THE government of the Philippines and the Federal Republic of Germany are in talks on how more Filipinos can enter and work in Germany, particularly those with other skill sets aside from nurses.
Negotiations are underway for the two countries to craft new labor agreements which will provide more opportunities for more Filipino workers, not only nurses but also workers in other skills categories, to work in Germany, Europe’s largest economy.
One of the labor agreements will add another pathway for recruiting Filipino healthcare professionals, while the other will focus on the deployment of workers from 31 other skills and professions, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
Among the identified pilot sectors include hotel service, electrical engineering and mechanics, sanitation, heating and air conditioning, and child care.
“We are hopeful that the two agreements could come to fruition within the term of President Duterte and mark a significant milestone in the history of Philippine-German bilateral relations,” said Bello, who likewisse expressed optimism that the labor agreements will soon be finalized.
The Philippines currently deploys Filipino nurses to Germany under the Triple Win Program.
“Since 2013, we have deployed around 1,811 nurses under the Program, which is exempted from the cap on the overseas deployment of Filipino healthcare workers,” Bello said during the turnover of the German-funded Geriatric Skills Laboratory in Baliuag University in Bulacan recently, which is funded by the Bertelsmann Stiftung Foundation through the collaboration of the Philippine and German agencies under the Triple Win Program-Global Skills Partnership program.
An expansion of the Triple Win Program, the Global Skills Partnership program provides access to German training through face-to-face, e-learning, and other alternative methods.
Given the aging population in Germany, geriatric care was also identified as one of the priority skills needed by nurses in the European country, which is an acknowledged leader in the scientific, industrial and technological sectors.