Opportunities for skilled workers with formal vocational training and German fluency

A new Skilled Immigration Act would allow skilled workers with formal vocational training and a good knowledge of German to migrate to Germany to work in German companies, newly appointed Goethe Institute Colombo Director Stefan Winkler said.

He said nurses were high in demand in Germany, even before the pandemic. However, there are ethical questions to consider, not luring skilled workers en masse into Germany, however, to work on a collaborative basis to benefit both countries Mr. Winkler said. He mentioned this at the conclusion of a three-day residential German Language teachers’ workshop conducted by the institute’s Language Department at the Nuwara Eliya Grand Hotel on Tuesday.

“Goethe Institute Colombo would continue to support teacher training, although, the pandemic has reduced its income. He also said the German Cultural Institute has secured a special funding to develop German language teaching in some schools in the South,” he said.

He said the Goethe institute could design special language courses for prospective skilled workers to learn German to widen their chances of immigration.

The Institute’s Language Department Head Rakitha Karunaratne said many people have believed that learning the German language would be of no use as the tourism industry is still coping with the pandemic situation.

He said school leavers with a German language competency of B2 of the TestDaF, a language exam to test language skills to study at a German university, and good A/L exam results, could study for free at German state universities.

“This is one of the major advantages in studying in German universities, over Australian or UK universities,” he said. However, students would have to pay for their other expenses including the accommodation and food.

Mr. Karunartne said Germany’s older population is increasing and the younger generations are not willing to work in the health care sector, opening up room for skilled workers, especially nurses and care givers.

“This is another new area opening up for those who are willing to work in Germany,” he said, adding that the job market would expand in future.

Mr. Karunarane said three-year Automobile Mechatronic Course based on the German ‘Dual Vocational Training model’ by DIMO is a skilled qualification recognised in Germany. Dual Vocational Training combines on-the-job training with technical studies from the beginning, he said.

Mr. Karunaratne said the Goethe Institute’s Language Department has been conducting workshops for German Language Teachers of public and private schools for the last five years, to cater to growing number of pupils opting to learn German language in schools.

“We conduct this workshop annually, so they have the vital opportunity to refresh and update their language skills and teaching methodologies,” he said.

Prof. Asoka de Zoysa, retired Professor of German Studies at the Kelaniya University, said the idea of having a higher language competence is to integrate prospective skilled migrants better into the German society.

He said apart from tourism, new avenues would open up for skilled workers with acceptable vocational qualifications and they will have better job opportunities in Germany.

“India is already in the forefront in sending skilled migrants to Germany. They do not want graduate qualifications. This is a new market,” he said.

Sarasi Kannangara, a German Language lecturer at the Kelaniya University, said she was happy to find that “teachers have improved a lot,” compared to the two previous workshops she had participated in as a lecturer.

“I definitely see improvement in terms of language and methodology, and teachers are more familiar with teaching methods and jargon. This series of workshops is working out well with teachers,” said Ms. Kannangara.

She also said their language competencies and teaching capacities had been enhanced by the efforts of the Goethe Institute, which also conducts free language teaching courses for the German teachers in private and public schools. University students can also follow these courses at concessionary rates, at the Cultural Institute.

Education Ministry Assistant Director Sanath Jayalath, who coordinates the German Language teaching for the Ministry, said currently around 60 government schools teach German for Ordinary and Advanced level students.

“The number could be more as some provincial council schools are teaching the German language,” he said.

The Goethe Institute provides annual training to government sector teachers of the German Language on the request of the Education Ministry. The Kelaniya University also supports the training of German Language Teachers, he said.

“It was a successful workshop focusing on the digital and online teaching of the language with the participation of more than 70 teachers,” Mr. Jayalath said.

“It was exciting to see more than 50 teachers taking part in the three-day residential workshop, even during the pandemic, as there were only 30 participants in 2019,” he said.

He said the new education reforms were giving more emphasis on teaching foreign languages in schools and the government will recruit more teachers to teach foreign languages in schools, in the future.