The fact that Germany is in dire need of professionals is no longer a secret. Other than importing professionals, a simpler option is to recognise the qualifications of the foreigners already living in Germany.
On 1st April 2012, a new law was put in place to allow the recognition of foreign qualifications as equivalent to the German qualifications. This was easy for the degrees because Germans had earlier converted their “diplom” system” to the “Bachelor-Masters” system which is universal, but for those holding other qualifications that could not be “translated” to a degree, it became rather difficult. (Read: German equivalent of your Kenyan degree/Diploma/Cerificate)
A Kenyan lady, Florence Alice Akinyi-Roß from Waldkraiburg in Bayern, this week became the very first African to have her African training recognised as equivalent to a German Ausbildung. Florence, who trained as a management assistant in office communication in Kenya, was awarded a certificate qualifying her qualification to a German “Kauffrau für Bürokommunikation” Ausbildung. With this recognition, she will be able to work in that profession everywhere in Germany.
“With the recognition of foreign professional qualifications, the IHK contributes to successful integration and fair treatment,” Manfred Gößl, deputy chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria, said at the very first ceremony of its kind in Munich. The foreigners at the event were awarded certificates recognising their qualifications, most of those recognised were from Eastern European countries. Florence was the only African.
This is no small feat especially for Africans in Germany. The fact that she trained in Kenya and is now “equal” to someone who did their Ausbildung here, is HUGE. Also the fact that this was in Bayern, does set the pace for other states to start recognising foreign qualifications. Most Africans, on moving to Germany, have either had to repeat a few years to be considered qualified or had to start from scratch in a completely new profession because what they did back home isn’t recognised. Bayern is not only known to have the most strict education system, but also to produce some of the best students in the country and usually tops the PISA test results. By Bayern accepting African qualifications, it being Germany’s “brain”, seems to be a message to the rest of the country.
If you live in Munich or its surrounding and would like to have your foreign qualifications, especially those gotten outside a University, recognised as equivalent to German qualifications, get in touch with
Nadine Ollivier – 089-51161679. Or get more info at: www.ihk-fosa.de
For those outside Munich, check the IHK responsible for your area and ask about “Anerkennung der ausländischen Berufsausbildung”
