Moneycontrol

Immigration Series: All about Germany’s Triple Win programme for nurses

Germany’s Triple Win programme aims to recruit nurses from foreign countries, specially Kerala (India) to meet the country’s critical shortage of nursing staff.

January 07, 2024 / 11:44 IST
Story continues below Advertisement
Germany is reeling under a critical shortage of skilled staff, specially in the nursing sector. (Photo: Martha Dominguez de Gouveia via Unsplash)

Germany is reeling under a critical shortage of skilled staff, specially in the nursing sector. Currently, the country has a shortage of nearly 150,000 nurses and the shortage number is expected to go up to 500,00o by 2030. There are not enough qualified nurses available to meet the high level of demand and to fill this critical gap, the German Federal Employment Agency’s International Placement Services (ZAV) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH set up the Triple Win Programme in 2013 targeting nurses from Vietnam, the Philippines and India (specifically nurses from Kerala).

The Federal Employment Agency and GIZ jointly place qualified nurses from abroad for work in Germany. The programme is implemented based on an agreement between the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) and Norka Roots on the selection and the placement of nursing professionals.

Story continues below Advertisement

The licensed nurses from Kerala obtain language and technical training for working in Germany and receive support to start life and work in Germany. Once in Germany, they embark on the process of having their qualifications recognised within 12 months.

Triple Win: one programme, three benefits


  1. In Germany, the nurses from Kerala have employment opportunities and scope for professional and personal development. Agreed standards in labour contracts ensure fair working conditions and equal pay.

  2. To ensure the process is sustainable and fair, the Federal Employment Agency and GIZ cooperate only with partner countries that have a surplus of trained nurses. In the long term, Kerala nurses working in Germany may contribute to knowledge transfer to their home country.

  3. In Germany, hospitals and elderly care homes are able to access well-trained nurses, helping them to overcome the skills shortage in the German labour market.
Organisation of the programme

On the German side, the International Placement Services (ZAV) of the Federal Employment Agency (BA) is responsible for selection and placement, while in Kerala, Norka Roots is responsible – a registered Government company under Government of Kerala. In a cooperation arrangement with BA, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH provides support for the Indian partner administration, as well as for the nurses’ professional and language skills preparations, and it assists their integration in Germany.

The process in Kerala: Applicants need to undergo the following process in Kerala

Integration into Germany