Current projects for recruiting skilled workers
Are you looking for support in finding skilled workers abroad? The projects of our partners will help you implement your plans. Here you will find the right project for your company.
Here we present some projects from our partner network that could support you in recruiting skilled workers from abroad. Would you like to participate or do you need more information? Feel free to contact the respective project's contact persons.
Counselling and placement by the Federal Employment Agency
Do you require help in your search for staff abroad? The Federal Employment Agency (BA) supports you in your endeavours via counselling free of charge, placement and by accompanying the recruitment process. On the website of the BA, you can find all important information as well as options for contact for the international recruitment of skilled workers and apprentices at a glance (flyers available in German only).
List of current projects
Skilled workers from Colombia and Uzbekistan for crafts and trades in the climate sector
Do you have a business in the crafts and trades and are interested in filling open vacancies in the climate sector with skilled workers from abroad? Thanks to the “Future International Talents (FIT) for German Climate Businesses” project, funded by the Ministry for Economic Change and Climate Action, you can recruit experienced skilled workers from Colombia and Uzbekistan for your company. The pilot project is conducted in nine regions in Germany by the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) and the Federal Employment Agency (BA). The ZDH and the BA make sure the employers and skilled workers are being consulted, accompanied and supported individually during every step of the immigration and integration process. Aside from the matching process, this also includes the preparation in country of origin regarding language and intercultural barriers, as well as support during integration in the company and society after arriving in Germany. If you are interested, please contact the crafts and trades organization in your area directly.
"Hand in Hand for International Talents" connects qualified professionals and companies
Is your company a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) and looking for a skilled worker in the fields of electrical engineering, metal/mechatronics, computer science or in the hotel and catering industry? The project "Hand in Hand for International Talents" recruits qualified professionals with vocational training in Brazil, India and Vietnam. The project supports companies through the entire process. You can get to know applicants at regular online recruiting days or already search for the right specialist in the short profile folders.
Funding programme "Passgenaue Besetzung und Willkommenslotsen"
Thanks to the funding programme “Passgenaue Besetzung und Willkommenslotsen” (Customized Staffing and Welcome Guides), businesses, especially small and medium-sized ones, receive support from specifically trained counsellors located in chambers and economic organizations all over Germany while looking for applicants. The counsellors provide individual help for filling vocational training places, for example with young people from abroad. Moreover, companies are also assisted with any questions regarding the Skilled Immigration Act and integration in vocational training.
Video & more information (BMWE)
Map: Welcome Guides in Germany (NUIF)
UBAconnect: Finding qualified professionals through adaptation programmes
UBAconnect is an offer for companies looking for skilled workers in the industrial-technical, commercial or skilled trades sectors. Companies in need for personnel reinforcement and interested in employing a person, whose international vocational qualification is only partially recognized in Germany, are welcome to participate. Companies applying need to be willing to support them in the post-qualification process.
Specialized! Recruitment, placement and qualification of medical doctors
“Specialized !” provides support to clinics and international doctors until they are licensed to practise medicine, with the aim of recruiting doctors of human medicine for specialist training in Germany. In this programme, the Federal Employment Agency, in cooperation with its network partners, provides support in all the administrative steps required in the complex immigration process for doctors. Through the combination of language & knowledge transfer and practical phases (dual approach) in the clinic, it is possible to assign the international doctors to the employers directly after their arrival, which has been positively received, especially in rural areas. “Specialized!” represents a medium-term staff recruitment opportunity.
Want to learn more about the "Specialized!" programme? Visit monthly online information events for employers.
Triple Win programme: nursing specialists and trainees from abroad
The Triple Win programme is implemented jointly by the Federal Employment Agency (BA) and the GIZ. Trained professionals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Philippines, Tunisia, Indonesia, Jordan and Kerala (India) as well as nursing trainees from Vietnam are recruited on behalf of German clinics and care facilities. The foundation of the project is formed by placement agreements between the BA and the partner countries' employment authorities.
The BA informs and advises employers and matches them with the nursing professionals and trainees. GIZ organises German courses (up to level B1) and specialist nursing courses for the participants in their country of origin, instructing them about the differences between the healthcare systems, career options and technical terms.
In Germany, GIZ assists the nursing professionals who have entered the country, for example in dealing with authorities, opening a bank account or taking out health insurance, and also helps them to have their professional qualifications recognised.
Participants work as assistants in nursing until their foreign qualification as a nursing professional is recognised, which is to be done in the first year of their employment.
Nursing professionals from Latin America for Germany
In this project, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) recruits nursing professionals from Mexico and Colombia. The nurses are selected online or on site together with German clinics. Intensive support is provided by the BA during the subsequent German language courses with the aim of achieving full recognition of the professional qualification and a successful employment in Germany. In this process, the BA works closely with partners in Latin America, Asia as well as in Germany in order to ensure a successful and fair immigration of skilled workers. Employers support the nursing professionals in their recognition process and are assigned a permanent point of contact at the BA who, among other things, is available to advise on integration and funding opportunities.
