New perspectives from West Africa
To address the long-term shortage of nursing staff in Germany, the BRK District Association Bayreuth launched the international project “Care and Career” in 2021. The goal is to provide motivated nursing professionals from around the world with access to training and employment opportunities in elderly and general care in Germany. The project is based on reliable partnerships with educational institutions abroad – particularly in China, but also in West Africa, specifically in Benin.
Benin in the spotlight of international talent recruitment
Benin is becoming an increasingly important focus within the project. In 2024, to establish initial contacts and identify potential areas of cooperation, the Executive Director of the BRK District Association Bayreuth, Markus Ruckdeschel, together with the Integration Officer of the City of Bayreuth, Prince Ibukun Koussemou—himself a native of Benin—traveled to the West African country.
Exchange with local educational and care institutions
The main focus of the trip was a visit to the Department of German Studies at the Université d’Abomey-Calavi in Cotonou. There, Ruckdeschel and Koussemou gave a lecture on general nursing education pathways, the nursing assistant training program, and job opportunities in long-term care in Germany. The visit provided an important opportunity to inform German studies students directly about career prospects in the German healthcare sector.
Partnerships with health and aid organizations
Other key stops on the trip included the Red Cross of Benin, the Centre Universitaire d’Accueil des Urgences (CUAU) – the central university hospital in Cotonou – as well as discussions with representatives of the German Embassy. The aim of these meetings was to establish opportunities for cooperation and support in administrative processes for future trainees and prospective employees from Benin.
A first step for future talent from Benin
The trip laid an important foundation for long-term collaboration. The BRK District Association Bayreuth sees great potential in Benin to attract dedicated young people with strong German language skills for the one- or three-year nursing training programs based on the generalist model in Germany.
The “Care and Career” project follows a holistic approach: in addition to the career perspective in Germany, the focus is also on language development, cultural support, and sustainable integration alongside the actual training and daily work life.