Print version Recommend this page Press release
39/ 2006
Bonn, 09.11.2006
Apprenticeship entry maturity: young people and VET specialists predominantly sharing the same view
Both vocational education and training specialists and apprenticeship applicants agree that generic skills in particular represent an indicator of apprenticeship entry maturity rather than skills acquired at school, with the exception of certain mathematical competences. This is the result of a survey of experts and trainees conducted by the Federal Institute for Voca-tional Education and Training (BIBB). The term "apprenticeship entry maturity" was taken to refer to all competences and skills important for every training occupation and needing to be in place before commencement of training, as opposed to qualifications which are only important for certain occupations, these being defined as vocationally specific aptitudes.
The survey questioned more than 250 trainees and around 500 VET experts mainly working within the field of vocational education and training from a range of institutions (including in-company trainers, academic researchers, teachers and representatives from trade unions and employers' associations).
- Indicators of apprenticeship entry maturity
Over 90 % of those surveyed agreed that key qualifications such as reliability, willingness to learn and motivation were indicators of apprenticeship entry maturity. In addition, the vast majority of both young people and experts thought that a sense of responsibility, the ability to concentrate, stamina, civility, the ability to perform basic arithmetic operations and to do sim-ple mental arithmetic, carefulness, consideration for others and the ability to work independ-ently all demonstrated the maturity required for successful vocational training.
Knowledge of English, previous economic knowledge and basic IT knowledge, on the other hand, were perceived by both groups as constituting particular indicators of vocationally spe-cific aptitudes rather than representing signs of apprenticeship entry maturity. The ability to deal with the German language properly (mastery of German spelling, speaking and writing skills) also tended to be viewed as an indicator of vocationally specific aptitude. BIBB Presi-dent Manfred Kremer remarked: "Even if everyone needs to be proficient in the basics, the ability to spell and to use the German language well must surely be more important for the commercial professions than for certain other occupations."
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Apprenticeship entry maturity no longer a guarantee of a training place?
An accusation often levelled at young people within the debate surrounding the issue of ap-prenticeship entry maturity is that their insufficient level of qualification represents an essen-tial underlying cause of the prevailing difficulties on the training places market. This was not a view shared by the young people and experts interviewed, the lowest number of specialists (26 %) and trainees (36 %) perceiving the lack of apprenticeship entry maturity on the part of training place applicants to be the reason for the problems on the training places market. In fact, over 80 % of the young people and VET experts believe that even the possession of apprenticeship entry maturity nowadays no longer represents a guarantee of obtaining a training place. There was also a prevailing consensus on the part of both groups that school marks and certificates could not be viewed as indicators of apprenticeship entry maturity.
The trainees do not, however, agree across the board with the cross section of opinion ex-pressed by the VET experts. About double the number of young people believe that compa-nies only set their requirements at such a high level because there are more apprenticeship place applicants than there are vacancies. Around one quarter more young people than ex-perts also believe that the criticism levelled by trade and industry at the lack of apprentice-ship entry maturity of young people is simply an attempt to distract attention away from the difficult training places situation.
The complete results of the survey are included in:
Eberhard, Verena: Das Konzept der Ausbildungsreife - ein ungeklärtes Konstrukt im Span-nungsfeld unterschiedlicher Interessen ("The concept of apprenticeship entry maturity - a construct in need of clarification amidst the opposing vested interests involved") in the Ger-man language publication Wissenschaftliche Diskussionspapiere des BIBB ("BIBB Research and Debate Papers") Volume 83, Federal Institute of Vocational Education and Training, Bonn, 2006.
The document is available in German on the BIBB website at
www.bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/wd_83_Konzept_Ausbildungsreife.pdf
Point of contact at BIBB for further information:
Verena Eberhard, Tel.: 0228 / 107-1118, e-mail: eberhard@bibb.de
