Integration · Arrive & stay
Placement does not end at the airport. That is where our work really begins.
Most drop-outs of international apprentices do not happen because of the practical work, they happen because of loneliness, bureaucratic stress and communication problems in the first months. Exactly for this, DK Zuvis runs a structured 12-month support programme: with fixed appointments, fixed responsibilities and one contact person who knows both sides.
Day 1 to 7
The first 7 days
Pick-up at the station or airport by our team
Nobody stands alone with two suitcases on a foreign platform. The first impression of Germany is a familiar face.
Accompanied registration at the residents' office
The appointment is prepared, documents are complete, registration takes a morning, not three weeks.
Opening a bank account
A current account for training salary and rent, set up with all required documents.
Health and liability insurance
Both are arranged and explained, including what an insurance card is and how a doctor's visit works.
SIM card & public transport pass
Reachable from day 1, and the way to work without obstacles.
Orientation in the town
Shopping, doctor, emergency services, the way to vocational school, walked through together once.
Introduction at the company with a joint onboarding meeting
Expectations, contacts and escalation paths are clarified at the table, with apprentice, company and DK Zuvis.
Months 1–3
Stabilise
Weekly check-ins with the apprentice, short, reliable, documented.
Support at the start of vocational school and coordination with class teachers.
Training-parallel language coaching: online and in-person towards B2+, with technical vocabulary from real working life instead of textbook examples.
The in-company mentor is coached, with a concrete guide instead of good will alone.
First feedback meeting company ↔ DK Zuvis ↔ apprentice after six weeks.
Months 4–12
Take root
Monthly check-ins with apprentice and company.
Language café and cultural meetings: connection to community, clubs and sport, because staying is a question of relationships.
Support with moving and family matters.
Preparation for the intermediate exam.
Crisis availability: one dedicated contact person who knows both sides and can mediate in German, French and English.
Quarterly reports to the company, you know how things are really going.
For companies
What your team receives
Intercultural briefing
60 minutes for the team working with the new apprentice: what is different, what is normal, what helps in the first weeks.
Guide 'The first month with your international apprentice'
Compact and practical, as a PDF in the download centre on the Fair Recruitment page.
Clear escalation paths
When something goes wrong, there is a defined path, instead of silent resignation on one side and helplessness on the other.
What you can measure us by
Honest metrics instead of blanket rates
- Retention rate after 12 and 24 months
- Time until confident participation in vocational school
- Language development along CEFR levels
We define baseline values together at the start of the project. We do not communicate blanket success rates without a reliable data basis.
Frequently asked questions
First of all: this is normal and not an alarm signal. Our contact person has known the apprentice since language school and notices early when there is more behind it. Then short paths kick in: additional conversations, connection to the community at the language café, professional support if needed. The company is involved without the apprentice losing face, crises are moderated, not administered.
We do, with the company's knowledge and consent. At the start of vocational school we coordinate with the class teachers, and afterwards we remain the contact for language and organisational questions. Technical matters stay with the company; we make sure communication problems never turn into performance problems in the first place.
Many companies extend the support at a reduced scope until the final exam. We make a transparent offer for this before the end of month twelve, never afterwards.
Let's talk about your open apprenticeships.
30 minutes, confidential, non-binding. We assess your situation and find possible solutions together.
Employer pays: no costs for candidates
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