BDA AGENDA 25/25 | Special feature of the week | December 16, 2025

Harnessing the potential of international students and trainees for Germany's future

Germany must recognise and promote international students and trainees much more strongly than before as strategic potential for the economy and society. Currently, there are just under 500,000 young people from abroad in Germany to study or complete vocational training. If these individuals successfully complete their studies and remain in Germany, this will make a tangible contribution to securing skilled labour, which will pay off in the truest sense of the word. It is therefore crucial to prevent dropouts and increase the retention rate of international students and trainees.

The new BDA position paper outlines nine specific points showing how Germany can not only attract international talent but also retain it in the long term through political decisions, more reliable structures and improved cooperation:

1. Make greater use of international students and trainees as a strategic target group with great economic potential.
2. Reduce bureaucracy, digitise and consolidate procedures, and speed up the process of finding employment.
3. Recognise language as a factor in location and integration, expand transnational training partnerships, and create housing.
4. Enable tuition fees for international students and use them for support.
5. Strengthen support and supervision services at universities and training institutions, reduce dropout rates
6. Integrate language courses into the curriculum, expand job- and everyday-related language courses
7. Promote social participation, use targeted integration tools
8. Make prospects for staying and career paths visible
9. Create practical insights for students, support entrepreneurship

These measures are not ‘nice to have’ but an economic necessity. Anyone studying or completing vocational training in Germany today has already begun to put down roots. To ensure that these talented individuals stay, decisive action is needed – in government agencies, universities and businesses. Fast visa procedures, reliable support and a culture that says, ‘Welcome – we need you!’ are the key to a successful future.

Conclusion: International students and trainees are an asset for everyone – for businesses, for society and for our country's innovative strength. Now is the time to seize the opportunities and set the right course. Because investing today secures prosperity tomorrow.