Background and project objective
The German labour market faces a growing shortage of skilled workers. Medical nursing is particularly affected. Forecasts estimate that Germany could face a shortage of up to 500,000 nursing professionals by 2030.
Recruiting nursing professionals from abroad offers one option for securing skilled workers sustainably. Previous efforts to recruit nursing professionals internationally have achieved limited success.
This project examines how the shortage of skilled workers in the medical sector can be reduced sustainably. Future professionals will receive pre-training abroad before starting dual vocational training in Germany.
The project cooperates with hospitals in Germany and training institutions in Kenya. It examines the structures and processes required to select, prepare, and integrate 5,000 young people from East Africa each year.
Participants will receive linguistic, intercultural, and professional preparation. The aim is to support their successful vocational training as nursing professionals in Germany and their integration into German society.
The project focuses on identifying and removing barriers that currently prevent existing pilot projects from being scaled up. In a later project phase, the concept will be transferred to other occupations facing a shortage of skilled workers in Germany. hs-koblenz
Why Kenya?
Kenya is a suitable country of origin for potential trainees for several reasons.
With a population of 51.4 million and annual population growth of 2.6 percent, Kenya has a sufficiently large potential workforce. The Kenyan education system also performs comparatively well within Africa.
Around 82 percent of all pupils complete secondary education. At the same time, only 13 percent of each age group receives tertiary education.
This creates significant potential among young people who are qualified in principle for vocational training but lack suitable opportunities in their home country.
Kenya could also serve as a starting point for expanding the project to the culturally related countries of Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda. hs-koblenz
Developing the process for recruiting trainees from East Africa
Phase one: Selection
Tasks
- Selection through an aptitude test
Key question
How can an aptitude test enable the precise pre-selection of suitable participants?
The test aims to identify:
- Cognitive abilities
- Potential for cultural integration
An affinity for nursing professions
Phase two: Preparation in Kenya
Duration: approximately five months
Tasks
- German language skills at level B2 as a prerequisite for admission to the programme
- Teaching additional medical terminology
- Intercultural preparation for life in Germany
- Introduction to nursing fundamentals
Key question
How should the training content and formats be designed to prepare participants effectively for vocational training in Germany?
Phase three: Administrative preparation
Tasks
- Visa application
- Residence permit
Key question
How can the process reduce the administrative workload for participants from East Africa and employers in Germany?
Phase four: Vocational training in Germany
Duration: three years
Tasks
- Training as a qualified nursing professional at a hospital or other healthcare institution in Germany
Key question
Which accompanying measures can increase the likelihood of successful vocational training?
Phase five: Integration in Germany
Tasks
- Support with professional and personal integration in Germany
Key question
Which concepts can support participants’ professional and personal integration?
