Triple Win: one-thousandth nurse starts work in Germany

The programme is run jointly by ZAV, the Federal Employment Agency’s International Placement Services division, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Together, they select suitable candidates for vacant positions in Germany on behalf of employers such as the German Hospital Federation (DKG) and the Munich branch of Caritas, where Jannette works. The other countries affiliated to the programme are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Tunisia, all of which have a surplus of well-qualified nurses.

GIZ’s role is to prepare the nurses for their new start before they leave their home country by arranging language courses and providing information about everyday and working life in Germany. It helps with visa applications and other formalities and continues to support the new recruits on their arrival in Germany until they gain full recognition of their qualifications. The nurses’ new colleagues and managers are also involved in the process through integration workshops. They can also seek advice from contact persons at GIZ and ZAV as well as a hotline if there are any problems.

As well as the nurses themselves, for whom the Triple Win programme offers a new career opportunity, the partner countries benefit from a reduction in unemployment and the nursing homes and hospitals in Germany benefit from well-prepared and qualified staff. ‘Triple Win helps us to meet both labour market and development policy objectives,’ says Maja Bernhardt, Head of the Triple Win Project at GIZ. ‘It facilitates safe and responsible migration and provides benefits for our partner countries while addressing the shortage of skilled workers in the care sector in Germany.’

Triple Win has established itself worldwide as a model programme and has been recognised as best practice by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the International Trade Union Confederation (PSI).