Marian Torres, Materials tester

My procedure in brief

My story

“When I received partial recognition, I knew that a new door was opening up for me.”

Marian Torres carefully uses a sensor to scan the shell of an aeroplane. A green field appears on the screen of her tablet computer. She smiles with satisfaction. The measurement shows that the outer layer of the aircraft’s silver skin consists of ultra-pure and highly stable aluminium. This is the way it should be. 

Marian Torres is a trainee materials tester at Testia GmbH, a company which forms part of the Airbus Group. Testia specialises in testing every aspect of aeroplane structures. Marian Torres has worked here since April 2024. She is based at the Airbus Works in the Finkenwerder district of Hamburg. 

She owes her job in the aviation industry to the partial recognition of her training in Venezuela. In 2023, the Foreign Skills Approval Competence Centre (IHK FOSA) certified partial equivalence of her professional qualification with the German reference occupation of “Materials tester specialising in systems technology”.

Marian Torres began her training as a “Técnico Superior Universitario en Producción Industrial” in 2014 in Valencia, the third largest city in Venezuela. Her plan on completion of this training was to work in the pharmaceutical sector. “From 2014 onwards, things in Venezuela started to get worse, both economically and politically. I was working in a pharmacy to pay for my studies. But it no longer had any medicines. That was when I decided I would go to another country once I had finished my training.”

Marian Torres opted for Germany. A German acquaintance had told her that plenty of opportunities were available. She initially spent one year in the country as an au-pair in order to learn German. She arrived in Germany in November 2017 after having successfully completed her training a few months earlier.

Her stay as an au-pair ended in September 2018. She subsequently joined the Federal Voluntary Service with the aim of improving her German further. During this period, she worked at an assisted living community for disabled persons in Hamburg. Marian Torres then started to wonder what she should do next. She had previously worked in a pharmacy whilst in Venezuela. She therefore entered training in the occupation of commercial employee in the pharmaceutical sector.

But Marian Torres ultimately wished to return to the occupation in which she had originally trained. She conducted some research on the Internet and contacted the Hamburg Social Welfare Organisation of the Protestant Churches (Diakonie Hamburg) in order to obtain recognition guidance. She prepared the necessary documentation to submit an application for recognition. Marian Torres needed to arrange for some paperwork to be translated. That cost money. On the advice of Diakonie Hamburg, she applied for financial support in the form of a scholarship programme offered by Hamburgische Investitions- und Förderbank, the development bank for the State of Hamburg. She received funding to pay for the cost of the procedure. 

Marian Torres submitted her recognition application to the IHK FOSA in Nuremberg. In 2023, she got a letter. This turned out to be a notice attesting partial recognition as a materials tester specialising in systems technology. Marian Torres still lacked some knowledge and skills. The 18 months of practical training required by the German programme was also missing. 

What opportunities were there to use the notice certifying partial recognition to find work?

“To begin with, I had no idea whether partial recognition would allow me to work at all.” Marian therefore sought guidance from the Hamburg IQ Project “Recognised and Competent – new skilled workers for companies”. The project’s head Hakim Chohbishat explained the options available to Marian Torres. In order to achieve full recognition, she would need to complete 18 months of refresher training. But she could also use her partial recognition status to look for suitable jobs immediately.” 

Marian Torres chose to proceed directly to the labour market. In February 2024, she was invited to a job interview. “The interview didn’t last long. Testia offered me a position as a trainee, and I accepted straightaway. This was a very good opportunity for me, both professionally and financially.” 

Marion Torres views her future with great optimism. “Compared to other countries, Germany is very open to people who want to develop themselves further. I would like to learn much more in my profession and pursue continuing training.” Her boss Alexander Voß, the Head of Inspection for the Northern Region, also believes that her professional prospects at Testia are very positive: 

“Marian Torres is successfully able to apply and expand her knowledge in materials testing. She started with us as a quality tester and gained experience in aircraft production. We are now supporting her by providing in-house continuing training that will lead to qualification as a non-destructive materials tester in aviation.”

The interview with Marian Torres took place in October 2024. She was supported and advised in the recognition procedure by the Hamburg Social Welfare Organisation of the Protestant Churches (Diakonie Hamburg) and by the Hamburg-based project “Recognised and Competent – new skilled workers for companies”, which is part of the “Integration through Qualification” (IQ) Funding Programme. The project, which is run by the Working Group of Self-Employed Migrants (ASM), is particularly directed at persons with a foreign vocational education and training programme who have been accorded partial equivalence by the IHK FOSA.