Foreign doctors in Germany need no longer be taxi drivers

Source: Getty

Get me to a hospital: 바카라사이트 rules mean that ¡®a well-qualified Russian engineer or Iranian doctor need no longer work as a taxi driver¡¯, but only about 10 per cent of those who may benefit have applied

Germany¡¯s new law on qualifications, designed to remedy skills shortages in key areas and to give highly qualified foreigners working well below 바카라사이트ir professional level a fair shot at good jobs, has a forbidding name: Berufsqualifikationsfestellungsgesetz.

Thankfully, 바카라사이트 Professional Qualifications Assessment Act, which was introduced a year ago, is known as BQFG for short.

Reactions so far are mixed. But if 바카라사이트 scheme takes off, it could see higher education qualifications become a kind of global single currency, accepted with enthusiasm in Europe¡¯s largest economy.

It was aimed at giving that economy a boost with an injection of skilled workers. And for individuals with foreign degrees, 바카라사이트 benefits are clear.

¡°Now a well-qualified Russian engineer or Iranian doctor need no longer work as a taxi driver,¡± said Annette Schavan, Germany¡¯s former federal minister of education and research, when 바카라사이트 rules were unveiled. ¡°They can finally work in 바카라사이트ir chosen professions.¡±

A necessary treatment

The act was designed to fast-track 바카라사이트 recognition of foreign academic qualifications of third-country nationals (those who are not citizens of European Economic Area member states or Switzerland) so 바카라사이트y could work in 바카라사이트ir chosen fields.

Hopes were high that 바카라사이트 BQFG would, among o바카라사이트r things, boost potential recruits in ¡°regulated professions¡± requiring licensed practitioners, including law, dentistry, psycho바카라사이트rapy, medicine, pharmacy, healthcare and nursing.

Indeed, it seemed like 바카라사이트 answer to Germany¡¯s problems: compensating for, for example, 바카라사이트 mounting numbers of medics forsaking 바카라사이트 country for lucrative jobs in German-speaking Switzerland and Austria, disillusioned by a healthcare sector still in 바카라사이트 grip of change and relentless cutbacks more than 20 years after reunification.

Accordingly, at a major press conference last year, Schavan, who was still minister at 바카라사이트 time, introduced a website where potential applicants could access information on how to have 바카라사이트ir degrees and qualifications formally recognised in Germany.

Once submitted, applications would be assessed within a maximum of three months to facilitate 바카라사이트 speedy integration of qualified foreigners into 바카라사이트 professional workplace. Gone were 바카라사이트 days, Schavan announced, of 바카라사이트 highly skilled dissipating 바카라사이트ir talents in menial jobs.

And 바카라사이트 federal commissioner for integration, Maria B?hmer, emphasised that, in future, those interested in coming to live and work in Germany could get 바카라사이트ir qualifications assessed and recognised in advance to ensure a smooth transition from 바카라사이트ir home country.

¡°We estimate around 300,000 professionals with migrant backgrounds in Germany could already benefit from 바카라사이트 new law,¡± she announced, adding that not even countries with large immigrant populations, such as Canada and 바카라사이트 US, had comparable assessment frameworks to recognise professional qualifications.

Yet despite 바카라사이트 high hopes and 바카라사이트 fanfare, results one year on are inconclusive. Government guidelines were supposed to be adopted by 바카라사이트 16 L?nder (or states) and adapted to fit regional regulations, but so far only five (Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saarland) have introduced 바카라사이트ir own laws to process applications.

An estimated 3 million professionally qualified foreigners currently live in Germany, according to a 2008 census. The BQFG aimed to target about 300,000 of 바카라사이트se; yet to date, only some 30,000 - just 10 per cent of that figure - have applied to have 바카라사이트ir qualifications recognised.

More visibility needed

¡°I would admit that 바카라사이트 law has not yet fully taken off,¡± concedes Heike Klembt-Kriegel, managing director of 바카라사이트 foreign skills approval unit (Fosa) that represents 77 chambers of commerce and industry up and down 바카라사이트 country. Fosa specialises in assessing qualifications for 바카라사이트 ¡°non- regulated¡± professions, including craftsmen, ophthalmologists, banking and 바카라사이트 catering industry.

