International
iMOVE Seminar: British and German Export of Education and Training
On 29 and 30 April 2010 iMOVE held the first British-German seminar on export of education and training. The bilateral event in Bonn was organized in cooperation with British government organizations UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and TVET UK. The seminar offered the participating British and German providers of education and training a unique opportunity to share their international experience and explore possibilities of future collaborative projects.
Regional workshop in Belgrade
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BIBB conducted a regional workshop in Belgrade on 15 and 16 April 2010 in collaboration with Serbia's vocational education and training institute with the aim of giving new impetus to the exchange of information about VET experience. In addition to BIBB, the workshop was attended by vocational training institutions from Bulgaria, Montenegro, Austria, Romania, Serbia and Hungary. Not only was a topical subject ("Development of Qualification Needs and Offerings in Southeastern Europe") discussed at the workshop, the idea behind partner conferences was also implemented in the form of a contact forum which participants made active use of for bilateral talks.
"Au revoir" and "Alles Gute"
First exchange of trainees with France in Bonn government offices successfully completed
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It is a matter of course for many school students, and now it ought to become a firm component of vocational education and training: acquiring skills and experience through time spent abroad. It was for that purpose that the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB) initiated the first exchange for trainees from different Bonn institutions, and on 25 March 2010 it said goodbye to the 13 French young people who had been working in Bonn from 8 to 26 March in the presence of Angelica Maria Kappel, mayor of Bonn, Jean-Marie Haas, head of the partner school from Forbach in Lorraine and representatives of the participating German and French institutions.
Read more "Au revoir" and "Alles Gute"
didacta: Training/Qualification Forum
International collaboration in the vocational education and training field
During the didacta 2010 education trade fair in Cologne, BIBB conducted several informational events revolving around issues in the area of international vocational education and training (VET) collaboration. Speakers included Ms Julia Schmidt from the Advisory Services and International Cooperation section at BIBB. She presented the new BIBB VET system-based consultation concept and illustrated it with two examples (Egypt and Vietnam).
Read more didacta: Training/Qualification Forum
BIBB intensifies cooperation with Mexico
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The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) hosted a high-ranking delegation from its Mexican partner institution CONALEP (Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica/National College of Technical Professional Education) in Bonn from 22 to 24 March 2010. The aim of the visit was to intensify bilateral cooperation and define key areas for future collaboration.
CONALEP is a decentralised public institution that operates in all 32 of Mexico's federal states.
Read more BIBB intensifies cooperation with Mexico
Expert workshop "Methods and instruments for the evaluation and monitoring of VET systems"
The two international sections in BIBB "International Advisory Services" and "European VET Policies/International Benchmarking and Monitoring" organized an expert workshop "Methods and instruments for the evaluation and monitoring of VET systems" in Königswinter. With the motto Advisory meets Research over 50 international experts in this field met to discuss and share information. The contributions addressed the following topics:
- System description
A lot of more or less extensive descriptions of the genesis and development of VET systems are available. Most of them are elaborated to provide background knowledge for people who are not familiar with the respective national VET system. - Indicators & benchmarks
Supervising the 'status quo' or heading towards certain targets - both instruments are mainly used to compare internationally and to advise national policy makers. - Peer review and peer learning
In addition to evidence-based policy that is informed by statistics and strictly controlled methodologies of data gathering peer review and learning activities use the opinions of experts based on 'at the spot' visits. Different inbound or outbound exchanges exist as well as combinations with quantitative methodologies. Their relevance and effectiveness as regards policy impact has been discussed.
BIBB at WorldDidac Asia in Bangkok
BIBB conducted a workshop on the subject of "How can the German VET industry support the reform process in Thailand" together with the Office of Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) at the Ministry of Education of Thailand and Germany's DIDACTA association at this year's WorldDidac Asia which was held in Bangkok from 28-30 October 2009. More than 200 individuals - mostly directors of technical vocational schools and industry representatives - attended the workshop in Bangkok.
Read more BIBB at WorldDidac Asia in Bangkok
BIBB trainees back from first exchange in France
Trainees from BIBB and other Bonn-based government bodies took part in a three-week exchange in September during which they experienced everyday work life in France and completed practical placements in commercial occupations at partner institutions in Forbach, Lorraine.
The president of BIBB, Manfred Kremer, visited Forbach to be on hand to mark the successful conclusion of the first exchange with France involving trainees from government agencies in Bonn. While there, Kremer also visited two enterprises in the region that provide in-company vocational training and had hosted trainees from Bonn.
During the ceremony to award the German trainees the Europass Mobility, Manfred Kremer stated, "You have gathered many new impressions. And I hope that you have gained much for your personal development. Experiences of this kind are of great value for your future working life."
Trainees from Forbach will travel to Bonn in March 2010 where they will spend three weeks with their German partners.
The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) at the FICCI "Global Skills Summit" in India in August 2009
Germany a strong partner of India in VET
The German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) conducted a workshop jointly with the Indian Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoL&E) on National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) - "Transparency of Qualifications - Recent developments of National Qualification Frameworks and the story behind them" - Wednesday 19 August 2009 in Delhi. This workshop was kindly hosted by the Federation of Indian Chambers and Industries (FICCI) as pre-conference workshop ahead of the FICCI "Global Skills Summit" which took place 20/21 August in Delhi.
