Chances for Biologists in Germany
1.Educational System in Germany seen from the perspective of biosciences
Bioscientific degree programmes are currently offered in Germany at 146 universities, technical universities and Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen).
Apart from the classical university Diploma courses with a standard period of study of 10 semesters, there is a fast increasing number of Bachelor (6 semesters) and Master programmes (additional 4 semesters) in accordance with the Declaration of Bologna (1999). A Diploma or Master’s degree is in most cases needed to enrol for a doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.), which takes normally another 3 years, or even longer, of studies and experiments.
At classical universities students are trained primarily for research. Studies focus usually on theoretical aspects. Research done at universities is mostly basic research and it is not necessarily aimed at practical application and fast commercial exploitation. Classical diploma courses convey basic knowledge, a systematic orientation and methodical basics of the core subjects of the natural sciences. An intermediate Diploma exam is taken after usually 4 semesters.
In stage II studies following the intermediate Diploma, students specialise on certain disciplines or special fields of study. Generally, students chose one main subject and one or two subsidiary subjects. (Some universities do not have this distinction. Two or three subjects have to be studied at the same level). The time devoted to the main subject usually equals the time spend on all subsidiary subjects. Furthermore, more specialised subjects or younger disciplines of the biosciences are on offer, always depending on the area of specialisation of the respective faculties or departments. Usually it is optional or even obligatory to select one nonbiological subsidiary subject. Some universities restrict the possible choices to natural sciences only (mathematics, physics, chemistry), others leave students a free choice between all subjects offered at the university, including the humanities.
All courses of study conclude with a Diploma thesis, to be written in 3 - 6 months and a final exam. The final exam can be either an oral exam taken in the main subject and the subsidiary subjects, or a defence of the thesis. Since the introduction of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) in stage II studies it is possible to fulfil most exam requirements already during the regular schedule of studies, so that time-consuming preparations for the final exam at the end of studies become obsolete. Furthermore, ECTS allows for greater mobility of students, facilitating studies at various universities within the European Community. Meanwhile, the ECTS system has been introduced at nearly all universities in Germany. Further developments aim for a European Credit Accumulation and Transfer System which will enable students to study at all officially recognised institutions of higher education throughout Europe and to freely move between universities during their degree programme. This system is still under consideration and development.
Training objectives at the Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen) are usually more focused on practical application. Degree programmes have a shorter duration than university courses. Semesters for practical training or integrated periods of practical training are an important part of the programmes. The main emphasis is on teaching, research and development activities focus on the application of sciences. Biology is a rare course of study at Fachhochschulen, but traditionally there are various programmes in biotechnology/biological engineering, biological informatics and related programmes on offer. With a duration of 8 semesters the programmes are shorter than at classical universities. However, the recent introduction of Master programmes at some Fachhochschulen reflects the tendency towards an upgrading of degrees achieved there. In the future, the Fachhochschulen may be offering degrees quivalent to a university degree, enabling graduates to enrol for a doctorate.
Apart from various vocational schools for biotechnical assistants (cf. http://www.vbta.de) there are numerous training facilities for bioscience laboratory assistants with companies, i.e. outside universities. While BTA-training usually takes 2-3 years, a biology laboratory assistant has to complete at least 3 years of combined training on-the-job (up to 75%) and at a vocational school (not more than 25%). The pharmaceutical industry, universities and other research institutions take part in company-related training.
2. Cost of training
Concerning universities, a hot debate concerning the introduction of tuition fees for first-time studies (Diploma or Bachelor or Master) is ongoing. For the time being, at most places there is only an obligatory fee to be paid for the student administration and other administrative functions. However, a tuition fee for research studies might be introduced in near future. This will also allow for an optimal follow-up training for employees in the field of biotechnology within universities.
While schooling at private vocational schools costs an annual tuition fee (as a rule not less than 2.000 Euro p.a.), the training at state institutions is still free in Germany, though some states (i.e. Bavaria, Hessia, Lower Saxony) plan to implement fees in 2005 or 2006. These annual tuition fees at state universities will be about 1.000 Euro p.a.
On average, trainees in the biology laboratory assistant sector receive a monthly training salary of about 300-600 Euro.
3. Career opportunities in modern biosciences
In terms of numbers, the biotechnological labour market in Germany is dominated by biologists. Approximately 2.000 graduates with a degree in biology enter the labour market annually, accompanied by more than 1.500 with a doctoral degree. In addition, 500 people graudate with a degree in biotechnology and another 500 with a degree in biochemistry. Specialised institutions of higher learning contribute a further 500 people per year. Additionally, there are graduates with a difffent background, e.g. from teacher training, chemistry, physics, informatics and also medicine and pharmacy, who are of relevance for the labour market in the life sciences.
