PHILIPPINE Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Bernard P. Olalia said qualified nurse applicants to Germany will be entitled to free work visas, German language lessons and other perks under the agency’s partnership with the German government.
In an interview with BusinessWorld, Mr. Olalia said German demand for nurses is high. He added that he hopes interested parties will consider applying under the Triple Win Project (TWP), an undertaking of the POEA, the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH to avoid the expense of qualifying to work in Germany.
“The airfare is free, the work visa is free, plus the German language training after the first batch qualifies is free,” Mr. Olalia said.
Mr. Olalia said German wages are high compared to other markets.
In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) announced that participants in the TWP program can receive wages of between 2,000-2,400 euros a month, depending on qualifications.
According to the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), the starting salary of nurses in the Philippines is P8,000 to P13,500.
Currently, there are 400 available slots under the TWP. Those interested in applying should be Filipino citizens, graduates of a nursing course, should have passed the board exam, and have a minimum of two years’ professional experience as a nurse.
Qualified applicants can register at eservices.poea.gov.ph and more information will be posted regarding other requirements for personal submission at the POEA. The deadline for submission is Feb. 28, 2019. — Gillian M. Cortez