BIBB President Esser: “Create a closer link between initial and continuing VET”

Friedrich Hubert Esser, President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), has marked the beginning of the new training year on 1 August by emphasising the need for initial and continuing vocational education and training to be even more closely linked in future. “In a few days’ time, several hundred thousand young people and young adults will once again be embarking on active working life. Initial vocational education and training offers them an attractive pathway which meets the needs of the labour market. However, this route does not end after the completion of training. Digitalisation of the economy and of society is continuing apace, and this mean that the significance of lifelong learning is increasing. The world of work is undergoing rapid change, and the working population must react by adjusting its skills and competencies. As far as the future regulatory activities of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training are concerned, this means that we will need to think of initial and continuing vocational education and training much more as inter-connective phases of a teaching and learning provision that forms part of lifelong learning and structure them accordingly. Career concepts of this kind, which span the entire gamut of training to encompass all levels of continuing training, open up prospects for young people and young adults within VET itself and represent an attractive alternative to academic education.”

Four modernised training regulations will enter into force at the start of the new training year on 1 August 2019 for the following occupations:

• Industrial cleaner
• Organ maker
• Packaging materials technologist
• Paper technician

Young people and young adults can currently choose from a total of 326 recognised dual training occupations. Since 2009, BIBB has worked with the federal ministries responsible, the social partners and experts from the field of company practice to revise a total of 138 training regulations in order to take account of the latest economic, technological and societal requirements. This illustrates the adaptability of dual vocational education and training in Germany and emphasises the system’s ability to embrace change.

BIBB is currently carrying out detailed work on several training occupations which are expected to be introduced with effect from 1 August 2020. These include the following:

• The four dual IT occupations (information technology specialist, information technology officer, information technology and telecommunications system electronics technician and information and telecommunications system support specialist)
• Bank clerk
• Wholesale and foreign trade clerk
• Painter and varnisher
• Housekeeper

The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training also provides training itself. The eight new trainees making up the institute’s 2019 cohort will be starting their programmes on 1 August. They have opted for the training occupations of “information technology specialist – systems integration”, “office manager” and “event manager”. This means that BIBB will have a total of 28 young people and young adults in training once the new training year gets underway.

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