Further strengthening and optimising of recognition

Press release 40/2022 from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) dated 30.11.2022

BIBB President Esser: “Fair integration of skilled workers over the long term”

BIBB President Friedrich Hubert Esser made the following statement regarding the cabinet decision on cornerstone policies relating to skilled labour immigration from third countries. “The cornerstone policies contain key measures to support ongoing efforts in tackling the shortage of skilled workers in Germany. In terms of quality assurance and long-term integration in the labour market, continuing to value skilled worker recruitment highly via recognised foreign qualifications is, above all, the right thing to do and is important. I welcome that the Federal Government is seeking to increase immigration for training."

The intention resulting from the skilled labour immigration law reform is that persons from third countries will also be permitted to enter Germany without a recognised qualification to work in non-regulated professions. Esser emphasises how this is urgently needed in view of the impending “skilled worker disaster” as it means that more workers will be able to enter Germany more quickly. “However, if we are seeking to achieve fair and sustainable integration of foreign skilled workers in the German labour market, we must continue to build awareness of and promote opportunities for voluntary and retrospective professional recognition.”

In recent discussions concerning skilled worker immigration, the recognition of foreign professional qualifications has often been framed as an obstacle. However, skilled workers in Germany with a recognised qualification have been shown to have improved chances of gaining a job, the prospect of a higher salary and greater development opportunities. A successfully completed recognition procedure also offers greater potential of retaining international skilled workers in Germany over the long term. Professional recognition can also serve as a seal of quality for German employers, and it can contribute to maintaining the highest standards of German vocational education and training.

The results and recommendations from the BIBB Recognition Monitoring Project show that there is further need for optimisation in the recognition of foreign professional qualifications. Since the Recognition Act entered into force in 2012, information and advisory services have been established, financial support has been put in place, databases for the purpose of knowledge management have been set up, and expertise has been pooled. In healthcare, for example, the federal states founded the Central Assessment Agency for Healthcare Professions (GfG), which has played a key role in making recognition procedures quicker and more consistent. According to recommendations from the BIBB Recognition Monitoring Project, future challenges exist in the areas of digitalisation, standardisation of application documents, and the creation of appropriate training offers.

BIBB has been supporting the implementation of statutory regulations governing the recognition of foreign professional qualifications at national and federal state level on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) since 2012. As part of recognition monitoring, BIBB activities focus on the multilingual portal “Recognition in Germany”, scientific investigations and highlighting areas where action is required. 

Source: BIBB press release (German)

More information: 

• "Key factors in ensuring optimised recognition", recommendations from the BIBB Recognition Monitoring Project (German)
• German Federal Government press release: "Germany to thoroughly revamp immigration law" (German)