Nadezda Zubkova, Engineer

My story

Migrate to Germany on the spur of the moment? Nadezda Zubkova from Russia did exactly that. At the very least, the decision was spontaneous and extremely courageous. On a short visit to Berlin she fell in love with the city immediately and chose it as her future home. However, Nadezda Zubkova certainly had a plan when she came to Germany with her husband in 2016. Prior to this, the two of them had spent three years living in Cyprus. However, the graduate engineer was convinced that there would be far more opportunities in Germany for professional development. In Germany she also hoped for better financial and social protection. And ultimately, she wanted to start a family with her husband.

And the language barrier? Nadezda Zubkova also addressed the language issue with determination. Ten months elapsed from the original spur of the moment decision to the actual move. She used this time to learn German on the internet, because when she arrived in Berlin she at least wanted to know "how the language worked". She could then use this as a starting point in Germany. She completed four language courses at the adult education centre and achieved language level B2.

The 29-year-old remembers the move to Germany with mixed feelings. “Everything was new. I was full of anticipation, but also uncertain. I asked myself, what do we have to do? What comes first?” But Nadezda Zubkova received lots of support from the very start. She had praise above all for the exemplary “chain of advice”, as she calls it. This helped in particular at the start on the difficult path towards recognition. From the integration course at the adult education centre she then moved onto migration guidance from the Workers’ Welfare Association [Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO)]. From there she went to the recognition guidance from the Club Dialog e. V. migrant organisation. This is one of the advisory centres of the Berlin IQ regional network and supported her in the recognition of her Russian professional qualification.

This type of referral consultation is not common. However, it certainly worked for Nadezda Zubkova. The example shows that referral consultation is so important precisely because there is so much provision offering advice and support. This is because, for those interested in recognition it can be hard to find your way through the impenetrable “jungle of provision” alone.

In August 2017 she then applied for recognition to the Berlin Construction Chamber. The name of the reference occupation for the recognition was “Engineer specialising in the mechanization and processing of agricultural products.” The application was successful. The Russian diploma was recognised as equivalent under the Engineering Act of the federal state of Berlin. That was a huge relief for Nadezda Zubkova who had by that time had her first child. “My whole family and I are really proud of what I have achieved. This is something I feel happy about every day.” She doesn't just have praise for the excellent guidance. She's also grateful for the financial support from the recognition grant. She was advised by the Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (f-bb) regarding this.

Nadezda Zubkova is currently enrolled on a part-time qualification for migrant academics. This is part of the “BeuthBonus+” project and takes place at the Beuth University of Applied Sciences. The participants are prepared for the German labour market following an individual, subject-specific and systematic training plan. Among other things, this training plan includes application training and language coaching. The 29-year-old also works as a translator and interpreter at the Workers Welfare Association (AWO) advisory centre where her path to recognition began. Here she helps people who were in the same situation as she was at the beginning. As soon as the child has settled in at the nursery, Nadezda Zubkova wants to implement the next step in her plan. She wants to get going with her professional life and finally work in her dream job as an engineer. “I now feel secure, confident and ready to achieve my goals”.

The interview with Nadezda Zubkova took place in August 2019. She received recognition from the Berlin Construction Chamber. The Berlin Worker’s Welfare Association [Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO)] and Club Dialog e. V. advised her on the procedure. She received financial support through the recognition grant. She is currently participating in the “BeuthBonus+” project training programme at the Beuth University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.

My procedure in brief