby. He's waiting for a call from the car mechanic. If his car makes it through the winter inspection, he'll be ready to leave at 10 p.m. at the latest.

He'll be traveling through the night, 1,000 kilometers northward (620 miles), to reach his future abroad. His ferry will be leaving at 10:30 a.m. for Oslo, Norway -- his new home. He'll be leaving his house, his wife and his three grown children behind, with the hope that they will follow if everything works out.

Müller is a 48-year-old trained electrician and is, like many German craftsmen, trying his luck abroad since his future does not look rosy in Germany.

Off to Norway

His new employer is a temp agency called Nordisk Handvaerk Aps. Trained people like Müller are in great demand in Norway, and the country is open to them. It is estimated that around 53,000 foreign craftsmen are working in the country.

Nordisk Handvaerk Aps alone employs 240 Germans, who work on building projects including everything from a new extension to a hospital in Oslo, to the new opera house and a holiday resort settlement.

Lasse Schmackelsen, a placement officer at the company, has had good experiences with German employees.

"They are very motivated," he said. At 21 euros ($31) an hour, a journeyman earns nearly double of what he would in Germany. The higher cost of living in Norway is offset by additional contributions by the employer, like payments for accommodations and work clothes.

Praise for German craftsmen

"German craftsmen are in demand because they are well-trained," Schmackelsen said.

The German duel training system, which includes theory in an occupational program as well as practical experience with a company, is a virtual guarantee of work in Europe. Training programs last for three years, with craftsmen permitted to open up their own businesses only if they have become certified as a "master craftsman."

Programs for that certification require an additional three to five years of training before exams.

Austria and Luxembourg are the only other countries that have such extensive programs.

"In most other European countries, training is shorter and much like in school," said Alexander Legowski of the Central Association of German Craftsmen. "After completing his training in Germany, a tile layer can complete any task in his field, and has already proven himself in other areas like punctuality and team work through his practical experience."

Expanding abroad

Six percent of turnover in the German craftsmanship field is made abroad -- not by German craftsmen working abroad, but by German companies working on foreign projects.

Expansion abroad, however, is only possible if German companies are doing well at home. Often, concepts for smaller businesses of 10 or more employees may see the father continue running operations in Germany, while the son goes abroad.

"Going East" to nearby countries is also a new trend. "The upper classes in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic want new bathrooms installed according to German standards, so German craftsmen are in great demand in eastern Europe," Legowski said.

German craftsmen are wanted wherever there is buying power, he added.

Made in Germany

Andreas Gfall agreed. As managing director of Bayern Handwerk International (Export Promotion Agency for Bavarian Skilled Crafts), he knows that Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Spain are the most popular destinations for Bavarian craftsmen. In Spain, most German craftsmen and companies tend to operate in the vacation spots like Costa del Sol.

One example is 32-year-old cabinetmaker Hans Nottelmann. He received his certification as master craftsman in Germany in 2001 and emigrated to Spain. He now has his own business in Sant Cugat, near Barcelona. The specialist in solid wood has virtually no competition on the Spanish market, he said.

"There are only a few older Spandiards who can still do competent craftsmanship work since the training program was done away with here in the 1980s," Nottelmann said.

Language barriers

Nottelmann has an additional advantage. He grew up bilingual, speaking both German and Spanish fluently.

For others, though, language is a barrier. If there's one thing holding back German craftsmen abroad, it's the lack of fluency in other languages, Schmackelsen said.

Friedhelm Müller is confident, however. He may not know Norwegian, but he can speak English. That's enough for now, he said. After all, he has to concentrate on proving his abilities during his three-month trial period as a craftsman in Norway before signing up for any language classes.