"Half of the Azubis are international recruits"

"Half of the Azubis are international recruits"

In the face of a growing shortage of personnel, particularly in the healthcare sector, Germany is making strides to attract and support international caregiver trainees. The nursing school in Kornwestheim, for instance, is actively seeking new students to fill vacant places, offering a free language course to trainees and employing a social worker to offer assistance with visas, learning support, and a listening ear for personal problems and work-related stress.

The job as a care specialist is fulfilling for many, especially those who enjoy working with people, according to school principal Ursula Palmer. The three-year training at the School of Nursing of the Clinics Ludwigsburg-Bietigheim includes both theoretical instruction and practical experience in the clinic or other facilities.

However, international caregiver trainees face several challenges. The language barrier is a significant hurdle, with proficiency in German at least at a B2 level generally required for vocational nursing training to ensure effective communication in healthcare settings. Foreign professionals often must go through a process to have their nursing or caregiving qualifications recognized in Germany to start training or work. Trainees may also struggle to adapt to the German care system's regulatory, educational, and clinical environment.

To address these issues, German vocational schools and authorities are implementing reforms and support measures. The Care Professions Reform Act, effective since January 2020, revamped training to be comprehensive for all nursing fields, free of charge, and includes a paid training allowance. The general nurse qualifications gained through this vocational training are automatically recognized Europe-wide, easing cross-border professional mobility.

The "Pflege kann was" campaign aims to attract diverse trainees, including international students, by providing clear information, support, and promotion of vocational nursing careers. The "Ausbildungsoffensive Pflege" launched over 100 specific measures to improve the quality and accessibility of vocational training in nursing care, which would benefit international trainees by enhancing educational infrastructure and support systems.

Language and integration support is also provided, with achieving language proficiency requirements (B2) often supported by preparatory language courses integrated into or preceding caregiver training programs. Specialized courses, such as the Last Aid Course for professional caregivers, aim to improve practical skills and tailor education to the needs of different caregivers, supporting diverse trainee populations including internationals.

Two such trainees are Chrismaria Varghese and Thérese Etounou Bene, who are training as care specialists in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Despite facing challenges, both are happy with their training in Germany and have a common goal of completing it. Thérese Etounou Bene, for example, has already completed a nursing training in Cameroon but has to start from scratch in Germany due to missing documents.

Despite these challenges, the dropout rate at the nursing school in Kornwestheim is lower than the national average, with only 6.9% of students abandoning their training in 2024. Chrismaria Varghese works on the palliative care unit, caring for incurably ill patients, often advanced cancer patients. The number of people in need of care is increasing rapidly, with the Institute of the German Economy predicting a rise from five to six million by 2040.

In summary, while international caregiver trainees face language, qualification, and adaptation challenges, Germany’s vocational education reforms, support campaigns, and comprehensive training programs are designed to ease these issues and enhance the attractiveness, accessibility, and quality of caregiving education for all trainees, including those from abroad.

1. The nursing school in Kornwestheim is targeting international caregiver trainees to fill vacant places, offering a free language course and employing a social worker for assistance.
2. Ursula Palmer, school principal, states that the job as a care specialist is fulfilling, especially for those who enjoy working with people.
3. The three-year training at the School of Nursing of the Clinics Ludwigsburg-Bietigheim includes theoretical instruction and practical experience in the clinic or other facilities.
4. The language barrier is a significant challenge for international caregiver trainees, with proficiency in German at a B2 level generally required.
5. Foreign professionals often must go through a process to have their nursing or caregiving qualifications recognized in Germany to start training or work.
6. The Care Professions Reform Act, effective since January 2020, has revamped training to be comprehensive, free of charge, and includes a paid training allowance.
7. The "Pflege kann was" campaign is aimed at attracting diverse trainees, including internationals, by providing clear information, support, and promotion of vocational nursing careers.
8. The "Ausbildungsoffensive Pflege" has launched over 100 specific measures to improve the quality and accessibility of vocational training in nursing care.
9. Language and integration support is provided, with preparatory language courses integrated into or preceding caregiver training programs.
10. Specialized courses, such as the Last Aid Course for professional caregivers, aim to improve practical skills and tailor education to the needs of different caregivers.
11. Chrismaria Varghese and Thérese Etounou Bene, two trainees, are happy with their training in Germany despite facing challenges.
12. Thérese Etounou Bene, for example, has already completed a nursing training in Cameroon but has to start from scratch in Germany due to missing documents.
13. The dropout rate at the nursing school in Kornwestheim is lower than the national average, with only 6.9% of students abandoning their training in 2024.
14. Chrismaria Varghese works on the palliative care unit, caring for incurably ill patients, often advanced cancer patients.
15. The Institute of the German Economy predicts a rise from five to six million people in need of care by 2040, highlighting the need for comprehensive caregiving education.

Read also: