Bard College Berlin News
Building careers in Germany: Bard College Berlin graduates receive jobseeker permits to remain in Germany following graduation
Kepple Jones assisted twenty students during the past academic year, securing residence permits with a 100% success rate. Throughout the process, she met with students, provided advising, looked through their documents, submitted the application on their behalf, and communicated appointment information from the State Office for Immigration, or LEA (Landesamt für Einwanderung).
Germany’s jobseeker residence permit is offered in the context of the country’s current shortage of skilled labor. In an interview for the Financial Times, German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil stated, “Germany will lack 7mn workers by 2035 if we don’t do something. And that could end up being a real brake on our economic growth.” This permit provides a path for non-EU nationals, including those from refugee and forced migration backgrounds, to use their skills and education to fill in the gaps of Germany’s economy. Notably, among BCB's twenty 2023/2024 permit recipients, fourteen were scholarship recipients, including one PIESC student.
By remaining in Germany for employment, Bard College Berlin graduates are using the skills they learned to contribute to German society, receiving support from the college as they transition from student life into the workforce.
By: Sophia Paudel, Bard College Berlin Communications
Post Date: 06-25-2024