In the summer, it’s hard to imagine life without swimming in the outdoor pool. But what if what seems like a godsend on a hot day turns out to be impossible due to the lack of…staff at the pools? The Federal Association is sounding the alarm: everywhere in the industry there is a massive shortage of professionals…
According to the Federal Association of Pool Operators of Germany, the situation is alarming before the start of the season in outdoor swimming pools – the industry is experiencing a massive shortage of personnel. “This year, the situation will become even more dramatic,” said association president Peter Harzheim. “Today, not only are we short of skilled workers, but we are facing a worst-case scenario.” Across the country, pools lack at least 3,000 skilled workers. Harzheim cited extremely inconvenient work schedules for pool attendants and “outrageous wages” as reasons.
Intensify efforts
In addition, the baby boomer generation is retiring. “Many employees quit their jobs during the pandemic years because they didn’t understand how the situation was going to evolve further, or they were looking for a more reliable place in the industry,” the president said. Therefore, he called for stepping up training efforts. “If each of the approximately 6,000 swimming pools across the country had a student, the problem could be considered partially solved.”
North Rhine-Westphalia, which along with Lower Saxony has the most indoor pools in Germany, is expected to have a maximum of 150 applicants this summer, compared to 160 applying for pool jobs last summer, a he declared. “Although the general trend is upward, there is no way to fill vacancies yet,” says Harzheim. “The percentage of those who failed the exams is too high.”
At the start of the season
According to the association, based in Wesseling near Cologne, one of the consequences of the labor shortage is the reduction of the opening hours of outdoor swimming pools or their complete closure. To avoid problems this summer, the association is desperately looking for people. “This year we started looking for lifeguards for outdoor pools already in winter,” said Ralf Becker, responsible for public pools in Essen. “We were approached, for example, by sports students and high school graduates, and we generally recruited swimmers from clubs. Essen needs 50 rescuers. “To date, our efforts have filled approximately half of the vacancies,” Becker points out.
According to the Deutsche Gesellschaft für das Badewesen, there are more than 6,000 swimming pools in the country, including 2,794 indoors and 2,422 outdoor, which in many regions start the season in May or depending on the weather.
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