Samad Hamuch, Electronics technician specialising in automation technology

My story

From unemployment in Spain to sought-after specialist in Germany—Samad Hamuch's story is one of success. In his home country, the 26-year-old had completed training in an occupation with good prospects. Due to the economic crisis in Spain however, the trained electronics technician specialising in electrical engineering and automation technology could not find work. He had to come up with something. When searching on the internet, he came across a project which supports young people in Europe as they start company-based vocational education and training and brings them together with German companies. “I applied and it worked out! I then came to Germany in 2015 and started training as an information technology specialist in the Hanover region.”

It was at this time that Samad Hamuch came to the attention of a headhunter from a Spanish recruitment company which was recruiting specialists for the German railway. The interviewers were impressed by the 26-year-old’s professional competence as well as his knowledge of German, which he had already acquired in Spain. However he was not able to take up the position immediately, as he was not able to show recognition of his . He searched around on the internet again and arranged a consultation appointment with the Hanover Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). “I was motivated and wanted to get it done, because I love my job as it combines engineering and innovation.” To be able to return to the occupation he had trained in, Samad Hamuch put all his eggs in one basket: He gave up his training to be able to concentrate fully on the recognition procedure. He made the application at the end of 2015. However his training was only partially recognised. He had to compensate for substantial differences  in the area of automation technology by completing refresher training.

This was no reason for Samad Hamuch to give up. However, first of all he had to move to Saarland for personal reasons. He then contacted the Chamber of Industry and Commerce again, but this time it was the Saarland IHK. They put him into contact with the credential and training recognition service at the “Integration through Training (IQ)” network. Here Samad Hamuch received advice and refresher training organised with TÜV Nord. This provided him with the knowledge and skills from the area of automation technology which were not included as part of the training in Spain. Network IQ also covered the funding. Samad Hamuch had been working over the intervening period as a temporary assistant with a small company and was engaged in assembly work throughout Germany, including in the field of technical building services. The practical knowledge he gained through this reduced the refresher training to two months. He completed this and received full recognition in August 2016.

Samad Hamuch has been working as a rail vehicle electronics engineer with the German railway at the Munich site since September 2016. He is responsible for the servicing and maintenance of trains and is therefore completely in his element. “I'm very happy and proud that I chose to take this route. Here I have a better quality of life and recognition has provided me with a good and secure job.”

The interview with Samad Hamuch was conducted in March 2018. He was advised and supported during the recognition procedure by the Hanover Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Saarland Chamber of Industry and Commerce and saaris saarland.innovation&standort e. V. as part of subprojects of the Service Centre for Foreign Qualifications [Servicestelle zur Erschließung ausländischer Bildungsabschlüsse (SEAQ)], and by a qualification agent for dual occupations from the Saarland IQ Network.

My procedure in brief