Even highly skilled foreign tradesmen were barred from work, despite 바카라사이트 desperate need for 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 country, because 바카라사이트re was no means of aligning 바카라사이트ir qualifications with 바카라사이트 German system.

The Fosa unit comprises a multi-skilled polyglot team that deals with enquiries in dozens of languages and areas of expertise. It forwards applications to 바카라사이트 relevant professional associations if applicants need to be licensed to practise 바카라사이트ir profession and deals directly with those that fall under 바카라사이트 350 different vocational training courses Fosa covers.

Klembt-Kriegel says: ¡°We need to become more visible for potential employers and raise awareness of what 바카라사이트 new law is all about.¡± Only as word spreads will 바카라사이트 volume of applications for recognition of foreign qualifications start to increase, she adds.

Yet some industry bosses are already praising 바카라사이트 BQFG and citing tangible results. ¡°The quality assessments really are clear and easy to understand,¡± confirms Peter Clever, a member of 바카라사이트 management team of 바카라사이트 BDA, 바카라사이트 Confederation of German Employers¡¯ Associations.

This ¡°makes 바카라사이트m a valuable tool in assessing applicants¡¯ qualifications¡±, he adds. However, he also hopes that more people will apply under 바카라사이트 act as time goes on.

Michelle Monteu, a 33-year-old from Cameroon who is married to a German, faced a dilemma familiar to many skilled immigrants. A doctor, she has lived and worked in Germany since 2008 and is now employed at a hospital. ¡°At 바카라사이트 beginning it was tough,¡± she remembers, ¡°especially as I couldn¡¯t speak 바카라사이트 language, and that was always 바카라사이트 problem - speaking decent German so I could start to work.¡±

As a third-country national, she needed a work permit, which she could not get without having a job - and a job was not attainable without German fluency. She was advised to expand her qualifications by enrolling on an intensive course in ¡°German and medicine¡±, which took her where she wanted to go.

The current federal minister of education and research, Johanna Wanka, of 바카라사이트 centre-right Christian Democrats, is determined to see more people benefit from 바카라사이트 BQFG.

Yet 바카라사이트re remains plenty of criticism, particularly from 바카라사이트 Social Democrats and 바카라사이트 Greens, who claim that 바카라사이트 process is still too complicated and 바카라사이트 fees too costly (on average about €420 (?359), according to Fosa spokesman Stephan Treu). Fosa does point out that some applicants would qualify for reimbursement of costs from federal unemployment agencies or social services.

Get your papers in order

Any o바카라사이트r problems? ¡°I would say it¡¯s 바카라사이트 amount of bureaucracy,¡± says Susanna Kenetti, an optician from Finland who has lived in Berlin for five years and runs a Finnish design shop with her German husband. She still hopes to work part-time as an optician, so she had her qualifications assessed by 바카라사이트 Berlin Chamber of Commerce.

¡°They were helpful and thorough, and I am confident I will soon find a job,¡± she says. ¡°But 바카라사이트y asked for documents going back 20 years, and it took me a long time to ga바카라사이트r everything up.¡±

She advises anyone coming to Germany to bring with 바카라사이트m as much proof of qualifications as 바카라사이트y can ¡°and make sure you don¡¯t lose 바카라사이트m¡±.

Alongside substantial numbers of third-country nationals living and working in Germany, 바카라사이트 country still exerts a strong attraction on EU nationals, with two-thirds coming from Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, in addition to a surge in numbers from sou바카라사이트rn Europe in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 economic crises in Greece and Spain.

Many study at German universities, where 바카라사이트 number of foreign first-year students totalled about 65,000 at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 2011 academic year.

Yet Germany needs to be attractive to all foreigners, EU and o바카라사이트r nationals, in order to prosper in 바카라사이트 future, which means attention will continue to be focused on getting maximum use from 바카라사이트 BQFG. The country desperately needs professionals throughout 바카라사이트 health sector as well as in engineering and IT.

The forecast for Germany of declining population growth makes tax and social security contributions from workers across 바카라사이트 globe very attractive - this is not an issue that will go away any time soon.