100th funding payout from special fund

Jean Issa had his own hairdressing business in his home country of Syria. When he fled to Germany, he was not able to bring the certificates of his training at master craftsman level with him. He found out about the option of a skills analysis (QA) from the Düsseldorf Chamber of Crafts and Trades (HWK). This allows him to demonstrate practically what he can do and in this way gain recognition in his profession despite the missing documents. Thanks to the 100th payout from the skills analyses special fund, his skills analysis can now take place.

Mariangela Pierri from the Düsseldorf Chamber of Crafts and Trades (HWK) has already used the funding for multiple skills analyses and is convinced: “In particular, people from a migration background interested in recognition but who have no certificates need recognition – for long-term prospects, too. Help with funding the procedure, for example via the skills analyses special fund, is, of course, frequently also critical when deciding whether to go for recognition or not.”

Competent authorities need to indicate the need for funding of a skills analysis soon – for the skilled trades sector the contact is the West German Chambers of Crafts and Skilled Trades’ Council (WHKT), and for industry and commerce it is IHK FOSA.

This is because competent authorities only have until 30 November 2022 to apply to the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training for reimbursement of costs incurred in the skills analysis. This funding will cease at the end of the year. 100 percent of the costs of a skills analysis can be covered by the special fund. For Jean Issa, this means the costs of hiring an expert in his specific occupation, as well as the costs of renting premises at the vocational training and technology centre in Düsseldorf can be covered.

The skills analyses special fund is financed by funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). For those skilled workers with a foreign professional qualification who have not been able to submit all the documents required for the equivalence assessment, the skills analyses special fund enables them to undergo a skilled analysis, up to 100 percent of which is financed by the special fund. This allows them to demonstrate the equivalence of their professional qualification with a German reference occupation in a practical way. The employment agency or the job centre are also able to cover the costs of the recognition procedure involving skilled analyses. In certain cases, the costs of a skills analysis are also covered by the grant programme in Hamburg.

More information

WHKT: Skills Analysis Network

IHK FOSA: Qualification analysis