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Since the Recognition Acts entered in force, the federal government and the federal states established an extensive range of information structures aimed to support their implementation. The three information portals for recognition of foreign professional qualifications, “BQ-Portal”, “Recognition in Germany” and “anabin”, are central in this context. Their close cooperation ensures high quality content and consistency.
The second report on the Recognition Act adopted by the Federal Cabinet this week gives a positive assessment of the act. The experience of three years since its enactment shows that the Recognition Act contributes considerably to increasing attractiveness of Germany for a foreign skilled workforce.
Compared to 2008, the number of EU foreigners in Germany has doubled. Most immigrants came from Southern and Eastern Europe. The immigrants represent a great potential for the German economy. The BQ-Portal offers comprehensive information on foreign vocational qualifications and thus creates greater acceptance for foreign credentials.
On 1 October 2019 a new funding directive for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications comes into force. It expands the funding opportunities. In future, it will also be possible to get funding for certificate evaluations from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB).
Since February 2018 the project „Recognition in Germany“ is also on Facebook. Apart from information on recognition of professional qualifications their Facebook webpage offers in particular a platform for dialogue and exchange.
Three skilled workers originating from Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, and Poland are working at Horst Busch Elektro-Technik GmbH in Hamburg. The company specifically recruits skilled workers who have obtained their professional qualifications abroad. Contrary to all fears surrounding the assessment of skills or possible cultural misunderstandings, the company has had very good experiences with this recruitment strategy. Horst Busch Elektro-Technik GmbH does not only facilitate the professional recognition of employees who hold foreign qualifications – it also covers the associated costs of the recognition process. This Hamburg-based electrical company is feeling confident: given the shortage of qualified personnel in this field, this investment will pay off in no time.
The 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report by UNESCO congratulates Germany for its policies in recognizing migrants and refugees’ prior qualifications and skills. The recognition of foreign professional qualifications increases the probability of immigrant employment by 45 percentage points and the hourly wage by 40%. A million migrants a year visit the website ‘Recognition in Germany’, which offers advice on the recognition procedure in 9 languages. The information on foreign vocational training systems and professional qualifications in the BQ-Portal is accessed annually by over 180,000 website visitors, primarily assessment authorities, companies and experts.
Germany is faced with the immense challenge of integrating thousands of refugees. The most successful path to integration is through the workplace. Refugees bring with them motivation, energy and commitment. Many of them are qualified professionals. Moreover, while fleeing from their home country, they gained a wide range of experiences useful for German employers. Refugees in Germany are eager to find a job and contribute actively to the society they live in. For refugees, employment is a new start in a new country and an opportunity to find home in Germany. For companies, employing refugees is an opportunity to fill open positions and invest in the future. Due to the demographic change and ageing society, many companies find it difficult to recruit the qualified professionals they need. The fact that the majority of refugees who come to us are under 35 years old enables companies to find and bind the employees they need.
The extended country profile of Ukraine includes information on the economy and society in the country, on the most important features of the vocational education and training system, and on immigration to and integration in Germany.