Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

High degree of acceptance in the pilot phase

This vocational orientation programme was launched in 2008 and succeeded in achieving a high degree of acceptance from both young people and training staff whilst still in its pilot phase. Evidence of the success of the programme was provided both in the form of high numbers of participants (more than 100,000 recorded at the given time and almost 170,000 approved) as well as via the results of the internal and external evaluation of the programme. This enabled the pilot project, which was due to run until 31 December 2010, to be ended early and the support programme to be instigated on a permanent basis. New aspects of the programme are the  analysis of potential as a component of the support provided and the fact that the vocational orientation programme is integrated into the BMBF "Educational Chains" initiative. Additionally to the analysis of potential and vocational orientation, this initiative includes the deployment of "career entry support workers" from the penultimate year of general schooling for pupils with special educational needs..

Vocational orientation today needs to prepare young people to continuously meet new challenges. In order to cope successfully with such a task, they require a solid foundation of cross-occupational core skills. This means that the primary focus is on strengthening the personality rather than centring on the question of "what do I want to become?" and involves a paradigm shift in vocational orientation away from pure occupational information and advice towards support for vocational self-realisation. For this reason, the vocational orientation programme commences with the analysis of potential as early as in Year 7. The practical vocational orientation, the so-called workshop days, are planned for Year 8. This ensures that enough time remains to provide pupils with individual support on the basis of the strengths and areas of potential identified, to develop their necessary core skills further and to prepare them for initial occupational decisions within the scope of the practical vocational orientation process.
For most young people in Year 7, career choice either plays no role at all or else has only a very subordinate part to play. This phase of life tends to be very much more marled by the onset of adolescence, by separation tendencies and by questions of identity. The analysis of potential uses self and outside assessment to support these initial self-reflection processes and fosters realistic self-perception with regard to external requirement. It shows the latent talents which the young people harbour and provides indications as to how individual support can subsequently be used as a vehicle to develop competences further.
The analysis of potential involves an investigation of personal, social and methodological competence, in other words revealing cross-occupational core skills which are also significantof significance in everyday life. This process explicitly does not focus on ascertaining the status of learning with regard to school learning content. For this reason, the analysis of potential should ensure clear delineation in this respect by taking place outside school premises.

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A new aspect of the programme: analysis of potential

Analyses of potential use procedures which are also deployed in other competence assessment processes. A differentiation is made between three types of procedure: simulation or activity- oriented procedures,  biography oriented procedures and procedures related to self and external description.

The total duration of the analysis of potential, which takes place within the scope of the vocational orientation programme, is up to 3 days. The primary focus is on deploying activity- oriented procedures such as assessment centre exercises or work samples. Participants are given an opportunity to try out their own competences and identify their own skills, predispositions and interests. During these exercises, pupils are observed by trained assessors (maximum ratio 1:4) on the basis of pre-defined  criteria and are subsequently provided with feedback in one-to-one meetings. This observation takes place with focus on actual and observable behaviour and is deliberately separated from the assessment process. In order to avoid or reduce subjective impressions and observational errors, observers change over after every task. The results of the analysis of potential are deliberated with the young people and documented in writing in accordance with the principle of the competence-based approach. This then serves as the basis for the provision of individual support of the young people.

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Vocational orientation programme and the "educational chains"

The idea behind the vocational orientation programme and the "educational chains" is to build up or interlink the various vocational orientation measures. The analysis of potential is the first link in this chain. Results should support and determine further measures within the scope of the vocational orientation process. For this reason, it is important for parents, pupils and other participating institutions to be integrated into the procedure. The analysis of potential and vocational orientation also needs to be interlinked in conceptual terms. Associated ideas here include such aspects as enabling the decision regarding occupational fields within the scope of the workshop days to be taken in a more conscious way and in accordance with the predispositions and competences of the young people.

The workshop days provide young people with an opportunity to spend two weeks or 80 hours gathering practical experiences in at least three occupational fields under the supervision of experienced trainers. Vocational training centres have the necessary workshop facilities and experience in initial VET at their disposal. The distance from everyday school reality in spatial and content terms also gives young people the chance to discover new talents and show different sides of themselves. Feedback from the pilot phase shows that practical activity enables young people to develop confidence and pride in their own performance. The positive self-image thus gained encourages them to undertake further endeavours and fuels a willingness to accept responsibility for their own lives. If the process succeeds in making the practical relevance of school learning content more tangible, experience has shown that this also exerts a positive influence on school performance. In adopting a "hands-on" approach, boys and girls learn to familiarise themselves with the reality of various occupations and are able to investigate whether an activity is in line with their own predispositions. This helps in making a conscious and considered career choice at a later stage. Such a self-determined vocational aim is pursued with greater seriousness. The prospects of gaining a training place and of successfully completing training are increased.

The vocational orientation process culminates in certification, the aim of which is to assist the pupils and potential training providers in deciding on a career choice or acceptance for a training contract respectively. Participation of the school within the process is both important and desirable. Participation in the vocational orientation process by teachers is a matter of personal esteem for the boys and girls and is appreciated. Close interlinking with the school also fosters the sustainable impact of the analysis of potential and of vocational orientation.

The implementation of an analysis of potential in Year 7 - with young people aged between 12 and 15 - in particular is a relatively new development. Some federal state initiatives have already gathered initial experiences. For this reason, BIBB is providing intensive support and evaluation research into the analysis of potential within the first period of the vocational orientation programme which has now been instigated on a permanent basis. Results and observations should contribute to the further development of procedures and quality standards.

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Bibliography

• Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
  [Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF]:
  Qualitätsstandards zur Durchführung von Potenzialanalysen in Programmen zur Berufsorientierung des BMBF
  Quality standards for the implementation of analyses of potential in BMBF vocational orientation programmes. Berlin, May 2010.
• Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung/Institut für Maßnahmen zur Förderung der beruflichen und sozialen Eingliederung e.V. (Hrsg.)
  [Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training/Institute for Measures to Promote Vocational and Social Integration, Eds.]: Qualitätsstandards für Verfahren der Kompetenzfeststellung im Übergang Schule - Beruf
  Quality standards for competence assessment procedures at th etransition from school to work. Bonn and Moers 2007.
• Institut für berufliche Bildung, Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik GmbH
  [Institute for Vocational Training, Labour Market and Social Policy]:
  Handreichung zur Durchführung von Potenzialanalysen im Berufsorientierungsprogramm (BOP) des BMBF
  Guidance for the implementation of analyses of potential in the BMBF Vocational Orientation Programme. Offenbach am Main, May 2010.
• Institut für berufliche Bildung, Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik GmbH/Institut für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Kultur
  [Institute for Vocational Training, Labour Market and Social Policy/Institute for Business, Work and Culture]:
  Evaluierung des Berufsorientierungsprogramms in überbetrieblichen und vergleichbaren Bildungsstätten
  Evaluation of the vocational orientation programme in inter-company vocational training centres and comparable VET centres. Offenbach and Frankfurt, January 2010.
• Kriterienkatalog Ausbildungsreife. Ein Konzept für die Praxis. Erarbeitet vom Expertenkreis "Ausbildungsreife" im Auftrag des Pakt-Lenkungsausschusses Apprenticeship entry maturity catalogue of criteria. A concept for practice. Drawn up by the "Apprenticeship entry maturity" expert group and commissioned by the Pact Management Committee. Nuremberg and Berlin, January 2006.
  

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Last modified on: January 6, 2011