Internationalisation of vocational education and training

BIBB: What does internationalisation mean within vocational education and training?

Thomann: Internationalisation, in this context, is an ongoing development which contributes to the sustainability of vocational education and training, or VET for short. Modernisation and reform of vocational education and training does not only take place at national level. The processes are integrated within European and international developments in the employment and education sector. International mobility of the workforce is one result of globalisation. Right now, integration of refugees in training and employment is a very important topic that requires action in terms of recognizing vocational qualifications acquired abroad. In Germany the so-called Recognition Act was adopted in 2012. In addition, internationalisation also refers to the formation of German VET embedded in a European policy framework. Current topics of European interest are work-based learning, regional mobility and the European Alliance for Apprenticeships. As youth unemployment in Germany is significantly lower than it is in many other countries, the German VET system attracts international attention. Each year we receive many foreign delegations that want to learn about the dual system. Sometimes these visits are the beginning of regular consultations, collaboration, or even a cooperation agreement.

BIBB: Since 2012, the BIBB has been assisting the Federal Government in the implementation of the Recognition Act by providing academic support and through the operation of the service portal “Recognition in Germany”. The German Office for International Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training (GOVET), which is part of BIBB, commenced work in 2013. Do these innovations indicate that vocational education and training is becoming increasingly global?

Thomann: On the one hand, it is our task at the Federal Institute to further develop our national vocational education and training system. On the other hand, we are also responsible for supporting the international collaboration of the Federal Government in vocational education and training. It is not enough to look at the German system in isolation. There is an international context that is becoming increasingly more significant. When we think about vocational education and training we have to keep in mind the international relevance of our actions. One example which concerns us right now is the revision of training regulations. It is important to include intercultural and international competencies in training regulations because these skills prepare young people to succeed in globalised employment markets. The large number of refugees which we would like to integrate into education and training and the labour market is another good example. Furthermore, there are also developments taking place at a European level. We have a European agenda with themes which are identified for all member states and which inspires them to take action. Here, a good example is the introduction of the European Qualification Framework that triggered the development of corresponding national frameworks in the member states.

BIBB: Can the German dual vocational education and training system be exported abroad?

Thomann: Here I would like to warn against false expectations. Every national VET system is unique and embedded in country-specific historical and socio-economic contexts. In my view it is not possible to export a system. Let’s consider the role of the various stakeholders, such as ministries, unions, employer organisations, and chambers, in the German system. Social partners are crucial for the development of training regulations or national standards in Germany and this structure has developed over time. It is basically clear that these structures cannot be transferred one-to-one. The idea of a joint responsibility of government, business and social partners for dual education and training with a company-based and practical focus is the underlying approach to our international work. We can describe and promote these interrelationships. International consultancy is primarily about explaining and adapting core elements of our dual system in an appropriate manner to meet the specific requirements of the partner country. Eventually, it is the responsibility of our partner country to decide how to apply these elements and whether they need additional support in the reform process from us.

BIBB: Are you able to explain the idea you have just referred to regarding dual education and training with a company-based and practical focus in slightly more detail?

Thomann: We use five core elements to outline our vocational education and training system. The first is collaboration between government, business and social partners which includes a joint responsibility for VET in terms of content and financing. The second is the quality and professionalism of the vocational education and training staff. According to our definition teachers in schools and trainers in companies belong to VET staff. The third is the development of national standards which have been agreed by all stakeholders. This helps to ensure that those who complete VET have the same minimum level of knowledge, abilities, and skills. The fourth is learning within the work process with a view to the acquisition of occupational competence. And the final element is institutionalized VET research and consultancy in the field of career guidance. For many countries, institutionalized research in vocational education and training is something new because they have been lacking necessary capacities. However, it is becoming increasingly important, for example, for a country to gather data about its own VET system - whether it is to present developments to an international community or to prepare relevant political decisions and reform processes. There is, therefore, increasing global demand for so-called evidence-based policy consultation.

BIBB: Which aspects of the dual vocational education and training system generate the most enquiries from abroad?

