Signite's Magazine

The shortage of skilled labour in Germany is an issue in many sectors. In the transport sector the lack has recently grown the most in relative terms. According to a study by the Competence Centre for Securing Skilled Labour (Kofa) of the Institute of German Business (IW), which is closely linked to employers, the demand […]

The government of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg has agreed to set up a state agency for the immigration of skilled workers (LZF), which will also take on coordination and counselling tasks. As part of this reform, there will also be a central immigration authority for foreign skilled workers, replacing the 137 local immigration authorities […]

Since 1 March, the new Immigration Act for Germany has made it possible for future skilled workers to obtain a visa without a notice of deficiency. We explain exactly how this works here. Since the beginning of this month, applications for a work visa can also be submitted without a decision on deficits. Even with […]

The energy transition, i.e. the switch in energy generation from fossil fuels (e.g. coal) to sustainable energy sources (solar panels, wind turbines) and electric cars, is increasing the demand for well-trained skilled workers in the industry. In addition, an above-average number of people in Germany will be retiring in the coming years. There are currently […]

A study has analysed the future need for skilled workers in elderly care and the results have now been published. By 2035, more than 130,000 additional full-time skilled nursing staff will be needed in Germany. Already in 2025, a shortage of almost 60,000 nursing professionals is predicted, especially in nursing homes and in the outpatient […]

Unions and public employers have reached an agreement: The more than 2.6 million federal and municipal employees – including nursing staff in municipal facilities – will receive more money from March 2024 and inflation compensation payments before the end of this year. In total, employees will benefit from a pay increase of up to 17 […]

Since this month, i.e. since May, the second of a total of three stages for higher minimum wages in elderly care has taken effect. This means that the nursing staff there receive more money for their work. The minimum wage still differs according to the qualification of the staff and is now as follows: auxiliary […]

The federal state of Bavaria has decided to postpone the start of the specialist language examination for nursing staff by half a year. Originally, the introduction was planned for 1 July 2023. Now the first examinations are to take place at the beginning of 2024, when implementation must take place in all federal states anyway. […]

The law was passed in 2015. It was to have been implemented from 2020. In 2023, Bavaria was the first to dare to introduce the language test for physiotherapists, among others… But since no other federal state did anything, the introduction of this test, which has long been mandatory for human medicine throughout Germany (at […]

Berlin is introducing a specialised language test for nursing staff with foreign qualifications. This makes it the latest federal state to implement the law, which was passed years ago, albeit with a delay. The specialised language test at B2 level is intended to ensure that the necessary language skills are available to work competently and […]

There are a number of accounts on Instagram that you can use to learn or refresh your knowledge of your nursing profession. You already know everything? Great! Then you can use the posts to improve your German as a foreign nurse. Most of the information is very compact and covers a medical or nursing topic. […]

The number of occupations in short supply in Germany fell slightly in 2023, but remains at a very high level. This is the result of the annual analysis of the shortage of skilled workers by the Federal Employment Agency (BA), which has now been published. Shortages in filling vacancies are evident in 183 of the […]

The Federal Cabinet approved the draft of the Nursing Competence Act yesterday, Wednesday. The aim of the act is to involve specialist nursing staff more closely in patient care and to make better use of their skills. This would enhance the status of their work and motivate them. In addition, doctors would be relieved of […]

In many sectors in Germany, there is a lack of qualified personnel. The Centre of Competence for Securing Skilled Workers (KOFA) of the employer-related German Economic Institute (IW) has published a new study on this topic. According to the calculations, the sector most affected is healthcare. According to the study, the greatest bottlenecks in this […]

The number of people in need of care in Germany has risen much more sharply in recent years than the number of people employed in the care sector. It is also taking longer and longer for vacancies in hospitals and nursing homes to be filled, while at the same time unemployment among nurses and care […]

The renowned Bertelsmann Foundation has published a new study according to which Germany needs hundreds of thousands of immigrants per year to meet its labour needs in the coming decades. Around 280,000 international workers would have to start each year until 2040 in order to prevent the potential of the labour force from collapsing. The […]