The internship of students who study in Health Sciences departments and want to have a career opportunity in Germany, has started. Bahçeşehir University (BAU) students will be able to receive language training while experiencing professional practices in different cultures.
According to the European Labor Market 2020 report, nursing workers are seen as the most needed occupational group in 18 countries, especially in England and Germany. This is followed by physicians and health care personnel, respectively. While there is a serious demand in the field of health personnel, especially from Germany to Turkey, the first requirement determined by Germany is German language proficiency. BAU is taking action in this context and supports students who want to continue their education in Germany and who want to find internships and jobs.
Accordingly, 15 students from the Nursing, Nutrition, and Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation departments of BAU Faculty of Health Sciences started their internship in Germany. The internship, which aims for students to experience professional practices in different cultures and find work opportunities, will last for one semester. BAU students will carry out all their professional practices in Germany in the presence of guidance counselors. In addition, successful students with internship opportunity will be able to strengthen their language education by taking intensive German lessons.
Stating that the demand for health personnel from Turkey comes mostly from Germany, BAU Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Fatma Eti Aslan said that this demand stemmed from the Turkish population in Germany and the fact that the older generation did not speak German. Aslan said, “The first Turkish generation in Germany does not speak German and this generation now has chronic diseases. They need physiotherapy and nursing care right now, but they don't speak a word of German. Therefore, the most preferred health professionals in Germany are physiotherapy and nursing. On the other hand, the number of physiotherapies, nutrition, and nursing students who speak German is low in Turkey. The biggest obstacle to have a career in Europe is language education. For this reason, as BAU Faculty of Health Sciences, we offer free German courses to our senior students and graduates. Our students take intensive German lessons. It is necessary to make some practices to strengthen the infrastructure of students to address the lack of health workers in the world. We are doing this work within the framework of our cooperation with universities in Germany.