Print version Recommend this page Press release
23/ 2007
Bonn, 15.05.2007
What working people have to be capable of nowadays
Everyone knows that knowledge, skills and competences going beyond the actual demands of the job are very important in the modern world of work. But there are still no empirical records as to which inter-occupational and inter-disciplinary qualifications, such as IT qualifications, language skills or methodological skills, are needed in which occupation and how profound they must be. Answers are provided by the current 2006 Survey of Employed Persons of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Bundesanstalt für Arbeits¬schutz und Arbeitsmedizin - BAuA). The analyses confirm the great value of inter-occupational qualifications and show that these requirements do not have the same significance at all levels and in all occupations.
They show that basic foreign language skills are required by almost one in two employed persons in Germany. As expected, knowledge of English is in first place, followed by knowledge of French. Approximately one employed person in four requires at least a basic knowledge of English, 16% have to master the language orally or in writing and seven per cent have to be able to negotiate in English. The level of foreign language skills varies substantially from one occupation to the next. Reliable negotiating skills are required above all for scientists (24 per cent), organisational, administrative and legal careers (22 per cent), technical and IT careers (15 per cent) and service (13 per cent) and sales personnel (10 per cent).
The computer is now ever-present in German offices and enterprises. Three out of four employed persons indicate that they work with computers sometimes or often. More than 10 per cent do more than just use them. These include 2.5 per cent who work in classical IT occupations, as programmers for example. That means that about seven per cent or more than two million employed persons work in so-called IT hybrid occupations, that is, they are entrusted with specific computer activities although they are not employed in classical IT occupations. These IT hybrid occupations are especially frequent among engineers (22 per cent), technicians (19 per cent), service clerks (18 per cent) and in scientific (17 per cent) and electrical occupations (16 per cent).
These results show that in addition to quantitative prognoses of skilled worker requirements in this branch of industry, qualitative shifts of specific IT skills out of the core IT occupations also have to be taken into consideration.
According to the survey, almost one in two employed persons in Germany does "knowledge sector" work and hence has a job in which creativity and learning are often required. Twenty-eight per cent often have to improve procedures or try something new in their daily work. These persons are called "innovators". Thirty-six per cent are often confronted with new tasks that require rethinking and breaking-in. Accordingly, methodological skills that can serve as a "key" to getting familiar with rapidly changing technical knowledge are of great importance on the job. Every second employed person often has to react to and resolve unforeseen problems. Moreover, 28 per cent are expected to be able to recognise and close gaps in their own knowledge.
As expected, more "innovators" (47 per cent) are to be found in occupations with university-level requirements (in social and education work and among scientists and engineers, for example) than in those with intermediate-level requirements. But 23 per cent of the respondents in jobs for which completion of vocational education and training is a requirement can also be so designated.
The 2006 BIBB/BAuA Survey of Employed Persons was a representative survey of 20,000 employed persons in Germany. It provides nuanced information on current occupations, vocational requirements, working conditions and work loads, the educational background of the employed persons and the utilisation of vocational qualifications.
Further information and results at the BIBB website under www.bibb.de/arbeit-im-wandel
Information as regards content can be obtained from:
- Anja Hall, Tel: 0228 / 107-1103, E-mail: hall@bibb.de
