BIBB lays cornerstone for cooperation with Columbia
Hans-Joachim Kissling and Michael Wiechert
BIBB representatives with the German Abassador in Colombia, Jürgen Christian Mertens
BIBB representatives visited Bogotá, the capital of Columbia, from 11 to 16 November 2009 to meet with Columbian colleagues and discuss future collaboration. The visit was the product of a meeting between Federal Minister of Education and Research Annette Schavan and her Columbian counterpart Cecilia María Vélez White in March 2009. At this meeting Minister Vélez signalled a strong interest in intensifying Columbia's cooperation with Germany in the area of vocational education and training.
On the host's side, BIBB's discussion partners included members of Columbia's education ministry MEN and representatives of the Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA - National Service for Vocational Training). SENA is a government organisation with the task of fostering Columbia's social development by offering free vocational training. The National Service operates under the authority of the education ministry and is financed by a 2% levy on all Columbian companies. SENA is currently responsible for some six million trainees in more than 300 training facilities throughout the country.
The talks with representatives of these two institutions and experts from numerous other Columbian educational institutions focused on the development of standards, incorporating trade and industry into vocational training, and the examination system in Germany. Topics for future collaboration were subsequently discussed and are to be examined in greater depth in the future at joint workshops:
- Cooperation between government and the private sector
- Research into and early identification of skill requirements
- Development of national standards
- Examination standards
- Training and qualification of vocational training personnel
