“Conference on transformation and vocational education and training from an international perspective” as part of the project “Occupational activities and requirements in international comparison”
From 31 November to 1 December 2023, BIBB held a conference in Bonn entitled “Vocational education and training, skilled workers and transformation from an international perspective – contributions of skilled work to occupational task change and innovation”. The aim of the event was to analyse the challenges of transformation for VET and skilled workers from an international perspective in a scientifically sound manner, while discussing the active contribution that VET and skilled workers already make to transformation processes. The conference also served as a networking opportunity for international VET researchers, as the ecological and digital transformation requires concepts that should increasingly be developed and implemented beyond national borders.
The ecological and digital transformation is leading to far-reaching changes in all areas of society. Climate change, resource consumption, the energy transition and digitalisation require concepts that need to be developed and implemented not only by single countries, but increasingly also across national borders. But how can transformation processes in different countries be structured in a future-proof and sustainable way? And what contribution can skilled workers make as important agents of change?
Vocational education and training is of central importance when it comes to empowering skilled workers to shape change. It must provide answers to fundamental questions: What consequences do changing ecological, economic and social conditions have on the world of work and careers? Which qualifications and competencies will be important for the individual sectors in the future?
The idea of the conference emerged from the BIBB project “Occupational activities and requirements in international comparison” and the (quantitative) realisation that a heterogeneity of occupational requirements in nominally identical occupations can be demonstrated in an international comparison. This in turn leads to the conclusion that different work experience is available in nominally identical occupations in order to meet these different requirements. In other words, skilled workers make an active, and possibly not insignificant, contribution to work processes.
Around 60 VET researchers from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Gulf region and the Middle East met in Bonn from 30 November to 1 December 2023. Organised by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), the conference offered researchers the opportunity to present and discuss findings from their research projects on specific aspects of transformation. Shaping the socio-ecological and digital transformation plays a key role in BIBB’s work. The event helped to place BIBB’s various research and development projects on this topic in the context of international VET research and to draw inspiration for research and development at BIBB from the results.
Selected results and findings of the symposium:
- Particularly in countries with dual vocational education and training, skilled workers contribute to the development of new technologies and there is a reciprocal relationship between investment in new technologies and skills.
- On average, robotisation in Europe tends to be “employee-friendly”.
- Qualified personnel are crucial for the integration of new technologies at the company level and therefore also central to digitalisation, among other things.
- A standardised and consistent framework (or concept) for analysing “green jobs” is still outstanding.
You can find more detailed information on the results of the conference in the final report, with information about the speakers on a separate page. Finally, with thanks for the speakers’ generous permission, we are also able to share a conference programme with you that includes the presentation slides.