Pathways and Permeability in Germany

Graduates of a dual apprenticeship have various options to continue their professional career. Especially for their professional development, there are state-recognized advanced training occupations leading to accepted and valued qualifications such as master craftsperson. (Subject-related) access to higher education is also possible. Via various initiatives the German government fosters the improvement of permeability in both directions, also addressing dropouts from universities.

Advanced Training Occupations (Higher VET)

Graduates of the apprenticeship system can choose to take an examination leading to advanced training occupations such as Master Craftsperson or Certified Business Economist. Advanced training is also regulated through the Vocational Training Act and for the skilled crafts through the Trade and Crafts Code. According to those laws, the ministries in charge can issue national regulations for the examinations. Usually the social partners initiate the process of elaboration and participate actively. Then the procedure is similar to the elaboration of training regulations for initial VET, involving professional experts nominated by the social partners. For the master craftspersons in the crafts sector, the legal basis and the procedure differ.

There are a total of 220 federal regulations for advanced vocational training in 2021. The regulations only cover the examination, which is taken at the competent body in charge, usually the chamber. The non-binding framework curricula for preparation courses are usually elaborated by the social partners subsequent to the enactment.

National regulations are only elaborated if a certain set of criteria is fulfilled, e.g. regarding the expected numbers of graduates. At a regional level, the chambers can issue regulations for advanced training examinations in fields or specialisations that are not covered by national regulations. Alternative career advancement pathways for graduates of the dual apprenticeship system are the recognized qualifications at the trade and technical schools of the Federal States with titles like nationally certified technicians.

While preparation courses are not mandatory, they are usually attended prior to the examination. They are offered by various private commercial and non-profit institutions and are subject to market conditions. Important players in this field are training providers linked to the chambers. The advanced training occupations are mapped on the EQF and the German Qualification Framework (GQF) from level 5 up to level 7, with the vast majority at level 6.

• One of the priorities of the amendment of the Vocational Training Act in the year 2020 was to foster the transparency and attractiveness of higher VET in Germany. It introduced the term “higher-qualifying VET” (Höherqualifizierende Berufsbildung) for advanced training occupations. Three new titles were introduced to signal the equivalence between advanced training and academic qualifications at GQF levels 5 to 7: Level 5: Certified Occupational Specialist (Geprüfte/r Berufsspezialist/in).
• Level 6: Bachelor Professional
• Level 7: Master Professional

Access to higher education

Graduates of the dual apprenticeship system with several years of work experience in their occupational field can obtain subject-related access to courses at higher education institutions. The requirements are regulated in the federal state laws, and the decision on admission is made by the higher education institution. The higher education institution can also ask for additional entrance tests or an interview assessing the aptitude of an applicant. Most of the advanced training occupations and the certificates of trade and technical schools are accepted as general university entrance qualifications.

Dual courses of study

In Germany the Dual University, universities of applied sciences, universities of cooperative education and also some universities offer dual courses of study at EQF level 6 and partly also level 7. Dual courses of study include learning in a higher education institution and in a company. They are targeted at school leavers with a (subject-restricted) university entrance qualification. The students have to find a company to contract them in order to be accepted at the higher education institution.

There are two models of dual courses, one integrating practical phases into a degree and the other combining training in a recognized training occupation with a degree course. In the second model, the students have a normal training contract with the company and are subject to all legal regulations and provisions in collective wage agreements relating to training. Upon successful completion of the course, they acquire both a higher education qualification and a VET qualification.

Initiatives and programmes to foster permeability

The national pact for vocational education and training foresees permeability as one of its priorities along three main strands: guidance and orientation, transparency of qualification titles, and easier access to advanced training. Various initiatives and pilot programmes have been designed to foster permeability and recognition of parts of the dual apprenticeship training or of advanced training occupations, e.g. through recognition tools or joint curriculum development. Examples of initiatives run by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) are the ANKOM initiative for transition between vocational and academic education, the open university contest, and the current campaign to recruit higher education dropouts for the dual apprenticeship system. Courses attended in higher education institutions can be credited towards a shortening of the duration of the apprenticeship programme. The Federal States open university contest runs until 2020. It will be supplemented in 2019 with an initiative developing qualification offers aimed at university dropouts and advanced VET qualifications holders towards universities. In both cases, hybrid training formats are to be developed and tested which combine practical and theoretical contents of training, advanced training and higher education.