Looking to the future: job prospects for international students
Policymakers and universities in Germany are boosting the chances for international students to gain a foothold on the German employment market.
International students and researchers are an asset not only to the German world of higher education. They often play a valuable role on the employment market, too: once they have graduated from a German university, they are not only highly qualified but also have in-depth knowledge of their respective home country and can therefore increase their employer’s international orientation. With this in mind, the coalition agreement of the Federal Government stresses the following: “We want graduates from third countries who have completed a course of training or study in Germany to stay and work here.”
Skilled professionals in focus
Numerous political and higher education initiatives in Germany aim to help university graduates integrate into the employment market. The government’sSkilled Immigration Act and Skilled Immigration Strategy have reformed and eased the processes involved, with the result for example that the number of visas granted to students from third countries for employment purposes has recently increased by over 20 percent.
New projects at universities
Competent support at universities is the key to successful studies and good job prospects. Germany has recognised that it needs to invest even more to better tap into the great potential that international students offer the employment market. In 2024, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) launched the “Campus-Initiative for International Talents”: funding is provided by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space to support projects at over 100 universities across Germany. Students are supported even before they start their courses, as well as during the semesters. The University of Siegen in North Rhine-Westphalia for instance offers advanced language courses and workshops to equip students with vocational skills.
From employability to the right of residence
Students at the University of Potsdam can have their “employability” tested and benefit from job application, communication and profile creation workshops. At the Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg, students are helped with issues related to their right of residence and with financial questions, while additional qualifications and application training courses are on offer for international graduates.
The target group is certainly interested in these services. According to a recent study conducted by the DAAD, two thirds of international students plan to stay in Germany once they have completed their studies - this applies in particular to those studying subjects such as business, engineering and computer science. What is more, half of those intending to remain in Germany are interested in starting their own business.
