IQ agreement with recognition authority

Starting position/challenge

The timely recognition of foreign qualifications in specialist (non-)academic health occupations is a key concern for the skilled workers themselves as well as for the local labour market. However, in practice it has been shown on the one hand that applying is often very time consuming, while on the other those seeking counselling often face difficulties in correctly interpreting the assessment notice from the recognition authority and in working out the steps which need to be taken based on the assessment notice, such as adaption training These obstacles are being addressed jointly in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate by the recognition authority — the State Office for Social Affairs, Young People and Care (LSJV) — and the Network IQ. In a written cooperation agreement, both partners have expressed support for close and binding collaboration with the aim of optimising the recognition procedure, both at an individual level for those seeking advice, as well as at a structural level.

Implementation of the strategic approach

Quick and efficient recognition procedures in the health sector require close collaboration with internal coordination. These were the findings from a series of workshops initiated by Medici in Posterum GmbH (MIP) — implementing organisation of the project “Doctors for the future”. The workshops were run jointly by the IQ Network with the LSJV and in each case, over the course of these workshops, the working methods and perspectives of the other institutions became clear. The positive results developed in the meetings resulted in a cooperation agreement for the target group of academic medical professions. The aim is to consolidate and institutionalize the collaboration and to generate synergy effects in order to develop the recognition process further and to make it transparent and efficient for the applicants.

The strategic steering partner(s) share their experience both in relation to individual cases as well as the process. As a result of the positive experiences, a second agreement for non-academic specialist health occupations was concluded in 2017. Under the terms of the written agreement, the strategic steering partner(s) each guarantee to provide assistance to each other during the counselling of those seeking advice, in the application process, and when planning and supporting the training required. Data relating to those seeking advice is forwarded taking into account data protection regulations. In regular exchange and information events, MIP, the IQ regional coordination and the LSJV gain a good overall understanding of the target group’s requirements and challenges, both in the individual case as well as with regard to the structural recognition process.

Conclusion

Key to optimisation of the recognition procedure are trust, transparency, willingness to enter into dialogue, and a binding collaboration in order that structural barriers can be overcome for the target group. The numbers speak for themselves: There has been a seven-fold increase both in recognition counselling for academic medical occupations as well as for non-academic specialist health occupations.