Germany Ramps Up Internship Programs for Refugees

New arrivals are eager to work, and companies are slowly expanding training opportunities.

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By Laura Colby, Stefan Nicola, and Sheenagh Matthews

July 28, 2016 at 4:01 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the August 1, 2016 issue of businessweek.

Three years ago, Adham fled Syria when his village was bombed and many friends and relatives were killed. After passing through Lebanon and Turkey, he landed in Germany, where he’s starting a three-year apprenticeship at Daimler’s 110-year-old plant just outside Stuttgart. “I lost my entire life in Syria, and now I have a new start,” says the 19-year-old, who asked that his full name not be used for fear of reprisals against family members still in his homeland. “I like my work a lot,” he adds in accented but smooth German, “and I want to learn more.”

Adham was one of 40 refugees in a four-month pilot project that began last November, taking German classes and working in a Mercedes factory for part of the day. While Daimler hired only Adham and one other worker, it says almost all the rest got jobs at suppliers or local companies. This summer, Daimler expanded the program to 300 people.