Good examples from practice

In my home country, the Republic of the Philippines, I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and then worked in the development department of a global company that manufactures printers, scanners, digital cameras and other electronic products.  My goal has always been to go abroad, as it is difficult to find a job in the Philippines where my qualifications are recognised and that pays well. Originally, I had planned to go to Canada, as I wouldn't have had to learn a new language there. However, I have already started learning German A1 at the Goethe-Institut in the Philippines, as this language certificate is a prerequisite for all long-term visas for Germany.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)After I met my current husband on the Internet, it was clear that I would go to Germany. After we got married and found an apartment in Halle, I gradually improved my language skills. When I had successfully completed German B1, I started a mini-job so that I had some money of my own. I used it to buy a bicycle, among other things.

After contacting the employment agency, I continued to learn German B2 for work and then German C1. But it wasn't easy to find a job here, because I often got rejections for my applications.

It was only through a job fair where I came into contact with the people from “Fachkraft im Fokus” that things started to move forward. The placement of contacts at companies in particular helped me a lot. The recognition of professional certificates by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK) is important in order to get a job. This takes a while and costs a lot of money, but it is the most important step in getting a job as an engineer here in Germany.

Today I work at INGenium EMSR GmbH in Halle and am very happy that my current bosses have confidence in me and my abilities and that I am an integral part of the team of planning engineers. Since 2024 I have been recognized as a Bachelor of Sc. in Electronics Engineering by the Chamber of Engineers in Saxony-Anhalt and have also become a member of the chamber.

For me, my life's dream has come true both professionally and privately, and anyone who really makes an effort and focuses on finding a job here and building their life can do it. My next goal is now naturalisation, which is also a lengthy process, but I am very optimistic.

Tariq Al-Maáitah was born in Jordan and has dreamed of becoming a doctor since he was young. Attending language courses and studying medicine is very expensive in Jordan, but his parents made this path possible for him and after graduating from high school, he studied human medicine at Mútah University in Al-Karak from September 2014 to June 2020. From July 2020 to July 2021, he deepened his knowledge in the fields of surgery, internal medicine, gynaecology and paediatrics at the Prince Ali Military Hospital in Al-Karak. He then worked as a general practitioner at the South Jordan For Occupational Health in Al-Karak until the end of 2022.

While looking for a suitable place for his further medical training, he became aware of the partnership between the Federal Employment Agency - the ZAV International Placement Services in Bonn - and Jordan and received as one of 316 applicants one of the 15 scholarships for entry to Saxony-Anhalt.

Tariq Al-Maáitah entered the Federal Republic of Germany on 10 January 2023 and received his employment contract and accommodation in a clinic in the Harz region on 13 January 2023. At the same time, he attended the C1 specialist language course alongside his work, which he successfully completed on 10/08/2023.

After successfully completing the C1 specialised language course and being able to apply for his work permit, he was suddenly confronted with the fact that his fixed-term employment contract had to be terminated for economic reasons.

In August 2023, Gabriela Nagler from the Saxony-Anhalt Welcome Centre in Halberstadt was involved in the further process. She immediately contacted the parties involved and the Federal Employment Agency and set all available measures in motion to find Tariq Al-Maáitah a new employer with suitable accommodation. Tariq Al-Maáitah's five-year training programme to become a junior doctor and his planned stay in Germany were at stake. Thanks to the good cooperation between the parties involved, a new solution was found quickly and he was taken on as an employee in the orthopaedics department at the "Teufelsbad" rehabilitation clinic in Blankenburg (Harz) on 1 October 2023 and was also allowed to live there. As the circumstances at the original clinic had changed in the meantime and a new opportunity for employment arose, he decided to continue his career as a vascular surgeon there from 1 December 2023.

His colleagues at the "Teufelsbad" rehabilitation clinic were extremely accommodating and supported him in his decision to continue his specialist training and made it possible for him to change jobs again at short notice.

He has now received his work permit, which means that his residence permit is no longer in jeopardy and Saxony-Anhalt has gained a specialist who spares no effort in successfully pursuing his career and completing his specialist training.

