Many immigrants older than 25 years, who didn’t achieve a German qualification or profession, have to face bad conditions on the labour market. They have to meet the challenge that due to their age, they are refused to participate in the regular initial education and training. People, who immigrated from abroad have additionally problems to succeed in the vocational education system due to language problems. Therefore the aim of the project is to develop new vocational training formats. These formats have to take into account the specific conditions of access for immigrants and have to include support measures helping to learn the technical language at the job place.
Expected is to qualify about 200 immigrants without professions and only with little experiences on the labour market. Another 400 immigrants should pass an analysis of skills and abilities. This should deliver better statements on needs and competences of the target group.

Participants will pass a three-step process:

1. Profiling – a analysis of skills and abilities
2. Training – adjusted with courses to teach language and learn abilities: strategies and methods to learn, professional terminology, German in tests and exams
3. Vocational trainings with implemented language training (Teamteaching).

The vocational training courses attract 2 target groups:

1. people without job experiences – e.g. "Service Assistant in the Public Health Service" or "Logistician in the Public Health Service", and others
2. courses for people with at least 4 years of professional career: preparatory courses to pass the examination for regulated professions / qualifications in the craft sector – profession degree

• development of preparatory courses to pass examinations of regulated professions,

• development of modular support trainings to upgrade language skills,

• development of methods to analyse skills and abilities: profiling, screening, technical and practice oriented skills assessment,

• development of an "ethno-marketing strategy" to address the target group: explorative advisory approach, intensive networking, close cooperation with migrant organisations, identification of key players, gaining role models.

Quantitative results:

• 800 contacts
• 353 profilings
• 47 training participants

Feedback of training participants and people in the profiling is very good. The project and its offers are accepted.

Internal project evaluation with following criteria:

• number of job-placements after trainings (60%),
• number of participants,
• regularly quantitative evaluation of profiling settings,
• orientation of the target group towards further vocational training
• job orientation

Recommendations:
Strengthening the acceptance of part or sub-qualifications as first step towards regular employment:

• especially for immigrants - enhancing the granting of vocational training "vouchers",
• financing of methods to analyze skills and abilities,
• results of skills assessment should be recognised in  job-agencies,
• financing of training courses with integrated language training,
• financing of "train the trainer" programs to raise awareness about students learning in their second language

• Immigrants who only have little or no job experiences, who have learning difficulties and usually have a low school education.

• It is expected that more than 1.300 immigrants will be attracted by this offer.

• The project is financed by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in the frame of the national network "Integration by qualification (IQ)". The training participants need a "vocational training voucher" of the local job agency to be accepted. The budget over the whole project period is about EUR 990,000,-.

• Number of employees:

1. Product development (0,5)
2. Project management (1,0):
3. Profiling (1,0)
4. Educational Management (0,5)
5. Project assistant (0,5)
6. Financial controlling (0,5)