Germany has a prestigious position globally, as it has the strongest economy in the old continent, and the third largest economy in the world after the United States and China. In addition, Germany is interested in scientific research and supporting research projects at all levels, as it has become a destination for many immigrants, whether from within the European Union or even from outside it, due to the luxury of living there, and the availability of laws for distinguished health care, in addition to supporting retirees and people with limited income through social solidarity programs.
All these features of a comfortable life, high per capita income, and other aspects of advanced life are now in danger, according to the annual reports of relevant research institutions inside and outside Germany. Experts attribute the result of this report to the fact that German society, like other European societies, suffers from relative aging and a small number of young people capable of working. Consequently, the main factor for implementing economic and social advancement projects, which is the workforce, is not present.
Labour shortage
The German website Deutsche Welle stated that the country needs hundreds of thousands of workers annually to maintain economic stability and drive progress, especially in light of the inflation that the world has witnessed since the Corona pandemic, through the Russian-Ukrainian war. The Institute for Strategic Planning also stated in its annual report that most vital sectors in Germany suffer from a severe shortage of workers, most notably education, healthcare and information technology.
This has prompted the government to strive to attract skilled workers from abroad, by enacting laws and legislation that make it easier for workers from abroad to come to Germany. The government has simplified procedures to make it easier for foreign workers to obtain residency. It has also launched programs to support small and medium-sized companies that employ immigrants and refugees.
For its part, the Robert Koch Institute for Studies stated that Germany has been suffering for years from a severe shortage of workers in various sectors of life, and that there are various reasons for this shortage, including the fact that many Germans are not convinced by the idea of having children, which has led to an increase in the rate of aging in society, in addition to the emigration of a large number of the population, and settling in other countries such as Spain, Switzerland or even America. Therefore, in order to face this challenge, Germany has resorted to using the expertise of refugees who have flocked to it since 2015 to become, with their children, a substitute for the shortage of workers.
Immigrants are an opportunity to fill the gap
The open-door policy of the previous government under Chancellor Angela Merkel has been the reason for the increase in the number of immigrants in Germany since 2015. With the increase in the proportion of these immigrants, the government saw in them a great opportunity to compensate for the severe shortage of human resources that the economy suffers from.
Berlin has begun developing programs to integrate immigrants into society by teaching them the German language, introducing them to the country’s laws, and supporting their economic projects.
These programs include:
- Financing of German language teaching centers.
- Equivalency of non-German certificates.
- Financing technical and vocational training programmes.
Employment of migrants in the education sector
Education, like other vital sectors, suffers from a severe shortage of teachers in schools and kindergartens, and this represents a challenge for the government. Therefore, it tried to benefit from the experiences of refugees, after noticing that many of them have educational backgrounds and previous teaching experiences in their countries of origin. Hence, German universities began launching initiatives to retrain refugee teachers.
Earlier, Yvonne Gebauer, Minister of Education in the North Rhine-Westphalia government, stated that the state is working in cooperation with other states and the federal government to fill the shortage of teachers by qualifying refugees to work in teaching.
The Minister stressed her government’s interest in the refugees’ experiences and the desire to benefit from that experience through the rehabilitation programmes that are being funded.
For its part, the Free Democratic Party (liberal) presented a proposal aimed at using refugee teachers to confront the challenges threatening the education sector across Germany.
In a report published by the German Teachers’ Association in 2020, there are more than 15,000 vacant positions in schools at various levels, starting with primary school.
The Bertelsmann Foundation also confirmed – in one of its studies on the state of education in Germany – that the education sector suffers from a severe shortage of teaching staff, and that this shortage will reach more than 26,000 vacant positions by the year 2025.
Angela Menscher, Director of the Education and Next Generation Project, stated that there are many projects to qualify refugee teachers, with the aim of training them in modern teaching methods and introducing them to the German education system. One of these projects is called “Lehrkräfte Plus”, which is a one-year qualification program for refugee teachers. It is offered at Bielefeld University, Ruhr University Bochum, and the University of Siegen.
This program focuses on learning German and training in modern teaching methods and techniques used in the country’s education system. It also includes a period of training in schools with the aim of getting to know the German education system closely.
After completing the program, graduates have several opportunities to work in schools, either as a teaching assistant or even a part-time teacher for middle and secondary levels.
In an interview with the website “Die Welt”, the Minister of Education of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia stated that the refugee teacher training programs aim to address the shortage of teachers, as the universities of Bielefeld, Bochum, Siegen and other universities offer programs to qualify refugee teachers to work in teaching in schools. Other universities have joined these projects and have begun funding similar training programs, such as the universities of Cologne, Aachen and Duisburg.
Refugee Teacher Rehabilitation Programs
Since 2017, Bielefeld University in North Rhine-Westphalia has been implementing such projects, followed by Ruhr University in Bochum, and many more universities have since followed suit.
“It is a good opportunity to work here in the field of education. I have extensive experience in this field, and I seek to develop my expertise,” said Muhannad Al-Shaheen, an Iraqi refugee who worked as an English teacher in his country before arriving in Germany in 2015.
The programmes begin by teaching refugees German, while giving lectures on modern teaching methods, in addition to conducting intensive workshops under the supervision of education experts from various German universities.
As for Muhammad Al-Balkhi, a teacher coming from Syria, he got the opportunity to join this program. He says, “In conjunction with the study, the certificates we have are sent to the foreign certificate equivalency centers affiliated with each state. After completing the training period and passing the German exam, and receiving approval to recognize our original certificates, we are ready to apply for vacant positions as teachers, whether in the elementary, middle, or even secondary school stages.”
For her part, Susan, a Syrian refugee who used to work as a history teacher, says, “The training for a whole year is very enjoyable. During this period, we get to know the educational system in Germany and train in various teaching methods, which makes the opportunity to get work in schools here available to us, after it had been a difficult dream to achieve.”
Overcoming bureaucratic obstacles
It is worth noting that the conditions for employment in the education sector in Germany are difficult even for citizens who wish to work in this field. After completing high school, the student must study at least two majors at university, such as studying mathematics, for example, with another subject such as sports, science, or music. After that, he must complete a full year of training in schools under the supervision of those responsible for him at the university, which is called “referendariat,” in addition to studying for a master’s degree in education at one of the universities.
All of these conditions represented the biggest obstacle for foreign teachers to undergo this experience, but the government worked in cooperation with universities to facilitate these conditions as much as possible, in order to ensure that foreign teachers enter the labor market, to fill the labor shortage that Germany suffers from in various fields, including education.