Tariq Al-Maáitah greatly appreciates the discipline and high quality standards in Germany, but would like to see less bureaucracy. He is grateful for the support of his parents, Inga Thomsen at the Federal Employment Agency, doctor Katharina Bühl, Alexandra Hahne from the Employer Service, Gabriela Nagler from the Saxony-Anhalt Welcome Centre and the entire team at the "Teufelsbad" rehabilitation clinic in Blankenburg (Harz).

Ich habe in meiner Heimat der Ukraine einen Abschluss in Sozialer Arbeit absolviert und anschließend Wirtschaftsökonomie studiert. Während meines Studiums war ich 8 Jahre als Notfallsanitäterin tätig. Danach habe ich 2 Jahre als Bankkauffrau als Beraterin in allen Geldangelegenheiten gearbeitet. In den darauffolgenden 12 Jahren arbeitete ich als Arbeitsvermittlerin im Jobcenter meiner Heimatstadt. In dieser Position habe ich insgesamt zwischen 300 und 400 Kunden betreut. Ich habe mich um alles gekümmert. Täglich habe ich neue Kunden registriert, Arbeitslosengeld berechnet, die Arbeitlosen über Arbeitsmöglichkeiten auf dem Arbeitsmarkt informiert, den Kunden geholfen, einen Lebenslauf und Bewerbungsschreiben zu erfassen und natürlich auch passendes Personal für Arbeitgeber gesucht. Ich habe etwa 50 Kunden pro Tag betreut und Termine im 10-Minuten-Takt vergeben. Mein Hauptziel war es, eine Arbeitskraft und den passenden Arbeitgeber zusammenzubringen. Obwohl das Arbeitsaufkommen enorm war, hat mir dieser Job sehr viel Spaß gemacht.

Aufgrund des Kriegsausbruchs in der Ukraine musste ich mein Heimatland verlassen. Im März 2022 floh ich gemeinsam mit meiner Tochter nach Magdeburg und wurde in einem Wohnheim untergebracht. Dort erhielten wir großartige Unterstützung von Freiwilligen und einer deutschen Familie. Im Mai 2022 absolvierte ich einen Deutschkurs und schloss anschließend einen Integrationskurs mit B2 ab. Danach begann die Arbeitssuche. Nataliya Detka vom WelcomeCenter Sachsen-Anhalt hat mich dabei sehr unterstützt. Sie erklärte mir, wie man hier in Deutschland eine Bewerbung und einen Lebenslauf verfasst. Außerdem half sie mir bei der Vorbereitung auf Vorstellungsgespräche und erläuterte mir die Arbeitskultur und die Kommunikation im Beruf. Diese unterscheiden sich deutlich von der in der Ukraine. Dank der großartigen Unterstützung hatte ich sogar die Wahl zwischen zwei Jobs und entschied mich schließlich für die Stelle als Jobvermittlerin in der Arbeitsvermittlung beim Jobcenter. Ich bin wirklich glücklich mit meiner Entscheidung. Unsere Abteilung ist relativ klein und ich habe sehr nette Kollegen, die mir immer mit Rat und Tat zur Seite stehen. Es gibt einen umfangreichen Einarbeitungsplan und ich hoffe, bald die ersten eigenen Jobvermittlungen durchführen zu können.

Magdeburg gefällt mir sehr gut und ich hoffe, hier eine neue Heimat zu finden. Meine Tochter studiert mittlerweile an der Otto-von-Guericke Universität und hat sich ebenfalls ziemlich gut eingelebt.

"It is certainly one of the beverages that no company, no restaurant or industry should be without - coffee," Johannes Lübbers said with assurance, urgently on the lookout for a field service technician for his company who has no problem being mobile. "Rent coffee machines and water dispensers at reasonable prices and savour the highest quality! Since 1991, we have been offering a complete coffee service in Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Brandenburg, Berlin and Lower Saxony. Full service support is a given when working with us! Whether it's a technical problem with the fully automatic coffee machine or the delivery of new filling products: in our case, everything comes from a single source!" 

Johannes Lübbers, managing partner of procon GmbH, approached the state initiative Fachkraft im Fokus in February 2022. First of all, André Gottschalk, regional advisor for companies, dealt with the entrepreneur's concern. It soon emerged that the company was quite willing to invite qualified specialists with a migration background to interviews for the full-time position that needed to be filled. 

