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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).
Recognition as a recruitment strategy: The Horst Busch Elektro-Technik GmbH in Hamburg specifically recruits skilled workers who have obtained their professional qualifications abroad. This Hamburg-based electrical company does not only facilitate the professional recognition of employees who hold foreign qualifications – it also covers the associated costs of the recognition process. They are feeling confident: given the shortage of qualified personnel in this field, this investment will pay off in no time.
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 share of applicants granted full equivalence in Germany varies widely by individual professions and by professional groups. The proportion of applicants who received full equivalence is especially high in the sales and healthcare sectors.
A delegation with representatives of the Swedish Council for Higher Education visited the BQ-Portal on 1 February in order to get acquainted with the professional recognition in Germany. Since 2017 it is possible in Sweden to have your foreign professional credentials recognized. In Germany this legal right was introduced already in 2012. The Swedish Council for Higher Education is responsible for carrying out recognition procedures in Sweden and already uses the information available in the BQ-Portal in daily work. At the meeting, the Swedish guests learned how to find the information in the BQ-Portal, and found out, how the BQ-Team carries out research on foreign VET systems and professional profiles.
The share of those granted full equivalence in the health and sales sector stands at more than 75%. The success rate in the law and administration sector is, on the contrary, extremely low due to significant differences in the law and administration systems among the countries.
The share of applicants granted full equivalence in Germany varies widely among the individual professions and among the professional groups. The proportion of applicants who received full equivalence is especially high in the sales and food production sector.
If you as a company would like to support an international candidate or employee in having their foreign qualification recognized, you may use or point them to existing offers of information and advice.
The new Employment Ordinance has been in force since 1 July. The list of occupations in which people with vocational training qualifications from non-EU countries can access the German labour market is now also in place. Following the "EU Blue Card" for the highly skilled, the improved recognition of foreign vocational qualifications and the relaxations in the rules for students from non-EU countries who wish to stay on to work in Germany, this is a further important step towards making it easier for workers from outside the EU to enter the German labour market and towards covering the skills gap in the German economy via migration.