Thomann: In most countries, school-based and university education has a long tradition. This means that vocational education and training tends to be second choice if not the last resort. For this reason our foreign guests are very keen to find out more about the significance of VET in our country and the cooperation of different stakeholders in the German system. They ask questions like: Why do companies participate in education and training? How do they benefit from this? Our guests are generally quite astonished when we present some figures from our research. For example, the final average net costs of a trainee across all occupations and training years, following deduction of value of work performed in the company, are calculated at only €3,600 per year. Questions then follow regarding the relationship between government, business and social partners, and the mechanisms used to ensure that respective stakeholders interact with one another when it comes to negotiating and organising training regulations. There is also interest in national standards because many countries don’t have them. Sometimes individual flagship companies offer company-based education and training. However, acquired learning content and competencies differ across companies. Keeping that in mind, it is interesting for our guest to learn about our minimum standard regulations which nonetheless do not prevent companies from adapting training to their own requirements. Many visitors are also surprised that apprentices in Germany get paid. In other countries, the trainee pays for his or her education. Also contractual training agreements defining rights and obligations are not widespread internationally. Overall we try to explain why it might make sense for countries to provide training which is work-related and demand-oriented. Training is ultimately still an investment but, in the long term, companies save costs with respect to recruiting qualified personnel.

BIBB: What kind of innovative approaches exist in other countries in the context of vocational education and training?

Thomann: Innovation is a complex concept. Sometimes, innovation simply connotes a different perspective or an alternative approach to a well-known challenge. In the context of validation processes for competencies acquired in a non-formal or informal way, it is currently valuable for us to look at countries that have established systems and gained experience with it. France and Switzerland are pioneers in this respect. For us, Switzerland is very interesting because it has a dual VET system within which models for the validation of competencies acquired in a non-formal and informal context have already been developed. With respect to making vocational education and training more attractive, it is worth look at countries which offer a double qualification consisting of vocational education and training and higher education entrance qualification. One model is the “Berufsmatura” offered in Austria. Similar ideas are discussed right now in Germany.

BIBB: The BIBB is also active in a multilateral context as a member of the worldwide UNESCO vocational education and training network (UNEVOC network). At the end of last year a revised UNESCO recommendation on vocational education and training addressing all 195 member states was adopted. To what extent were you involved in this development?

Thomann: As the BIBB we were involved in two ways. My colleague Prof. Reinhold Weiß who is our Research Director and I were both members of an international group of experts which developed the first draft of a revised version. We pursued the goal of updating the 2004 recommendation in light of current developments. Some of our ideas regarding company-based education and training, business participation and integration of work-based learning got included as well. Following this, we were involved in consulting with the respective member states which was done online. Thus, all members were included and individual countries were able to suggest changes or amendments to the recommendation’s single sections. The BIBB was responsible for collecting all suggestions coming from Germany, seeking agreement on these at a professional level and feeding these into the process. In the course of this I learned how time-consuming and complex such a revision process can be. In total, the process lasted almost two years and, by international standards, that is a very good outcome.

BIBB: What are the main innovations?

Thomann: First of all, from the perspective of dual education and training, it is fair to say that the results are very satisfactory. The recommendation takes a new approach in describing vocational education and training as a joint responsibility of government and business. Another innovation is the incorporation of a social dialogue. Social dialogue means that in some way unions and employer organisations participate in shaping vocational education and training. This concept is not identical with our German idea of a “social partnership”, however, it is an important step in a right direction. Furthermore, the recommendation no longer refers to teachers only. The new term is “vocational education and training staff”, a much broader term that includes trainers, tutors and mentors. A comprehensive understanding of competency is also contained within the recommendation. And finally - and I think this is important in terms of its attractiveness - VET is regarded as a component of education and training extending into the tertiary education sector. This is an important step to regard initial and continuing vocational education and training as a joint concept at an international level and to develop respective career paths.

BIBB: What must the BIBB do in order to continue to occupy a strong position in the area of internationalisation?

Thomann: It is our intention to make the BIBB more visible internationally as the centre of excellence for research, consultation and ongoing development of vocational education and training. In order to live up to this goal, we have to get more involved in international discourse by participating in international conferences or through English language publications. We seek to further consolidate the networks we have with our international partner organisations, initiate joint research projects and create additional synergies. Last but not least we would like to improve access to the results of our work for international stakeholders by expanding our English-language website and newsletter.

BIBB: In your view what are the major global challenges in the area of vocational education and training for the future?

Thomann: We have to strengthen and develop the attractiveness of vocational education and training. That’s an ongoing challenge here in Germany and an even greater challenge in countries where the reputation of VET is poor from the start. I believe that the best way to convince others of the concept is to show them how VET helps young people to succeed in the job market. Digitalisation is another important global challenge and a topic that is widely discussed at the BIBB right now. From the perspective of vocational education and training it is our task not to lose sight of the human being. We have to invest in lifelong learning so that people are enabled to participate in a digital society. That’s part of what we call “Vocational Education and Training 4.0”.

The interview was conducted by Katerina Breuer.