International students in focus: New initiative for career entry!

International students in focus: New initiative for career entry!

The Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg today announced the start of a pilot phase of the innovative career certificate. This program, called “FIT for Career Start”, aims to prepare international students for the German job market. 25 bachelor's and master's students from English-language MINT courses are taking part in this first round. The program was developed in close cooperation with the regional economy to make it easier to start a career in local companies and to specifically promote social, intercultural and job-related skills.

The initiative includes an intensive German course that is intended not only to strengthen the participants' language skills, but also to deepen their cultural understanding. In addition to language support, workshops are offered that deal with soft skills, application strategies and interviews. A special module entitled “German Labor Market & Networking” provides deeper insights into the legal framework and structures of companies. An ambassador program enables direct contact with potential employers, which is invaluable for students.

Support from DAAD

The career certificate is funded as part of the DAAD FIT program, which is endowed with a total of €1,190,000.00. Loud daad.de The FIT program is intended to help German universities support international students throughout their entire qualification path. In addition, the program is financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and includes a total of 89 projects at various universities in Germany. These projects are intended to facilitate the integration of international students into their specialist studies and their transition to the German labor market.

A workshop that will take place on April 23, 2025 is designed specifically for international students. This is intended to identify requirements and hurdles for integration into the regional labor market. Ayna Toyjanova, a master's student, spoke positively about the program and emphasized how much it boosted her confidence. University Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Strackeljan highlighted the importance of this program, especially considering the fact that of over 400,000 international students in Germany, only around 25,000 stay in the country after graduating.

Shortage of skilled workers and long-term goals

In a recently published position paper, the DAAD emphasized the need to attract more international students as skilled workers to the German labor market. In view of a growing skills gap and the fact that Germany has been the fourth most popular place to study in the world for several years, strategic measures must be taken to increase the number of international first-year students. With around 75,000 newly admitted international students every year, around half of whom are enrolled in MINT subjects, the aim is to double the number of international graduates living and working in Germany to around 50,000 by 2030.

In order to achieve these goals, the DAAD recommends, among other things, an improvement in marketing strategies, simpler entry conditions and increased support for integration structures between business and universities. With its new career certificate, the University of Magdeburg is taking a decisive step to actively address these challenges and promote the necessary skills for the integration of international students into the German job market.