More than six years after the end of anthracite mining in Germany, former mine operator RAG wants to hire trainees again. As announced by the Essen company, from August 2025, they will be able to learn the profession of environmental engineer or environmental engineer for wastewater management. Among other things, the children will learn how to maintain the giant submersible pumps. At six locations in the Ruhr area, they ensure that the mine water level does not exceed a certain height.
The last mine closed in 2018.
After numerous mine closures, which resulted in tens of thousands of socially acceptable job losses, anthracite coal production in Germany ended in 2018. At a ceremony in Bottrop at the end of December, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier symbolically accepted the last piece of coal. The last trainees also completed their training in 2018. RAG AG still employed 3,000 people in 2018. At the end of 2020, there were around 1,240. Now there are only 600.
The company is already hiring again, as many employees will be leaving the company due to their age in the coming decades. A company spokesperson said that about 20 new employees have already been hired in various positions in the past 12 months.
RAG is initially looking to hire six trainees.
Initially, two training positions are planned in the Ruhr area: environmental technology/technician, digitalization management secretary and office management secretary. Peter Schrimpf, CEO of RAG, described the company’s change process as being very well managed. “We have a good future. And we want to share it with young people again.”
RAG AG is 100% owned by the RAG Foundation, which is responsible for financing the ongoing follow-up costs of the German coal mining industry. One of RAG’s main tasks is the so-called mine drainage.
Mine water is water that seeps from deep rock layers, often contaminated with salt and chemicals, and collects in unfilled mine holes after mining is finished. It must be pumped out permanently to prevent it from reaching nearby drinking water sources.
Pumping out surface water from the mine sinkhole and cleaning up groundwater at the former coke plant site are also part of RAG’s ongoing work. Last year, the RAG Foundation spent €266 million on so-called permanent debt.
