Fifteen months after the start of the war, the Federal Employment Agency sees progress in integrating Ukrainian refugees into the labor market. But there are still obstacles – even for qualified applicants who already speak German.
Kateryna Sikorska is still only allowed to work under supervision in the Nuremberg pharmacy. Together with the branch manager, the Ukrainian is standing at one of the sales counters and is serving a customer.
In June of last year, the 37-year-old was hired as a part-time pharmacy assistant – although she studied pharmacy in Ukraine and has worked as a pharmacist for many years. When she fled here with her mother and daughter after the outbreak of war, she spoke no German.
skills shortage also in pharmacies
In May 2022, Sikorska says, she registered on the employment agency’s website and immediately received job offers. She sent her resume to a pharmacist and was invited for an interview. The pharmacy hired her immediately, even without any knowledge of German. In the beginning, English was spoken, says Kai Früh, branch manager of the Medicon pharmacy in Nuremberg.
He justified the quick decision in favor of the Ukrainian applicant by saying that the pharmacy had previously had experience with recognition processes. It is a long way, but in the end you have an experienced pharmacist who can be fully deployed immediately. In addition, she also has language skills – Russian and Ukrainian – and can translate for customers if necessary.
requirements for foreign professionals
In order to be able to work as a pharmacist in Germany, knowledge of German is required – as well as additional job-related language skills. Qualifications obtained abroad must also be checked and recognised. In Bavaria, the government of Upper Bavaria is responsible for pharmacists. For doctors, in turn, the Bavarian State Medical Association.
The city of Nuremberg’s job center currently has 350 well-trained Ukrainian women who are taking additional, job-related language courses in order to be employed in line with their training. The problem: the recognition of qualifications takes time.
Sluggish recognition of foreign qualifications
According to the experience of the Nuremberg job center, the recognition of foreign qualifications is slow. The few Ukrainian translators have their hands full, according to Renata Häublein, manager of the job center in Nuremberg-City.
Actually, the legally prescribed deadlines are three months, which a recognition procedure should take, says Häublein, but she has experienced that it can take up to six months or even seven months, especially in the regulated professions.
As long as Kateryna Sikorska gets from the job center “increasing” citizen money. Her earnings as a pharmacy assistant will be taken into account. However, she still receives benefits because she earns too little to be able to live on it. Health and care insurance, rent and heating costs are also covered.
federal agency pulls mediation record
According to the Federal Employment Agency (BA), one million people have come to Germany since the start of the Russian war of aggression. Agencies and job centers are currently looking after 480,000 employable Ukraine refugees.
In the opinion of BA board member Daniel Terzenbach, it will not be possible to quickly integrate all people who have fled Ukraine into the labor market. According to Terzenbach, a lack of childcare options, little knowledge of German or traumatizing experiences during the flight often do not allow for direct employment.
Nevertheless, according to the Federal Agency, more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees had a job in March of this year: 80,000 as employees subject to social security contributions, 25,000 as mini-jobbers. In order to shorten the waiting time for foreign qualifications to be recognised, Terzenbach believes it makes sense to entrust a number of central recognition bodies with the task. According to the BA board, too many different bodies are currently involved with varying degrees of intensity. That delays the process.
Waiting for the “okay”
The Ukrainian pharmacist Kateryna Sikorska is still waiting for her qualifications to be recognised. As long as she lacks this, the pharmacy can only employ her as a pharmacy assistant. She currently works part-time, four days a week for five hours. After work, she attends a German course lasting several hours.
The 37-year-old is very motivated. She quickly got used to the German language. She now speaks German quite well and will take her B2 final exam in September. After that, she has to complete another job-related language course.
At the end of the year, Kateryna Sikorska hopes that her Ukrainian university degree and her professional years as a pharmacist in the Ukraine will be recognized by the government of Upper Bavaria. She wants to work and be paid according to her qualifications as soon as possible. Because, of course, her financial situation has seriously deteriorated as a result of fleeing to Germany. Until then, she has to supplement her part-time job with citizen income.