The regional advisor at the WelcomeCenter Saxony-Anhalt, Nataliya Detka, assists entrepreneurs in their search for suitable qualified specialists and advises them on all issues relating to their operational and social integration. She put forward a total of four Ukrainian and Belarusian individuals as candidates to Johannes Lübbers. Two of them were to be invited for an interview as early as March. 

Mr Rafayevych has lived in Germany for 20 years. He convinced the entrepreneur of his technical understanding and got a permanent job as a field service technician with a six-month probation period. His area of responsibility is the maintenance and repair of commercially-used hot and cold beverage systems. Mr Rafayevych came to terms with his area of responsibility very quickly and adeptly. "He is friendly, nice, reliable and extremely interested in his work. The company is very happy with him. Nevertheless, there is unfortunately a significant language barrier that could become a problem for procon GmbH," Johannes Lübbers added. Mr Rafayevych therefore received a lot of support from the company so that he could quickly improve his language skills. He is completing a language course alongside his work in a highly motivated manner and receives additional support from his colleagues. All of them hope that Mr Rafayevych will be able to integrate very quickly, also linguistically and that they will qualify themselves as excellent mentors in the process. 

Aybaniz Garadzhaeva speaks fluent Russian and Ukrainian and, with her two degrees in education, is highly sought after in the German education system. She wants to build a future for her family in Saxony-Anhalt. She felt she had a good chance of finding her new centre of life in Magdeburg. And, in the meantime, she has regained her courage, her confidence and views the future with optimism. "I would also like to stay here and establish myself professionally," says Aybaniz, looking forward to her first lesson she gets to give in Germany. 

The teacher and social educator from Kharkiv did not expect that she would have to leave her homeland and start her life anew in another country. The young mother loved her job working with pupils in her home country, Ukraine. Her entire life changed upon the outbreak of the war. The ambitious woman tried to keep classes going at her school for a long time, in order to maintain a bit of normality there. But then nothing could work any more. When the school's windows were shattered by a detonation in front of her very own eyes, she too no longer has any more strength. Together with her children, she embarked on a traumatic 30-hour escape to Germany. Via Berlin, the frightened family first came to Hanover, from there back to Berlin and then finally travelled to Saxony-Anhalt. 

In Magdeburg, Aybaniz Garadzhaeva got in touch with the state initiative Fachkraft im Fokus through a recommendation and met our regional advisor at the WelcomeCenter, Nataliya Detka. The detailed and very emotional conversation between the two women in their native language provided Aybaniz with a sense of security. She quickly came to trust our empathetic and knowledgeable regional advisor. Nataliya Detka explained the ranking and sequence of the measures to be initiated now and immediately contacted the State Education Authority. In a very short period of time, all the important documents were compiled and sent to the relevant authority. Now, Aybaniz Garadzhaeva can hardly wait for the feedback and launch her new career in Saxony-Anhalt. 

Motivated employees are the foundation for your company’s success   

It doesn't have to be a daycare centre - there are many ways to incorporate family-friendly measures within your company. Kerstin Mogdans is a coordinator at the WelcomeCenter Saxony-Anhalt of the state initiative Fachkraft im Fokus. As part of her multifaceted advisory work, Ms. Mogdans also increases entrepreneurs's awareness of the possibilities of incorporating family-friendly measures within their companies. This does not necessarily always have to do with big projects. It is rather the small ideas that do not always have to cost a lot of money or entail large investments. Kerstin Mogdans attaches great importance to finding and adopting solutions in collaboration that fit the company and the employees. Karsten Doll, Managing Director of Rettungstechnik Doll GmbH stated in his event feedback that this message was well received by the entrepreneurs: 

"On 22 February 2022, we held a workshop at our company premises with our managers. The goal was to raise awareness of the issues of adapting the company's guiding principles, family orientation, as well as the development of appropriate implementation measures. Another concern was to make communication more successful in order to motivate, retain and attract qualified specialists, and to enhance the company’s external and internal image. The workshop that entailed a lot of participant input and group work under the moderation of Kerstin Mogdans turned out to be very constructive and goal-oriented, as it was about making existing good structures visible in (potential) comparison with the ideas and wishes of our employees. We were put in the right direction here, opportunities were discussed. We will continue to work actively on the planned measures and push forward with their implementation. 
We thank you very much for the interesting encouragement and outstanding moderation."