“The BQ-Portal helps German companies assess foreign professional qualifications”, Mr Rösler commented. “So far, more than 20 country profiles and 337 professional profiles have been published on the website. Increasing numbers of assessment authorities, employers and foreign professionals have turned to the portal and benefited from the information it offers. As a result, foreign vocational credentials have become more transparent, which greatly increases the opportunities for international professionals in the German labour market.”

More than 2 million people in Germany have obtained a professional qualification abroad. Many of them have so far found it impossible to work in the job they have trained for, as their qualifications have not been recognised. As a result of the Recognition Act, which came into effect on 1 April 2012, foreign professionals now have a right to have their qualifications assessed and compared to a German reference qualification. Germany is the first – and so far the only – European country to have regulated the assessment of foreign professional qualifications in such a uniform and transparent way.

On the occasion of the international crafts trade fair in Munich, the BQ information portal for foreign professional qualifications, which was commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology went online on 14 March 2012. Since then, it has offered valuable support to institutions in charge of assessing foreign professional qualifications, but also to employers and people wishing to have their qualifications recognised. It provides comprehensive information on foreign vocational training systems and professional qualifications as well as guidelines for conducting assessment procedures.

The country and professional profiles will be continuously expanded and developed along with the rest of the BQ-Portal. Soon, the portal will also offer tailored information for companies wanting to assess foreign professional qualifications.

Source: http://www.bmwi.de/DE/Presse/pressemitteilungen,did=556152.html [in German]