APAL – vocational training partnerships with Asia and Latin America
The Federal Employment Agency (BA) places trainees from El Salvador, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Uzbekistan and India in the German labour market. Depending on their country of origin, interested trainees can choose between training in the medical field (e.g. nursing), the industrial-technical field or the building sector. Together with local institutions, the BA coordinates and assists throughout the entire process - from the recognition of foreign school certificates to language acquisition (B1 or B2 level). The project follows the principle of fair and ethical recruitment and is based on international standards.
PAM – partnership approaches for vocational training and labour migration
PAM organises the cooperation between the German economy and educational institutions in Ecuador, Jordan, and Vietnam. All parties involved work together to clear the path towards the German or local labour market for potential migrants. The project especially focuses on the sectors of metalworking, electrical engineering, automotive engineering and food processing. Are you interested in international trainees, and do you simultaneously care about contributing to the qualification of young people, especially in the countries of development cooperation? Please feel free to contact the project team! The PAM project is carried out by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) by order of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
THAMM Plus: Finding skilled workers and trainees in a fair way
The THAMM Plus project encourages creating paths of safe and fair labour migration to Germany for trainees and skilled workers from Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. The placement is conducted in such a manner that all parties benefit from the process: the employing companies, the placed trainees and skilled workers, as well as the cooperating countries. After a multiple-step application procedure, THAMM Plus comprehensively prepares the selected skilled workers and applicants, for example by means of German language courses and technical further education. Interested companies receive individual consultations and have the opportunity of getting to know suitable applicants in online job interviews. After signing the employment contact, THAMM Plus provides support during the visa and recognition procedure. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH carries out the project in cooperation with the Federal Employment Agency (BA). THAMM Plus is a project conducted by order of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-funded by the European Union.
Funding programme: Targeted Mobility Schemes
The Targeted Mobility Schemes funding programme (TMS) of the EURES network supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the integration of new employees from other EU countries. SMEs can receive funding for an integration programme with various elements (e.g. language courses) if you meet some requirements and submit an application. Are you interested? The advisors at the Customer Center will show you the way forward.
T.E.A.M.: Technical specialists from Colombia
As part of the “TEAM” (Trabajadores Especializados de Colombia para AleMania) project, the International and Specialized Services (ZAV) recruit and place skilled workers from Colombia with German technical and skilled trades companies in the fields of in electrical engineering, metal construction, mechatronics and structural and civil engineering in various specialisations. The skilled workers already start learning German in Colombia and are accompanied by the ZAV during the entire process, for example during the language course and the preparations for entering Germany. The employers support the skilled workers during the recognition procedure and are provided with a permanent contact person at their Employment Agency, standing by their side by consulting them and answering questions on integration and funding opportunities, amongst other things. Should you wish to take part in the project, please contact the employer service responsible for your matters.
FIMA - Fit for the German Labour Market
The FIMA project gives you the opportunity to attract excellent talents from Mexico, Brazil and Colombia to your company who have benefited from free language and intercultural preparation.
Further information can be found at the Goethe Institute and the Federal Employment Agency (BA) .
Willkommen im Kindergarten – Welcome to the Kindergarten
In the “Willkommen im Kindergarten” (Welcome to the Kindergarten) programme, skilled workers in childhood education from other EU countries (currently focusing on Spain and Italy) are specifically targeted and recruited for German daycare centres in order to cover the need for staff in early childhood education. For this purpose, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) cooperates with various official bodies, private institutions and the network of European employment services (EURES) and coordinates the language preparations for interested candidates in their home country (generally up to level A2 according to the European Reference Framework), if need be. The newly recruited skilled workers further improve their language skills after starting the employment in Germany and get the opportunity to participate in adaptation measures to have their foreign professional qualifications recognized and be able to work as a fully state-recognized early childhood educator.
Shaping the Future: Daycare centre staff from Colombia
Are you looking for staff for your daycare centres? The “Shaping the Future” project supports anyone on the lookout for childhood educators and teachers from Colombia. Multiple factors form a solid base for the project: the Colombian higher education degrees in early childhood education; the cooperation with the official Colombian employment services SPE, the German Trade Chambers Abroad (AHK) and the Goethe-Institut; the experience in conducting projects in other professions in the country, as well as the placement agreement between SPE and the German Federal Employment Agency (BA).
The Federal Employment Agency works closely with the aforementioned network partners in Colombia to guarantee extensive support during the entire immigration process (application, selection procedure, language acquisition up to level B2/C1, recognition, permission to access the labour market, visa, adaptation period etc.). The principles for fair migration are based on international standards.
Nothing suitable for you?
The best way to find smaller projects in your region is via the local counseling centers. Contact the counsellors at the centres and ask about specific projects for recruiting skilled workers from abroad.
