Germany's trainer drivers shortage could be mitigated by training refugees to do the work, per a new regional plan | Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images Germany wants refugees to be train drivers Program launched as part of effort to assimilate more than a million refugees.

BERLIN — The German region of Baden-Württemberg on Tuesday outlined plans to train refugees to be train drivers as part of efforts to tap the pool of labor that has arrived since 2015.

"Within about 15 months, people who have a clear resident status in the country and a good knowledge of German should receive comprehensive training for this important profession," said the region's transport ministry in a statement.

The state transport ministry in Stuttgart estimates that some 1,000 jobs on the local railways will need to be filled over the coming years in Baden-Württemberg, a rich region of 11 million bordering France and Switzerland.

Under the plan, the state will co-finance training courses while railway companies will set up language programs incorporating sector-specific lingo.

There are an estimated 44,000 refugees allowed to remain and seek work in Baden-Württemberg, the ministry said. The training program promises to pay €2,100 per month before tax.

Some 1.4 million refugees entered Germany between 2015 and 2017, mostly from the Middle East and North Africa. The train driver program is set to start later this year and could also address shortages in track construction and workshop staff.

"The project could become a model for the qualification of refugees," said Christian Rauch, director of the regional office of Germany's Federal Employment Agency. "This could meet with great interest in other sectors, which are also seeking skilled workers among the refugees."