Potential for professional recognition

The Skilled Immigration Act offers new opportunities for the immigration of skilled workers from third countries. In light of this, the current report from the German Economic Institute (IW) analyses vocational education and training in 13 focus countries from which potentially many skilled workers could immigrate to Germany.  

The 13 focus countries cover a wide range of different vocational education and training systems. They were selected because they can be assumed to have significant potential for the immigration of skilled workers. The following 13 countries were analysed in four country clusters: Mexico, Brazil, Columbia (Latin America), Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt (North Africa), India, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam (India and Southeast Asia) and Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo (the Western Balkans).

The IW report derives the potential for skilled worker recruitment from the 13 focus countries based on the analysis of the vocational education and training systems. This takes into account the requirements of professional recognition in Germany and highlights the features of vocational qualifications regulated in different ways, for example to support school-based and practical training or for short and long training periods. The focus is the recognition of vocational qualifications which in Germany fall under dual vocational education and training.

The current report provides initial guidance on the recruitment of skilled workers from third countries and on the potential for recognition of different vocational qualifications. In conclusion, the authors formulate recommendations for action to support even more efficient implementation of the procedure from abroad. The points mentioned include digital applications, financial support options for applicants, staffing of the competent authorities, and the implementation of refresher training and skills analyses.

Further information

IW reports: An analysis of vocational education and training in 13 focus countries