Concerning the non-academic field, there are about 250 graduates from schools for Biotechnical Assistants per year. Additionally, there is an equal number of biological laboratory technicians, who are trained by various businesses and institutes in a combined training system of training on-the-job and training at external vocational schools. Due to lack of trained employees, especially in the technical area, there are numerous medical technical assistants and chemical technical assistants retrained to work in biotechnological laboratories. The introduction of Bachelor programmes is still too recent to estimate the impact B. A. graduates will have on the work market in the area of biotechnology.
The chart shows the number of graduates in biosciences and the development of unemployment numbers in Germany during the past years. For some years, the number of unemployed biologists is on the decrease, regardless of continually high numbers of graduates. The relative percentage of older unemployed and those, who cannot be employed in the field of biotechnology increases supraproportionally. Graduates of the modern bioscientific subjects are rarely unemployed for longer than a few months. Especially graduates of specialised institutions of higher education or vocational schools often have signed an employment contract months before their final exams.
Apart from the direct recruitment of graduates and direct application for employment by individual businesses, so-called job fairs have been established in recent years. At these fairs, graduates and job-seekers have the opportunity to gather information at companies’ stalls and get into contact with representatives of the respective companies in a more or less informal atmosphere.
The major national newspapers are another useful source for job advertisements. Special attention deserve the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and the weekly “Die Zeit”. National scientific journals like “Laborjournal” or “transkript” print job advertisements as well.
The internet gains importance for job-seekers as well. Almost every company publishes current job-offers on its homepage. The so-called “Zeit-Robot” is currently the most effective search operator for job-offers in German-speaking countries. It is not specialised in the field of biotech. By far the most successful internet job fair for the area of life sciences and biotech in Germany is http://www.jobvector.de of the Verband Deutscher Biologen (Union of German Biologists, vdbiol). It has more than 100.000 visitors and 20 Gbyte traffic per month. Apart from job advertisements it lists the dates of all relevant job fairs and trade fairs and offers the possibility to set up applicant profiles. There is a German and an English version available.
3. Sources and addresses recommended for further information
3.1. Biotechnology clusters in Germany
The BioRegio Competition, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, startet in 1995 and boosted the successful commercialisation of biotechnology. It caused a surge of new foundations of young, striving biotechnological enterprises in different parts of Germany. The BioProfile competition in 2001 followed a similar approach and led to the formation of new clusters. Other funding activities, such as BioFuture and BioChance, as well as special programmes concerned with “systems biology”, “TSE” and other research foci accompanied these measures. As of May 2005, there are approximately 30 biotech clusters in Germany which can easily be accessed using the Internet (www.bioregio.com) .
3.2. BIG - Biocompany-Internet-Gateway of the vdbiol
The ”Verband Deutscher Biologen” (Union of German Biologists) has compiled the homepages of currently more than 6.000 companies and institutions connected to the biosciences in an internet database. The companies are grouped according to their fields of business: medicine/ pharmaceutical, agronomics/ food, other fields of biotechnology, biological informatics/ internet, reagents/kits/ analysis, apparatuses/ laboratory technology, consulting/ investors, ecology/ environment protection, training/ publishers. The compilation includes Austrian and Swiss companies.
http://www.vdbiol.de/firmen/
3.3. Guide to companies issued by the info-secretariat biotechnology (ISB) of DECHEMA
The ISB is part of DECHEMA, Germany’s largest non-for-profit organisation in biotechnology, and funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. As of May 2005, the database of the ISB holds roughly 600 companies which are active in different fields of modern biotechnology. ISB lists mainly core biotech companies according to its own definition, e.g. companies that are research oriented. Also included are large pharmaceutical companies having a strong research position in modern biotechnology. The ISB-survey does not include companies providing only marketing or distribution services, clinical research (CRO), consulting or personnel management services.
http://www.i-s-b.org/firmen/sme.htm
3.4. Biotechnology yearbook and directory
BIOCOM AG in Berlin annually edits “BioTechnologie - Das Jahr - & Adreßbuch ” (yearbook and directory biotechnology). The paperback can be purchased directly at BIOCOM AG (www.biocom.de) or in bookshops. The book compiles more than 1.700 entries of companies, institutions, organisations and offices, which are active in biotechnology, from Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Dr. Rüdiger Marquardt (Vice-President Biotechnology)
Dr. Carsten Roller (Managing Director)
Association of German Biologists
Corneliusstraße 12
80469 München
info@vdbiol.de
