Government President Hands Over Funding Notices for “Arbeitgeberschmiede Südwestfalen PLUS – Global Connect” – Collaboration Between Universities, Economic Development Agencies, and Südwestfalen Agentur – Launch in January 2026

For the first time, numerous partners from South Westphalia are pooling their efforts to specifically attract and integrate international skilled workers for the region. The project “Arbeitgeberschmiede Südwestfalen PLUS – Global Connect” aims to establish the necessary structures, test digital approaches, and share knowledge within the region. Small and medium-sized enterprises are expected to benefit in particular. Heinrich Böckelühr, Government President of the Arnsberg administrative district, handed over seven funding notices totaling 3.78 million euros to the project partners around Südwestfalen Agentur. The project can now commence at the beginning of 2026.

“Central to the project is the question of how companies can successfully attract and integrate international skilled and labor forces. Especially in times of significant transformational pressure, this represents both an opportunity and a challenge for businesses. South Westphalia is economically very strong. Many of the numerous medium-sized family businesses often do not have the capacity to strategically address international skilled workers,” emphasized Government President Heinrich Böckelühr. “The regional alliance of universities, economic development agencies, and Südwestfalen Agentur provides a holistic approach. This is important for our state because the work of the ‘NRW Fachkräfteagentur International’ requires strategic contact points in the regions,” added Böckelühr during the handover of the funding notices.

The participating partners include the University of Siegen, South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, FernUniversität Hagen, agentur mark GmbH, wfg Wirtschaftsförderung Kreis Soest, and Südwestfalen Agentur. Each organization addresses a different aspect. They recognized that while there are isolated initiatives in South Westphalia for integrating and recruiting international skilled workers, there is neither a unified approach nor coordinated exchange of experience. This is where “Arbeitgeberschmiede Südwestfalen PLUS – Global Connect” comes in.

Building Networks, Using AI, Creating New Offers & Sharing Knowledge

Marie Ting, Head of Regional Marketing at Südwestfalen Agentur, welcomed the funding for this joint approach. “The cooperative approach in South Westphalia is a real plus for the region.” The agency’s role in the project is to connect regional actors, communicate joint activities, and pass on insights to companies in South Westphalia. “We focus on the needs of businesses and look at where gaps in services exist and how they can be closed,” said Saskia Haardt-Cerff, project manager of the ongoing funding project “Arbeitgeberschmiede Südwestfalen” at Südwestfalen Agentur GmbH. Marie Ting added: “Our goal must be for South Westphalia to be known nationwide as a region that is well-structured in supporting international skilled workers.”

With thousands of international students, the four participating universities possess valuable knowledge about regional needs and challenges. They also create new offerings—partly using artificial intelligence—and consolidate their research findings. Representing South Westphalia, Märkischer Kreis and Kreis Soest serve as experimental areas. There, solutions are tested and examined to determine how local and subregional support systems can function effectively.

South Westphalian Project Partners Already Collaborating

Almost all project partners are experienced in collaboration. In the currently ongoing funding project “Arbeitgeberschmiede Südwestfalen,” they already work together in a coordinated manner. Through practical offerings, small and medium-sized enterprises are supported in positioning themselves as attractive employers. During the project, the potential of international skilled workers became evident.

With its new project “Arbeitgeberschmiede Südwestfalen PLUS – Global Connect,” the South Westphalia region is not alone. A similar approach is being pursued in the Cologne/Bonn region. What Cologne tests in the metropolitan area, South Westphalia applies to the rural region. Both regions have agreed to maintain close exchange.

The project “Arbeitgeberschmiede Südwestfalen PLUS – Global Connect” is funded through the call “Regio.NRW – Transformation” with resources from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.