Vacant jobs Municipalities in the Rhein-Sieg district are desperate for staff

Rhein-Sieg-Kreis · The shortage of skilled workers has long since reached the municipalities on the left bank of the Rhine. The administrations have great problems finding staff. Specialists are desperately needed in certain areas.

 A woman looks at the job offers of the municipality of Alfter.

A woman looks at the job offers of the municipality of Alfter.

Foto: Christoph Meurer

Many citizens and local politicians are familiar with this statement from the municipal administrations: They would like to implement orders quickly and tackle other projects, but they don't have the staff. And finding them is anything but easy. The applicant situation in the administrations on the left bank of the Rhine is problematic. Many positions remain unfilled because employees see better prospects for themselves in the private sector.

Bornheim: "Applicant situation critical," says the Bornheim city administration. "In technical professions, it has repeatedly become apparent in recent years that no applications were received for jobs," says press spokesman Rainer Schumann. This has led to repeated advertisements and delays in filling vacancies. The areas affected are engineering services and IT administration.

And even if vacancies could be filled, employees cannot always be kept for long. Due to the interim vacancies, says Schumann, one has to prioritise the tasks at hand and rely on external help. Says Schumann: "Outsourcing is already taking place wherever possible, but that only works to an extent and requires a not inconsiderable amount of management effort.“

Wage gap as a problem

The problem, according to Schumann, is the wage gap between the private and public sectors. Which means: Private companies pay better. "Successful recruitment is usually based on combined factors such as compatibility of family and work and the proximity of the workplace to the place of residence and the offer of home office solutions," the Bornheim press officer continues.

Alfter: At the municipality of Alfter, those responsible are considering how the employer profile can be sharpened. "One fundamental difference compared to employers in the free economy is certainly job security," says press spokeswoman Maryla Günther. On the other hand, there are collective agreements, company pension schemes and, according to Günther, "working hours based on working life“.

Although the municipality wants to invest more in training in the future, this will not help in the short term with the vacancies Günther lists. They are looking for specialists for system administration, educators, a deputy kindergarten director, support in the citizens' office, a housekeeper and a school social worker.

Swisttal: Even in the smallest municipality on the left bank of the Rhine, with just under 20,000 inhabitants, the worries are great. According to municipal spokesman Bernd Kreuer, it is not only technicians and engineers who are lacking. There are also a number of "classic administrative posts" in the areas of public safety and order, schools and the citizens' office that are unfilled. The municipal council recently discussed filling positions in the areas of controlling and taxes as well as reconstruction and flood protection.

Competition with larger municipalities and federal administrations is making life difficult for the municipality of Swisttal. Therefore, the administration also wants to counteract this with increased training.

Further problems caused by the floods

According to Kreuer, the floods in July led to another problem: there is a lack of office space. "The already difficult situation has been exacerbated by the flood disaster," he reports. Therefore, according to Kreuer, existing rooms are currently being converted into offices and temporary rooms are being organised. "A permanent solution is being worked on in parallel," he continues.

Meckenheim. Jobs for technical and IT professions are also lying idle in Meckenheim. And administrative positions, for example at the public utility company and in the finance department, cannot be filled at the moment, says city spokesperson Sascha Bach. "In the social sector, a position has already had to be advertised three times. We lose employees when they can get a higher income or are offered more interesting jobs and faster development opportunities.“

At least when it comes to climate protection and adult education, there is good cooperation with neighbouring municipalities, Bach continues. At the same time, however, there is competition for the few applicants who are not attracted to the private sector or to the state or federal administration.

Rheinbach: Nowadays, some areas of responsibility require knowledge that traditional administrative training does not provide, says Norbert Sauren, spokesperson for the city of Rheinbach. The city therefore has some vacancies, especially in engineering professions, IT and climate protection.

In competition with many employers

Currently, four positions are advertised in the areas of building regulations, structural and civil engineering. "Of these, three positions were created as part of the reconstruction after the storm disaster," says Sauren.

"The city of Rheinbach is in competition with a large number of employers in the region who can sometimes offer better pay," the city spokesperson further informs. When jobs remain unfilled, tasks are left undone. In urgent cases, external service providers are hired. They employ the experts that the municipalities would like to have. (Original text: Stefan Knopp / Translation: Mareike Graepel)

Meistgelesen
Neueste Artikel
Zum Thema
Aus dem Ressort