(Suggested lead: Germany is opening its doors wider than ever for skilled labor — and Indians are stepping in. Facing an acute shortage of workers, Berlin is actively courting talent from India, strengthening not just economic ties but people-to-people connections. Over the past few years, Germany has eased visa and language requirements to attract Indian youth for apprenticeships and traineeships in Germany. The results are clear: between 2020 and 2025, the number of Indians in Germany nearly doubled to 280,000. And with growing uncertainty over career prospects in the United States under Trump, many Indian professionals now see Germany as the next big opportunity. DW’s Shalu Yadav traveled to north indian state of Haryana to meet students preparing to leave for Germany, determined to build their future there.)

Lower thirds:
0:10  Report by / Shalu Yadav & Richard Kujur
0:46  Shalu Yadav / DW Correspondent
1:11  Muskan Panwar / Nursing student, trainee
1:29  Manjit Khadiana / Nursing student, trainee
1:38  Tejvinder Rajput / truck driving student, trainee
2:04  Rajesh Kundru, Migration consultant

SCRIPT:
UPSOT: Hallo Guten Tag!
0:03 – 0:16
VO: They’ve got working German and are raring to go to Deutschland... 
These young Indians are preparing to join Germany’s vocational training system that combines studies with practical experience on the job. 
UPSOT a girl describing recycling (i think) in German 25.00 
0:21 – 0:26
VO: It’s not just the language, they’re also learning about German culture and lifestyle... 
UPSOT teacher responding and training on recycling... a bit of laughter and light moments... 
Visuals of kids moving out of the class and settling in a park outside
Outside shots book - ‘at home in Germany’ 
0:32 – 0:45
VO: As the class breaks, they test each other’s knowledge of their destination country...Most are due to start jobs in healthcare, hospitality, food processing or transportation this year.
0:46 – 01:03
+++ PTC: What you see here is diplomacy in action… as India and Germany take their people-to-people relations to a new high… While Germany is short of skilled workers, India has a wealth of untapped talent… The idea is to put these things together to create a win-win.
1:04 – 1:08
VO: To play their part, these students will have to get used to life in Germany. 
1:10 – 1:28
+++ SOT Muskan Panwar (nursing student, trainee): 
People are punctual but the train system is not. So, I hear you end up late. And even if we are 5 minutes late, they can scold us a lot.  Then they might judge us based on that (laughs) And on top of that, the weather in Germany is also always cold, cold, cold, ((cold)).. That’s not good. I don't like it.’
1:28 – 1:37
+++ SOT Manjit Khadiana (nursing student, trainee)
Germans drink a lot of beer. They believe in enjoying their lives....  The people here are very stressed...I would love to go to Germany.’

1:37 – 1:51
+++ SOT Tejvinder Rajput (truck driving student, trainee)
I will complete a 3 year apprentice course. Then I’ll continue my life in Germany as a truck driver. I can travel the whole of Europe as part of this program. I am very excited to go... I have started shopping already.’
1:52 – 2:02
VO: Rajesh Kundru switched careers to take advantage of the German push to attract Indians. Germany used to be a hard sell to people looking for a future abroad. 
2:03 – 2:42
+++ SOT Rajesh Kundru, Migration consultant
They would look at UK, Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand... I’d tell them that going to those countries would cost thousands of dollars and with repeat course fees. But now that these countries are closing their doors, people are increasingly looking at Germany. Here we have a lot of young people and they are unemployed, so this gap can easily be filled.
2:43 – 2:57
Social media makes Germany feel just a swipe away. They giggle at a video of DIY plumbing in Germany... Not what they imagined they would be signing up for, but that could soon be part of their lives too...