San Francisco Frontiers - In changing times, young Germans gun for defence sector jobs

That was a "personal turning point," said the 25-year-old studying at the prominent Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, who was spurred into becoming an armed forces reservist and now wants to work for a military equipment manufacturer.

"People are beginning to understand that the Bundeswehr (the German armed forces) is now clearly focused on defending the country" and NATO, said the engineering student during a job fair organised by the institute in western Germany.

He was among young Germans at the event expressing interest in the defence sector, a sharp break from the past amid growing hostility from Russia as well as concerns about US security commitments to Europe under President Donald Trump.

For the first time ever this year, German arms manufacturers -- which are some of the world's biggest but had in the past kept a relatively low profile -- were among exhibitors at the fair as they hunt for staff to meet surging demand.

There were some signs of unease, with Germany's biggest weapons maker Rheinmetall pulling out after a handful of students voiced anger at the presence of arms manufacturers.

Still, there is a sense the long-running stigma surrounding the sector has eased since the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

And the opportunities in the industry may be welcome at a time that Germany's economy is mired in a downturn.

The European defence sector employs about 600,000 people and is expected to grow strongly, including in Germany where new Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to greatly ramp up military spending.

- Shifting attitudes -

"The political discourse we have had since 2022 has led Germans to change their way of seeing things," said Eva Brueckner, a consultant from the headhunting firm Heinrich and Coll, which helps defence companies find staff.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago, candidates have expressed fewer ethical and moral concerns about defence sector jobs, she said.

Another student at the fair, Nico Haenelt, was enquiring about an internship at the stand of industrial giant Thyssenkrupp's submarine-making unit.

While the 19-year-old says his parents had quite a pacifist worldview, recent geopolitical upheavals have shaped his own outlook.

"If the world were more peaceful, I would probably also look in other areas," said Haenelt, who studies mechatronics, which mixes elements of engineering and computer science.

To attract talent, defence companies are offering perks ranging from paying for relocation costs to gym memberships, according to accounts given to AFP.

Diehl, whose products include ammunition and missiles, even offers scholarships to young people to fund their studies in the hope they will subsequently apply for jobs with the company.

- 'Conservative' sector -

With the German economy struggling, some hope the improving fortunes of the defence sector could provide a boost.

There are already signs that arms makers might throw a lifeline to some troubled companies.

Rheinmetall, whose profits have soared since the start of the Ukraine war, last year struck a deal to hire workers from Continental as the ailing auto supplier cuts thousands of jobs.

Still, beyond the traditional reluctance of young Germans to work in the defence sector due to the country's past, there are other challenges in recruiting for the industry.

"The sector is very conservative, and people who don't come from this background may have difficulty integrating," said the headhunter, Brueckner.

And not all the students at the job fair were rushing to find jobs in the arms industry.

Niklas, a computer science student who only gave his first name, said his priority was to find a job with "meaning", such as in the fields of health or sustainable development.

As for the arms industry? "Never", he insisted.

M.Powell--SFF