FIMA stands for ‘Fit for the German Labour Market’, a programme run by the Goethe-Institut and the Federal Employment Agency. It offers language courses and intercultural preparation for skilled workers and future trainees from Mexico, Brazil and Colombia who have decided to migrate to Germany and assists with referral to training places and jobs there. Two participants speak about their experiences.

Diana Valladares Almazán hardly ever needs chilli and cayenne pepper nowadays, although she is by now very familiar with the preparation of game stew with bread dumplings and pointed cabbage. ‘The food in Yucatán is very spicy, in Germany not at all,’ says the 27-year-old Mexican. Ten months ago, she moved from Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean coast to the pretty medieval town of Stolberg in the Harz mountains, where she works as a junior chef in a four-star hotel. ‘The people are really nice, it’s just the weather that I haven’t got used to yet’, she says. She ultimately made her decision based on the better career opportunities in Germany. ‘I was also keen to get to know another country and a new culture. German isn’t an easy language, but I’m starting to understand more and more.’

Pathway into the German labour market

In addition to her work, Diana Valladares Almazán is attending an integration course, but she already learned some basic in Mexico. A scholarship under the project run by the Goethe-Institut and the Federal Employment Agency assisted her with this. It is designed for skilled workers and future trainees from Mexico, Brazil and Colombia who would like to work in Germany. They need to demonstrate German language skills to obtain a visa. The cost of language courses is a significant hurdle for many of those interested, so FIMA offers free language courses at up to A2 certification. Many of these are held online, so that people in rural regions can also participate.

Other offers, such as intercultural preparation and job application training, are intended to enable beneficiaries to enjoy a smooth start in Germany. ‘This project plays its part in alleviating the skills shortage here in Germany’, says project manager Anna Unsinn from the Goethe-Institut. Just under 1150 people have received funding since the project began in July 2023; around a hundred of them are now living and working in Germany.

Darüber hinaus sollen Angebote wie interkulturelle Vorbereitung oder Bewerbungstrainings den Geförderten einen reibungslosen Start in Deutschland ermöglichen. „Das Projekt trägt dazu bei, den  hierzulande zu lindern“, sagt Projektleiterin Anna Unsinn vom Goethe-Institut. Seit dem Projektstart im Juli 2023 wurden knapp 1150 Personen gefördert, rund hundert von ihnen leben und arbeiten inzwischen in Deutschland.

An approach to combating the skills shortage in Germany

‘The scholarship for the language course helped me a lot’, says Diana Valladares Almazán. She passed her A2 exam whilst still in Mexico and to do that she had to travel to Mexico City, which is over a thousand kilometres away. ‘FIMA fortunately also financed my return flight.’ Like most participants, she already had confirmation of her before being accepted into the project – arranged via the Federal Employment Agency. ‘We’re now also accepting participants who don’t yet have confirmation from a German employer if it seems very likely that a job can be arranged. This applies for instance to doctors and IT-specialists’, says Anna Unsinn. The project primarily focuses on occupations in which there is a shortage of skilled workers in Germany, while there is a simultaneous surplus in the countries of origin. In addition to health and IT, these include – depending on the country – catering, electrical engineering, education and landscaping. This project is co-financed by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.

‘I love the fact that training in Germany is not merely theoretical, but that you also gain relevant practical experience’

The and arrange shared informational events in Mexico, Brazil and Colombia to raise awareness of the opportunities that has to offer. ‘There is huge interest in all three countries’, says Anna Unsinn.

Brazilian Davi Alcantara found his training position at the Helios-Klinikum Bonn/Rhein-Sieg through the programme, which is linked with FIMA. Davi Alcantara arrived in Bonn in September 2024 and successfully completed a B2 language course and clinical internship before starting his training. ‘I love the fact that training in Germany is not merely theoretical, but that you also gain relevant practical experience. And of course that you receive a salary during your training’, says the 20-year-old. He also finds the professional development options to be very attractive: ‘I would perhaps like at some point to continue my .’

Cooperation with the Alumniportal Deutschland

Participants and alumni of the FIMA project are also supported by services that are available on the . Information and further offers relating to learning German are posted in a FIMA group and there are also three country-specific sub-groups for private interaction. These services were helpful to Diana Valladares Almazán, especially during her search for information – such as regarding the documents required for her . Davi Alcantara used the Alumniportal to refresh his language skills: ‘I didn’t have much time after my B1 certificate, but of course I wanted to continue learning more German before travelling to Germany. The texts on the Alumniportal were very practical, which meant I could use them at any time to practice online.’

The plan is for a to be introduced on the Alumniportal in the near future: FIMA alumni who have been living in Germany for some time could then help newcomers with their first steps. It’s really important to establish and maintain networks involving participants and alumni’, feels Anna Unsinn: ‘These contacts can them become settled here and feel at ease in Germany.’