From lecture hall to landing a job. International students starting their careers in Germany
Study | December 2017
For years, Germany has been one of the most popular countries worldwide for studying abroad. In 2016, more than 250,000 international students were enrolled at a German university. From a political and business perspective, they are regarded as “ideal immigrants” for the German labour market, and a large proportion of them in fact wish to stay in Germany upon completing their studies. However, despite generous residence arrangements, these international students are often unable to make the transition into the labour market. The project Study & Work of the SVR Research Unit performed a – first-ever – longitudinal study of international students’ transition from university to the German labour market. The study shows which factors favour international students’ career entry and provides recommendations for how stakeholders from universities, business, the local level and the labour market could assist them. The study was funded by the Stifterverband.
