Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

Partners Meetings

BIBB launched a forum in the form of periodic "Partners Meetings" in 2006 with a view to strengthening existing partnerships and establishing new partnerships. This forum can be considered to be firmly established among participating European VET institutions. These conferences not only offer an opportunity to share information and exchange views on topical issues of mutual interest. They especially provide an opportunity to establish new contacts and identify areas for cooperation as well. The exchange of views and information on the development of a European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for assessing vocational skills was the focus of a Partners Meeting held in Bonn from 20 - 21 March 2006 which 16 vocational training institutes from various European countries attended at the invitation of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training. The second Partners Meeting was hosted by INCUAL in Madrid from 28 to 30 October 2007. This conference revolved primarily around the effects that the EQF and the ECVET have on participating countries. The last Partners Meeting held to date featured a broad range of topics and was conducted by QCA in London on 17 and 18 November 2008.

 Partners Meeting with 16 national VET institutions in Europe

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Cooperation agreements

In addition to the above activities with Egypt, Turkey and Vietnam, BIBB has also signed cooperation agreements with:

• Australia - A cooperation agreement between the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in Adelaide has been in place since 26 July 2000. The National Centre for Vocational Education Research is responsible for vocational education research and vocational education statistics in Australia. Together with the Adelaide Institute of TAFE, it is a recognised UNESCO - UNEVOC Centre of Excellence in the field of technical and vocational education and training.
• Brazil - The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and Brazil's Institut Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial (SENAI) signed an open-ended cooperation agreement on 1 July 1998.
• Colombia -The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the SENA/ Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje signed a cooperation agreement on 13 avril 2011. 
• Italy - The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the Instituto per lo Sviluppo della Formazione Professionale dei Lavoratori (ISFOL) signed a cooperation agreement on 5 May 1990.
• Latvia - The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the Professionalas izglitibas Centrs (PIC) signed a partnership agreement on 31 March 2006.
• Mexiko - The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica (CONALEP) signed a cooperation agreeement on 24 february 2009.
• The Netherlands - The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the Centrum voor Innovatie van Opleidingen (CINOP) signed a partnership agreement on 4 April 1989.
• Russian Federation - An agreement between the governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Soviet Union signed in 1989 led to the start of BIBB's contacts with the Soviet Union and its successor states. These contacts initially consisted of sporadic observation activities. In 1992 Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Science assigned BIBB a number of extensive tasks aimed at supporting efforts to foster vocational education and training in Central and Eastern Europe. These tasks included in particular the implementation, supervision and execution of vocational education and training measures. The first cooperation agreement was subsequently signed with BIBB's Russian partner institute, the Institute for the Development of Vocational Education and Training (IRPO) in Moscow. This agreement revolved around vocational training consultancy services, information, exchanges and pilot projects (see Pilot Projects and Literature below).
  The cooperation agreement with the IRPO was renewed in 2002 after the vocational education and training assistance provided through the TRANSFORM Programme came to an end. The agreement now focuses on collaboration in the field of vocational training research. This collaboration took concrete form in the research project Continued Development of Instruments for Vocational Training Consultancy Services Abroad Based on a Sustainability Analysis of TRANSFORM Projects.
• Slovak Republic - The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and State Institute of Vocational Education of the Slovak Republic (SIOV) signed a partnership agreement on 7 September 1995. The State Institute of Vocational Education is the coordinating arm and education agency of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic.
• Slovenia - The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the National Institute for Vocational Education and Training (CPI) signed a partnership agreement on 21 September 2001. The CPI is chiefly responsible for research, development and advisory services and links the government's interests with the social partners' interests.
• Czech Republic - The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the Research Institute of Technical and Vocational Training (VUOS) signed a partnership agreement on 1 July 1993.

Last modified on: December 13, 2010