The Digitalisation of the World of Work: Key Challenge for General and Vocational Education

“Dealing confidently with information and communication technology is the future key to starting a sustainable career in Company 4.0.” This was the declaration from the President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Friedrich Hubert Esser, yesterday in Hanover. In his presentation during the conference “Future Tracks – Gute Arbeit in der Fabrik 4.0”, held by Volkswagen and IG Metall on the occasion of the Hannover Messer, Esser explained his statement on the increasing importance of IT skills as a key qualification in both general and vocational education: “Although the digitalisation of the world of work will not take place at the same tempo over all areas of the economy, there are already certain sectors and occupational fields where the corresponding changes in professional profiles are foreseeable.”

The industrial, electronic occupations could be given as a good example of how the digitalisation of products and processes is already being reflected today. The role of mechanics, electrotechnics, mechatronics, automation and operating technology in the division of labour and the work profiles of the skilled labour force have changed in Industry 4.0. These developments allowed scenarios on work profiles and occupational groups to be described which it was then possible to use as a point of departure for the discussion regarding future reorganisation. “There will be professions which continue to exist along with with those professions which are superseded or merged, and there will certainly be new professions in Company 4.0,” said Esser.

The BIBB President underlined the significance of general education in particular as a requirement for the intended success of vocational training and pointed to results from qualification research which have shown that the requirements regarding complexity, problem-solving, learning and above all flexibility will become more enhanced in the professions, as well as to the fact that a high level of diagnostic competence in maintenance, service and repair is expected in the industrial-technical professions, especially. According to Esser, there must be an appropriate level of readiness for vocational training to make it possible to build up the necessary process knowledge or train the required system knowledge.

Esser continued: “The current ICILS study shows that German pupils must still catch up with other countries when it comes to the qualifications necessary today with respect to dealing with new technology in a competent manner.” The skills deficit in vocational training could have a negative impact on the progress or success of the training. “So all initiatives which involve an improvement to the corresponding education standards in our schools are now proper and important,” emphasised the BIBB President as a final point.

For more information from the BIBB's web site, visit www.bibb.de/industrie40

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