Does recognition of foreign professional and vocational qualifications also improve labour market opportunities in non-regulated occupations?

Formal evidence of educational and vocational qualifications are crucial if skills and competencies are to be usable on the German labour market. It is therefore important for persons who have acquired their certificate abroad to obtain formal recognition of such qualifications in order to enhance their chances on the labour market and therefore also improve their occupational situation. The Federal Recognition Act has served as the framework for this process since April 2012 by according anyone in possession of a foreign qualification the right to a recognition procedure. This article examines the issue of the extent to which recognition of a foreign professional or vocational qualification in a non-regulated area actually improves opportunities for labour supply on the German market and also illustrates the limits which apply. The investigation is based on the results of the evaluation of the Recognition Act.