Over Hannover
As one of the region’s largest employers, with over 11,000 staff, Hannover recognises that an inclusive labour market starts with the institution that shapes policy. Internally, the city is working to open higher pay grades to employees with a migrant background through diversity-sensitive recruitment, while the annual DuoDay invites persons with disabilities to experience municipal careers from the inside.
Targeted programmes support the participation of Roma and Sinti communities in education and employment, addressing structural disadvantages that too often go unaddressed. The city also uses recognition as a tool for change: the Inclusion Award - now in its 15th edition - celebrates companies that create genuinely barrier-free workplaces for persons with disabilities, and the Women Make the Location Sponsorship Award honours women-led businesses. With Hannover leading Germany in the share of women in management positions in municipal companies, at 56% (more than double the national average), the strategy seems to be working.