Qualification analysis

Recognition of professional and vocational qualifications despite missing documents

A recognition procedure is carried out on the basis of documents. However, the Recognition Act (Anerkennungsgesetz) allows professional and vocational qualifications to be determined by means of a qualification analysis (QA), if the documents required for a procedure cannot be submitted for reasons which are beyond the applicant's control. The reasons why the applicant cannot submit the necessary documents must be explained in a credible way.

The usual application requirements also apply in the case of a qualification analysis. It must therefore involve professional or vocational training in a state-recognised foreign vocational qualification completed abroad.

Methods for evaluating professional and vocational competences

Methods for a qualification analysis include a technical discussion, a work sample, a work test in a company, etc. The work performed is not graded. Specialist experts instead assess whether the qualification analysis has "passed" or "failed". The result of the qualification analysis is included in the overall result of the recognition procedure.

Costs

The qualification analysis is a fee-based procedure within the recognition procedure. Additional costs may be incurred, e.g. for materials, and the amount of these costs will depend on the amount of work done.
Financial support may be available in special cases from a special fund for qualification analyses during the term of the NetQA project. Further financial support is possible, depending on the applicant's personal circumstances, e.g. through Employment Agencies or Job Centres, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's recognition grant programme, and special programmes run by individual federal states. Information about this is available from IHK FOSA.

The path to a qualification analysis

The recognition procedure for foreign professional or vocational qualifications that are comparable to a German reference qualification always begins with an application for foreign professional qualification equivalence by IHK FOSA. This also applies to a qualification analysis. It is advisable to include an informal letter with the application form, and any required documents which are available, explaining why certain documents cannot be submitted. IHK FOSA will then contact the applicant to discuss the next steps.