German army teaches Syrian refugees reconstruction skills to rebuild their country

It will take ‘more than just new stones’ to rebuild Syria, says German Defence Minister

Refugees from Syria are being trained by instructors from the German army (AFP)

Germany's military has started a pilot project to help Syrian refugees learn civil reconstruction skills in an effort to help them find work and one day rebuild their home country.

German military experts will teach 120 refugees engineering, construction, sanitation and other skills over twelve weeks.

Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen and Frank-Juergen Weise, chief of Germany's Federal Employment Agency, launched the project on Thursday, although training sterted earlier in the week.

Speaking ahead of the launch Ms von der Leyen said: “The goal is for these young people to get good, basic training.

“We don't know how long it will take until they can return, so they have to be able to make a living while they are here.”

She added that the training was crucial for ensuring the eventual rebuilding of Syria, saying it will take “more than just new stones” and require “people with confidence and diverse skills”.

The project will run at six locations and participants will receive unemployment benefits during their training.

For Ali Sharqi, a Syrian refugee who was learning how to repair a damaged house, the primary goal is to learn a marketable skill.

“I do not want to return to Syria,” the 20-year-old told told the Associated Press. “I would go back to visit my family, but I would like to stay and work here,” Mr Sharqi, who was a student when he fled, added.

The unemployment rate among working-age refugees in Germany currently stands at 52 per cent, according to RP Online.

In August 2016, a total of 346,000 people who fled their countries – primarily Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Somalia - reportedly registered with the Federal Employment Agency as jobseekers in Germany.

The majority of those unemployed are younger than 35, and many are said to have few or no qualifications.

Of those who have found work, the majority are doing cleaning jobs, working in the warehouse and distribution industry or working as cooks or in sales.

Associated Press contributed to this report