Signite's Magazine

The shortage of skilled labour is affecting many sectors in Germany. It has now also reached the traditional branch of mechanical engineering. At the start of the new training year, many apprenticeship places remain unfilled. This is because there is a lack of qualified applicants, according to the industry association VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und […]

Germany’s Federal Statistical Office has published new statistics on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications. According to the figures, the number of positive recognition procedures increased from 52,300 in 2022 to 65,300 in 2023 (up 25 per cent). This is 11% more than in the previous year. Compared to 2016, when Destatis recorded the recognition […]

The German government has decided to introduce a new nursing assistant education programme. The aim of the bill is to ensure that nursing assistants in future undergo a nationally standardised, appropriately remunerated training. Because Germany is divided into 16 federal states, which are allowed to have a say in educational matters, the introduction of such […]

The Competence Centre for Securing Skilled Workers, or KOFA for short, is a project commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection that provides advice and support to decision-makers in companies in the form of information and tips. Logically, KOFA encourages the recruitment of personnel from so-called third countries. ‘Looking abroad expands […]

Foreign nursing staff are to be allowed to work in Bavaria more quickly in future. This is to be achieved with a three-pillar strategy for a “fast lane” that interlinks visa and professional recognition procedures and thus accelerates them. One milestone is the centralisation of the recognition procedure at the State Office for Nursing on […]

In Germany, both the mask and testing obligation ends on 1 March for employees in clinics and nursing homes. This was decided by the Federal Ministry of Health and the health ministries of the federal states. Only the mask requirement for visitors to hospitals and nursing homes will remain in force until 7 April. Only […]

Time and again, calculations are made to help us look into the future. The Institute for Labour Market and Educational Research (IAB) has calculated in a model how much nursing staff will be needed in the coming years. Among other things, this is intended to create a basis for policy-makers to make the right decisions […]

The number of people in need of long-term care in Germany has continued to rise as expected. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), 4.96 million people in Germany were in need of long-term care at the end of 2021. In December 2019, there were still 4.13 million. The vast majority of these people in […]

The federal state of Brandenburg has launched a digital platform to facilitate the recruitment and integration of international nursing professionals. The online portal ‘Working in Nursing’ offers comprehensive information for professional nursing staff from abroad. The platform offers advice and support as well as practical assistance on topics such as entry, work permits and German […]

The Institute for Employment Research in Nuremberg announced that in June 2023, almost 1.7 million employees subject to social security contributions were working in nursing care. According to the study, the increase in specialist nursing staff is due exclusively to foreign employees working in Germany. Between 2013 and 2023, the number of foreign employees in […]

The industry trade union IG BCE and the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies are warning of impending competitive disadvantages and a weakening of innovative strength. The most important reason for this is the significant shortage of labour. This applies to laboratories as well as to production halls and research departments in the industry. According […]

In a nationwide raid, the customs authorities searched for evidence of social security fraud and illegal employment in the care sector. The action was directed against a complex of companies that provide care staff for 24-hour care in private households, according to the public prosecutor’s office in Dortmund and the main customs office in Münster. […]

The federal state of Brandenburg has launched a digital platform to facilitate the recruitment and integration of international nursing professionals. The online portal ‘Working in Nursing’ offers comprehensive information for professional nursing staff from abroad. The platform offers advice and support as well as practical assistance on topics such as entry, work permits and German […]

The Institute for Employment Research in Nuremberg announced that in June 2023, almost 1.7 million employees subject to social security contributions were working in nursing care. According to the study, the increase in specialist nursing staff is due exclusively to foreign employees working in Germany. Between 2013 and 2023, the number of foreign employees in […]

The industry trade union IG BCE and the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies are warning of impending competitive disadvantages and a weakening of innovative strength. The most important reason for this is the significant shortage of labour. This applies to laboratories as well as to production halls and research departments in the industry. According […]

In a nationwide raid, the customs authorities searched for evidence of social security fraud and illegal employment in the care sector. The action was directed against a complex of companies that provide care staff for 24-hour care in private households, according to the public prosecutor’s office in Dortmund and the main customs office in Münster. […]