BIBB and Chinese partners generate new impetus for collaboration in applied vocational training research
_rdax_220x204_100.jpg "Workshop participants at the Germany Promenade")
In March 2009, Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research and its Chinese partners - the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology - proclaimed the Sino-German Year of Science and Education . The Sino-German Year of Science and Education will offer an opportunity to incorporate the subject of vocational education and training to a greater degree in Sino-German talks.
Indian vocational training striking out on new paths - and BIBB is on hand to help
India's government wants to see half of all school leavers undergo vocational training by the year 2020 in order to be in good shape for the labour market. Trade and industry are to play an important role in achieving this goal.
The Indian government invited representatives from the German vocational education and training field to meet with Indian partners from 1 to 4 March to discuss how German players could help strengthen India's vocational education and training system.
Tertiary education in Germany - Blind spots in the OECD's international comparison
The OECD's indicator-based report "Education at a Glance" from 2008 caused a stir in the German press because it gave Germany poor marks for tertiary education. The tertiary graduation rates used in this report are generally singled out as proof for this supposedly poor performance. According to "Education at a Glance" only 21.2 per cent of the typical age cohort in Germany completed a tertiary education programme in 2006. The average for all OECD countries was 37.3 per cent.
Read more Tertiary education in Germany - Blind spots in the OECD's international comparison
BIBB research is well represented in the recently published Handbook of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Research
The first handbook that specifically concentrates on research and research methods in TVET has just been published edited by Felix Rauner, University of Bremen and Rupert Maclean, Unesco Unevoc. The book's sections focus on particular aspects of the field, starting with a presentation of the genesis of TVET research. They further feature research in relation to policy, planning and practice. Various areas of TVET research are covered, including vocational disciplines and TVET systems. Case studies illustrate different approaches to TVET research, and the final section of the book presents research methods, including interview and observation methods, as well as experimentation and development. All in all twelve researchers that have worked and work with BIBB have contributed sixteen articles in this Handbook. This demonstrates that BIBB is well embededd in the international discourse of TVET research and that expertise in BIBB can be regarded as state-of-the-art in this interdisciplinary field.
"Dual vocational training's success story "
Film: Vocational Education and Training in Germany - Assuring the Future
The 'dual' vocational training system in Germany (which combines part-time vocational schooling with practical work experience) is a success story: Since it is geared to real work processes in actual day-to-day occupational practice, it enjoys high standing not only at home but also abroad. More and more countries around the world are tapping into the advantages offered by dual vocational training and are turning increasingly to German institutions to learn more about this model. The film "Vocational Education and Training in Germany - Assuring the Future" supports these activities.
Press release 04.09.2008
Film: Vocational Education and Training in Germany - Assuring the Future
ReferNet Country Report Germany 2008
Progress in the policy priority areas for vocational education and training
This Policy Report forms part of the Cedefop ReferNet 2008 work programme. It provides information on Germany's progress in VET towards EU policy goals within the framework of the Copenhagen process and according to the policy priorities defined in the Maastricht Communiqué (2004) and the Helsinki Communiqué (2006). It considers measures taken in the context of the Education and Training 2010 programme since the Copenhagen Declaration.
The national ReferNet policy reports will be one of the main sources Cedefop will use to produce the 2008 review of the Copenhagen Process, in line with its mandate. They will feed into an analysis of policy progress which Cedefop will prepare for the informal meeting of Education Ministers to be held during the French Presidency at Bordeaux on 26 November 2008 as well as into a policy progress report which Cedefop will publish presumably in spring 2009.
Internationalisation of vocational education and training
In light of today's global economic relations and the European Union's political objectives for the year 2010, monitoring and analyzing European and international developments in the vocational education and training (VET) field are of vital importance. Vocational training research that is geared to this provides the foundation for the internationality that is called for in vocational education and training. Objectives in this connection are:
- Fostering workers' international skills;
- System reforms based on international comparisons of structures and performance;
- The creation of a European education area;
- Fostering the development of efficient vocational education and training systems abroad.
Read more Internationalisation of vocational education and training
Towards a National Qualifications Framework for Germany
A broad consensus exists in Germany in the discussion on the draft European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the possible development of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF): Education - in the sense of lifelong learning and ensuring the employability of the country's citizens - must be organized and designed with an eye to the macro-objectives that qualifications be transparent, permeable and competence-oriented.1
Research and development being undertaken in this connection aim for a national qualifications framework that covers all fields of education and can interface with other systems or frameworks in Europe. The envisioned NQF will not limit itself to describing academic knowledge and classifying programmes but will be strictly orientated towards competences and vocational proficiency.
Read more Towards a National Qualifications Framework for Germany
Partner conference with 16 European national vocational training institutes
The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training hosted a conference for 16 vocational training institutes from various European countries from 20 - 21 March 2006. The exchange of views and information on the development of a European Qualifications Network (EQF) for evaluating vocational skills took centre stage at the conference. Questions arise for Germany - and other European countries - regarding the subsequent effects that an EQF will have on national vocational training systems.
Read more Partner conference with 16 European national vocational training institutes
