Ergotherapy Sector Struggles to Fill 557 Public-Sector Posts as Congress Targets Prevention and Direct Access
16.06.2026 - 15:17:16 | boerse-global.de
Across public institutions—from the LMU Klinikum in Munich to psychiatric facilities in Detmold and specialized schools in Kiel—exactly 557 positions remain unfilled, with salaries typically pegged to the collective agreements TV-L or TVöD.
Roughly 2,200 attendees gathered at the Ergotherapy Congress in Bielefeld to confront the crisis head-on. The conversation revolved around three urgent themes: a strained labor market, the potential of blank prescriptions (Blankoverordnung), and a push for direct access to therapy without a doctor’s referral. The German Association of Ergotherapy (DVE), which represents nearly 15,000 members, used the platform to call for a more modern curriculum—pointing to its own award-winning CurriculumKit as a way to make training more appealing.
Employers Get Creative to Lure New Talent
Companies are investing heavily in recruitment pipelines. Internships focused on workplace health promotion and behavioral ergonomics have become a standard tactic. In Bavaria, opportunities exist at Klinik Jesuitenschlössl in Passau, MOOVE GmbH in Regensburg, and BMW in Dingolfing.
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Meanwhile, workplace health promotion (BGF) itself is gaining traction. A growing number of employers are teaming up with health insurers to improve working conditions. One example: the city of Nordhausen and AOK PLUS launched a program in 2020 that now covers more than 400 employees.
Professional sports are also entering the mix. At a partner evening hosted by the Bayer Giants Leverkusen and Pronova BKK, stakeholders discussed how elite athletics and workplace prevention can create synergies. Job postings in Bremen and Göttingen now list perks such as corporate fitness, bicycle leasing, and flexible hours.
Digital Tools and Prevention Go Mainstream
The Initiative for Health and Work (iga) took advantage of Alcohol Action Week 2026 to release a free web-based training module for addiction prevention. Designed for managers and consultants, the three-module program provides strategies for dealing with dependency disorders.
Interest in preventive measures registered strongly on June 13, when roughly 15,000 people across Bavaria took part in a single action day in Munich, Regensburg, and Würzburg. The specialized trade fair “therapie MÜNCHEN,” scheduled for June 19 and 20, will showcase therapy kits tailored to coordination training under the umbrella of neuro-physio training.
Mental Health Moves to Center Stage
Looking ahead, the GPA trade union in Vienna plans to launch a survey on June 22 examining workplace stress and the effectiveness of corporate health promotion. Public health and market research experts will present findings on employees’ exposure to strain.
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In Regensburg, the Telefonseelsorge Ostbayern crisis hotline is bracing for growing demand: a new volunteer training course begins in September. The broader message from Bielefeld was clear: health is no longer viewed simply as the absence of illness, but as a factor that employers and therapists can actively shape.
