Munich, December 23, 2025 – The City of Munich is making substantial strides in workforce integration and securing skilled labor. The city council has approved approximately 22 million Euros to fund nearly 100 projects under the Munich Employment and Qualification Program (MBQ) for the year 2026. This initiative, spanning three decades, aims to combat long-term unemployment, support economic structural change, and promote professional equality. It also provides targeted assistance to young people, students, and graduates transitioning into higher education or careers, and plays a crucial role in attracting and retaining qualified professionals, including those from abroad.
MBQ Projects Address Critical Shortages
The MBQ program actively supports five key projects addressing critical shortages in sectors such as nursing, retail, and IT, while also fostering new talent in climate-relevant trades. These projects include:
- Care International: This program provides structured support for international junior and skilled workers in elderly and, since 2021, disabled care. It collaborates with Munich-based care facilities to guide individuals through preparation and integration until they secure employment. A notable success includes 21 nursing graduates from Atatürk University in Istanbul, who have successfully completed their studies and arrived in Munich through this initiative.
- Talent Offensive for Retail: Focused on integrating refugees and immigrants into Munich’s retail sector, this project aims for low-threshold entry points and stable employment prospects. Launched in 2016, it is now transitioning to a digital, AI-supported talent pool model.
- Infozentrum Migration und Arbeit (IMA) with Job-Matching: This project primarily assists EU citizens from Bulgaria and Romania, and since 2022, from Ukraine, with native-language, low-threshold counseling, qualification, and direct job placement. It works closely with the employment agency and Munich businesses, particularly benefiting the construction sector, cleaning services, and production assistance.
- ReFIT – Recruiting and Qualifying Refugees and Migrants with IT Potential: ReFIT offers free courses to IT-savvy individuals, providing digital skills and access to qualification, training, and employment in the IT sector through a broad network of companies and volunteers.
- Solarcamp Munich: This initiative trains young people and adults for photovoltaic installation, inspiring them to pursue climate-relevant professions. Participants gain theoretical and practical knowledge, can earn a recognized certificate, and are placed in internships and jobs through collaborations with craft businesses.
Overall, the MBQ program finances approximately 1,100 employment opportunities and retraining programs, around 3,300 qualifications and consultations, and over 130 subsidies for participants in the third labor market.
New Competence Center for International Nurses (KiP)
In a unique model project at the state and federal level, the City of Munich has launched the new Competence Center for International Nurses (KiP) at München Klinik Schwabing. This center aims to facilitate the integration of experienced international professionals into Munich’s healthcare landscape.
Health Department Head Beatrix Zurek emphasized, “Many qualified individuals come to Munich from abroad to work in nursing – and we need every single one of them.” Recognizing foreign qualifications in Germany can be a complex process. The KiP will now process up to 500 additional international skilled workers annually, complementing the existing 500 recognition procedures conducted by nursing schools each year.
The KiP concept combines exam preparation training with targeted language support in a specialized professional context. It features a digital learning platform and offers in-person training at the München Klinik’s education campus. A ‘Skills Lab’ provides a realistic work environment with equipment and actors, and an integrated video system allows for digital transmission of training sessions and learning analysis.
The practical recognition examination is conducted in this simulated environment under the guidance of experienced nursing educators. Upon successful completion, the KiP forwards the documents to the State Office for Nursing, which issues the official nursing qualification certificate.
The KiP is available to all Munich clinics and care facilities and, depending on capacity, also accepts nursing professionals from other parts of Bavaria. The project is initially planned for three years and is funded by the city with 2.9 million Euros.
Mayor Verena Dietl highlighted the importance of diversity, stating, “Approximately 1,000 newly recognized skilled workers from all over the world each year, who support our clinics, nursing homes, and care services in Munich with their experience: these are extraordinarily good news for the healthcare of Munich residents.”
The City of Munich regularly informs the public through publications in the Süddeutsche Zeitung and Münchner Merkur. This report was published on December 23, 2025.
Source: https://stadt.muenchen.de/news/unterstuetzung-auf-dem-arbeitsmarkt.html
