President William Ruto and Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz signed the Labour Mobility Partnership Agreement at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on September 13, 2024.

President Ruto, who is committed to finding job opportunities for millions of unemployed Kenyans abroad, described the deal as a win-win.

Germany, the wealthiest European nation, faces a labor deficit due to its aging population, while Kenya has a labor surplus due to its large youth population.

Experts say Germany needs about 400,000 skilled immigrants each year to address its aging and shrinking workforce.

The deal is supported by the German Skilled Immigration Act (FEG), which aims to make it easier for skilled workers from outside the European Union (EU) to enter Germany.

The Act addresses the country's shortage of skilled labor by providing more opportunities for individuals with vocational training and practical knowledge.

It streamlines the visa application process for skilled workers and expands access to the labor market by recognizing more types of qualifications as skilled.

The Act also introduced new mechanisms for recognizing foreign qualifications, making it easier for skilled workers to have their credentials validated in Germany.

The Act allows for recognition partnerships between German and foreign institutions, which can facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications.

These partnerships aim to streamline the process of validating foreign educational credentials, making it easier for skilled workers to find employment in Germany.

Not everyone qualifies to work in Germany under the deal.

Skilled jobs such as IT specialists are highly preferred.

Fortunately, employment of people with highly developed practical professional knowledge was expanded under the new changes to the Act.

For IT specialists, access to the labor market was further facilitated by reducing the required professional experience to two years (from three).

A professional qualification or university degree is still not required.

Other skilled workers needed are healthcare professionals, including nurses, manufacturing managers, mining managers, and construction managers.

The country also needs engineers, chemists, architects, dentists, veterinarians, and other skilled workers.

The new provision now applies to all non-regulated professions in all sectors.

For people with practical professional knowledge, the requirement is that they have a qualification or a university degree recognized by the country of training.

In the case of a professional qualification, a training period of at least two years is required.

As an alternative to a state-recognized qualification, a qualification from a German Chamber of Commerce Abroad may be sufficient under certain conditions.

In addition, applicants must have a minimum of two years’ work experience in the occupation they wish to enter.

For IT specialists, the required professional experience to access the labor market is two years.

For nursing jobs, all third-country nationals with less than three years of regulated nursing training are now able to work in the health and care sector.

The prerequisite for this is that such individuals either have relevant vocational training in nursing in Germany or a foreign nursing qualification that is recognized in Germany.

Nursing and care assistants from third countries who have completed their training in Germany are now able to apply for a residence permit for job seekers.

The residence permit is issued for up to twelve months and can be extended by up to six months if the applicant’s livelihood is further secured.