Demographic changes create a need for a net immigration of 400,000 people annually (Fuchs et al., 2021), to enable Germany face the future lack of skilled workers and specialist in various sectors of its labour market. Immigrants come to Germany mainly for two reasons: safety or work. Greater movements of refugees, e.g., 2015 (civil war in Syria) and 2021 (Russian aggression against Ukraine) have raised the question of sustainable integration and inclusion of immigrants, especially from third countries. In parallel, Germany engages in the recruiting of skilled workers from abroad to face the impending or already existing shortage of skilled labour. For the German Bertelsmann Stiftung, a foundation that among others funds research, Wieland (2024) states that openness to immigration by locals needs 'effective governance of migration as well as investment in a successful cooperation' within society (Wieland, 2024).

In Germany, governance and cooperation need to take up two main tracks of migration: asylum seeking and labour. The Skilled Workers Immigration Act ('Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz', FEG) represents an important aspect of the mentioned effective governance.

Second aspect is the successful cooperation, which requires an applicable framing. Aiming the creation of a society open to immigration, the concept of a 'welcoming culture' ('Willkommenskultur') was evolved. Introduced in the 2010s as part of the reformed recruitment of skilled workers, it gained a new significance in 2015 and was closely linked to the integration of Syrian refugees (Schäfer, 2022). The first scientific definition of a welcoming culture was provided by Heckmann (2012), who considered the term on four levels: (1) individual level, (2) interpersonal relationships, (3) organisations and the level of (4) society as a whole. The studies by Zick and Krott (2021), the Integration Report (2024) and legal regulations such as the Skilled Workers Immigration Act (Federal Government, 2024) and the Western Balkan regulation (Federal Government, 2024) are of particular relevance in relation to the four level of the welcoming culture.

In the face of current challenges, the welcoming culture must be redesigned to promote fair integration and inclusive coexistence in a diverse society (Kösemen & Wieland, 2022). Kösemen and Wieland (2022) argue, that in Germany, migrant workers are often perceived as more welcome than refugees. An approach to avoid a two-class migration is a proposed focus more on potential than on deficits. Moreover, a holistic welcoming culture is supposed to encompass professional and social integration, with the work environment playing a crucial supportive role (Hillmann & Ziegler, 2024). A holistic view on work migration might include all steps on migration pathways, pre-integration in the country of origin, initial integration on arrival and establishment in the target country (Federal Advisory Council for Integration, 2012).

Linking workplace and welcoming culture, the concept of skills partnerships becomes relevant, as they aim fair, sustainable and partnership-based migration patterns. There are different approaches to skills partnerships. Various approaches include the so-called 'Global Skills Partnerships on Migration', which focuses on building systems for recognising qualifications, addressing the qualification needs of employers and sharing the costs of skills development and recognition fairly among the stakeholders involved (ILO, 2021). Another approach is presented by Azahaf (2020), which differentiates between skills partnerships in three types: Upskilling in Germany (type 1), apprenticeships in Germany (type 2) and vocational education and training (VET) partnerships (type 3).

The research aims to rethink the concept of welcoming culture with regard to the idea of skills partnerships. Leading research questions are: How can the recent state of welcoming culture in Germany be described? What potential has a welcoming culture for the development of skills partnerships and vice versa?

The research is conducted using a combination of document analysis (Salheiser, 2019) and qualitative problem-centred interviews (Witzel, 2000). The document analysis included research papers, political papers, legal regulations at the national and federal level, and national statistics. In addition, guided interviews are conducted with various stakeholders from different status groups involved in shaping a welcoming culture. These status groups are employers, employers' organisations, political decision-makers, vocational education and training (VET) institutions, vocational schools and political actors. Within these groups, leaders, human resources managers, chambers, school principals, teachers, placement agencies as well as actors from federal ministries and employment agency were interviewed. The sample consist of a total of 40 interviewees. Recurring on a common category system, five interview guidelines were constructed, focusing specific expertise from each stakeholder. Examples for interview categories were 'Matching supply and demand between the local labour market and educational opportunities', 'Experience with work migration' or 'Recruitment and binding of workers', the latter with subcategories referred to locals and work migrants. The interviews were conducted online and lasted between 60 and 90 minutes. When there were no legal restrictions, the interview was recorded and transcribed applying artificial intelligence tool f4 transcript. A correcting of the transcripts was carried out subsequently. In cases, where a recording was prohibited, a written minutes were drawn up by a third person with scientific background. The interviews were analysed with regard to welcoming culture and its related implementation strategies and measures as well as potential and threats for a co-construction of both welcoming culture and skills partnerships. Qualitative content analysis according to Kuckartz and Rädiker (2024) was applied. The analysis follows a Top-Down-Bottom-Up approach, aiming the elaboration of the category system and supplementing according to the core categories of a welcoming culture following Heckmann (2012).

Language barriers are the greatest challenge at the individual and interpersonal level and a key obstacle to integration (Kösemen & Wieland, 2022). Companies and VET are addressing this with support measures, such as the use of digital translation aids to build a solid linguistic basis for exams (I36; I37). VET students without any language skills in German are realized highly motivated to achieve their exam (I23). At the organisational level, for example, chambers have joined forces to develop a joint recognition tool, as reported in an Interview (I10). An established welcoming culture on the part of the organisation, including long arrival phases and buddy programmes, can contribute to successful participation at workplace and outside of it (Bekyol & Bendel, 2024). The vhw study emphasises the importance of the individual nature of civil society engagement at the local level as a factor in the functioning and sustainability of welcome initiatives (Gesemann et al., 2019). Conversely, strong state control in the sense of migration governance would be counterproductive. A central point of contact for all migration-related issues has been set up in the form of Welcome Centres (Make it in Germany, n.d.). These Welcome Centres represent a form of state-sponsored welcome culture and are not welcome initiatives, which means that there is a certain tension between governance and civil society engagement. Thus, labour migration appears to come more into focus than the social dimension of integration. The involvement of diaspora organisations can specifically promote the social integration of migrants. For example, they can provide welcome packages with important information for the integration in Germany (Serhati, 2024). To further develop welcoming culture, Kösemen and Wieland (2022) recommend humanitarian responsibility, support for constructive actors and fair integration. A cooperative welcoming culture could also promote migration and skills development, with skills partnerships making a contribution.

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