The study “Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Company Perspective,” conducted by the German Economic Institute (IW) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), examines the importance of recognizing foreign professional qualifications for securing skilled labor in Germany from the perspective of German companies. The focus was on how companies relate to this topic and on their concrete experiences.
Most experience with recognition processes was gained, for example, when the skilled worker was already employed by the company. Recognition also promotes the sustainable integration of skilled workers into the labor market and improves their employment prospects.
With the support of the IW office in Brussels, the results of the company survey were presented to an interested professional audience, highlighting their great relevance at the European level as well. In the European context, the recognition of foreign professional qualifications is a key issue because it facilitates the mobility of skilled workers within the EU and enables access to a broader talent pool. The European Union has introduced various directives and initiatives to harmonize and simplify the recognition of professional qualifications. The goal is to reduce the shortage of skilled workers in many European countries and strengthen the competitiveness of the European economy.
The authors, Gesina Leininger and Dirk Werner, presented the findings. In a lively panel discussion with Thomas Bastian from Talentscourty, Mirela Cacan from the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HKDir Norway), Michael Graham from the European Training Foundation (ETF), and Vasileios Symeonidis from CEDEFOP, the results were then placed in a broader European context. Opportunities to harmonize recognition processes at the European level were discussed. Thomas Bastian was also able to share practical experiences with the German recognition procedure on a broad scale. For years, skilled workers from India, Turkey, and Tunisia have been recruited for the German labor market and supported through the recognition process. Michael Graham from the ETF referred to the results of a recently published survey that looked at the recognition of qualifications from third countries at the EU level. The differences in recognition procedures across Europe were already highlighted by the BRAVO study.
After a stimulating discussion and in-depth questions from the audience about the study, the conversations continued over sandwiches and cake.
At the invitation of Members of the European Parliament, the study on companies’ perspectives on the German recognition procedure was then presented again to an international audience at the European Parliament. Together with Mikko Vieltojärvi, Education Policy Advisor (Confederation of Finnish Industries), various questions were discussed: What do employers need to effectively recruit talent from abroad? How can recognition procedures be improved so that qualifications can truly be used across borders? It is well known that EU member states face the challenge of overcoming labor and skills shortages. However, complex and lengthy recognition procedures for foreign qualifications act as barriers to mobility and leave valuable skills unused. The insights from the study were met with great interest and sparked lively discussions. The perspective of German companies on the recognition process carries weight across the EU and encourages reflection on mobility barriers and the reasons for recognizing foreign professional qualifications.