There is currently a shortage of teachers in Germany. At the same time, qualified refugee teachers are looking for career prospects in Germany. Since spring 2020, the International Office, the Mercator Institute for Literacy and Language Education/Intercultural Educational Research and the Zentrum für LehrerInnenbildung (ZfL) at the University of Cologne have been jointly offering the programme Lehrkräfte Plus Köln. This programme enables participants who have trained and worked abroad to improve their language and subject knowledge and gain practical experience at schools in Germany in order to improve their professional opportunities in the German education system.

The one-year further qualification programme includes German courses to prepare participants for a C1 German exam, university seminars in educational science and didactics in school subjects. Participants complete supervised internships in schools and receive individual advice about their future career prospects.

The programme Lehrkräfte Plus Köln consists of a preparatory German course and four parallel modules:

• German course with a special focus on school and teaching
• Seminars in educational science and subject didactics
• Accompanied internships at schools in the Cologne area
• Individual career counselling

Lehrkräfte Plus Köln builds upon experience from the programme for refugee teachers at the University of Cologne (2018 - 2020).

Please note: The application period for the August 2024 - September 2025 program period is expected to begin in January 2024.