Continuing Education

Those wishing to achieve occupational advancement and companies seeking to remain competitive would be well advised to embrace continuing training. This is a universal truth and does not represent anything new. One aspect which is new, however, is the fact that continuing vocational training has become an increasing focus of educational policy over recent years. The National Continuing Training Strategy, instigated by the Federal Government, the federal states and the social partners, sees lifelong learning as being a key lever with regard to overcoming and being able to shape deep-seated societal and economic change. Regulated advanced vocational training programmes are being accorded greater significance within the debate because they open up attractive vocation-based career pathways. In overall terms, they are thus able to stabilise dual VET, a system which has come under pressure. The overarching objective of these educational policy activities is to increase participation in continuing and advanced vocational education and training. Glossy advertising of the chances provided by education and training will, however, not suffice. The emphasis needs to be much more on introducing measures which will facilitate individual points of access and extend areas of potential development.

So what needs to be done in order to increase participation in continuing training and to strengthen vocational education and training pathways? This issue forms the core of this particular Thinking Space. We will examine specific examples of individual education and training biographies in order to explore innovations for advanced and continuing vocational education and training together with experts from the areas of education and training practice and with social partners and academic researchers. One focal point will involve looking at the new possibilities for access and support that are provided by digitalisation. These include cross-cutting training portals, AI-assisted education and training guidance, virtual learning coaching and online certificate management. The second part of the Thinking Space will centre on vocational education and training careers. The question will be how these can be structured and expanded within the context of competition and the interplay between regulated advanced training programmes, academically based continuing training and company-based education and training.