Third healthcare occupations workshop

The latest virtual networking event with competent authorities for healthcare occupations on 25 February focussed on collaboration between the competent authorities and the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) and on experience with the recruitment of skilled workers from abroad.

How do the competent authorities for the academic medical and health occupations collaborate with the ZSBA, which was recently established as part of the Skilled Immigration Act in February 2020? This was the question addressed at the third virtual workshop which the competent authorities for medical and health occupations had been invited to attend by the Recognition Monitoring Project of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) on 25 February. The invitation was also accepted by representatives of federal ministries, federal state ministries, the Central Assessment Agency for Healthcare Professions, and the Federal Employment Agency. In total, more than 60 individuals took part in the networking event.

The three-and-a-half-hour session began by taking a look at the changes contained in the Skilled Immigration Act relating to the immigration of skilled workers from third countries. These include, in particular, the discontinuation of the positive list and definition of the term “skilled worker” which covers persons with recognised vocational training and persons with academic training.

A year of the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA)

The collaboration with the ZSBA was the focus when discussing the specific experiences of competent authorities with the Skilled Immigration Act. Since February 2020, the ZSBA has been advising skilled workers abroad on recognition and supporting them in the recognition procedure. The purpose of the agency is to ease the burden on competent authorities, for example when compiling application documents. Participants discussed how collaboration between the ZSBA and the competent authorities could be further improved, and how to broaden awareness of what the ZSBA offers. BIBB encouraged the competent authorities to participate in its evaluation of the ZSBA.

Measures supporting recruitment of doctors of medicine and general nurses from third countries

Representatives from the Federal Employment Agency reported back on the programme entitled “Specialized!  - recruitment, training and placement of Mexican doctors of medicine”. The pilot project accelerated the process involved in gaining approbation (licence to practise medicine in Germany) and the aim is to transfer the findings to other federal states. The project’s approach of seeking to gain authorisation to practise an occupation early on in the procedure was discussed in depth. Project partners also endeavoured to achieve full equivalence by means of assessment procedures and to reduce the proportion of knowledge tests.

On the topic of the shortage of skilled workers in nursing, a range of different pilot projects from the Ministry of Health for improving recruitment of general nurses from third countries were presented, and discussion focused primarily on the development of a quality seal for the recruiting healthcare facilities and personnel service agencies. The Ministry of Health is seeking to use this to promote transparency when recruiting international nurses. The competent authorities would welcome such a seal. Suggestions from practice were offered regarding the focus of the quality standards’ content and their auditability. 

The plan is to continue with the healthcare workshop.

Information about responsibility for, and providing details on, the recognition procedure for the reference occupations of “Doctor of medicine” or “General nurse” is provided in the Profi-Filter and the Recognition Finder in this portal.
 

More information

Third virtual BIBB Healthcare Occupations Workshop — February 2021

Second virtual BIBB Healthcare Occupations Workshop — January 2021

First virtual BIBB Healthcare Occupations Workshop — December 2020

Skilled Immigration Act

Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA)