New year of training begins with nine updated occupations

The new year of training begins officially on the 1 August with nine updated dual training occupations from “plant mechanic for plumbing heating and air conditioning systems” to “roller shutters and sun protection mechatronics technician”. On this date several hundred thousand young people and young adults will commence their new professional life with a new training contract in their pocket.

“The continuous updating of the dual training occupations in collaboration the with federal government, states, social partners and chambers is a trademark of the globally respected dual education and training system, and demonstrates how dynamic and adaptable it is,” underlined Friedrich Hubert Esser, President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). “On the one hand, this flexibility ensures the innovative capability and competitiveness of Germany as a location for business. On the other, young people and young adults receive practical qualifications which are relevant to the labour market, are in demand from companies and which open up attractive employment opportunities for them.”

Esser added that the digitalization of the world of work was, at the same time, both an opportunity and a challenge for vocational education and training. “Since the changing qualification requirements of employees are today already having some influence on the updating of the occupations, vocational education and training is therefore well equipped for the new challenges.” According to the BIBB president, digitalization also provides the opportunity to make vocational education and training even more attractive.

Overall, nine updated training occupations come into effect at the start of the new year of training on 01 August 2016:

• Plant mechanic for sanitary, heating and air conditioning systems
• Roofer
• Event engineering specialist
• Commercial fisher
• Engraver
• Hearing aid audiologist
• Designer of digital and print media
• Metal workers
• Roller shutters and sun protection mechatronics technician

In total, young people and young adults can select from 328 recognised dual training occupations overall. The adaptability of dual vocational education and training in Germany is illustrated by the fact that BIBB has revised a total of 243 training regulations and updated these for the current economic, technical and social requirements. This involved updating 206 training regulations and creating 37 training occupations from new. In 2015, approximately 7,600 new training contracts were concluded in the 17 training occupations which had been updated over the previous year.

The BIBB is currently working on the updating of nine further training regulations which are likely to come into force in the 2017 year of training. These include, for example, the two very popular training occupations of retail services (management assistant in retail services and sales assistant) and the automobile business administrator and process technologist in metal working. As with all reorganisation or modernisation procedures, the framework curriculum for the school-based section of dual education and training is prepared in parallel to this by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the states in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK).

The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) is also involved in training. Twelve young people and young adults will start their new professional life in the BIBB on 1 August. At the start of the new year of training, there will then be 22 trainees overall completing their training at BIBB in five occupations (specialist in media and information services, specialist in market and social research, information technology specialist for system integration, office management assistants and event managers). In addition to this, the BIBB is also enabling a young refugee from Syria to complete an introductory qualification in the occupation of information technology specialist for system integration.

Further information about modernised training occupations for 2016 is available on the BIBB website under www.bibb.de/en/pressreleases.php.

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