Print version Recommend this page Press release
27/ 2011
Bonn, 06.06.2011
President Esser: "BIBB is making a sizable contribution to the reform of India's vocational education and training system"
The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) is an important partner for the Indian government in its efforts to reform its vocational education and training system. Following his return from India, BIBB's President Professor Dr Friedrich Hubert Esser, who was part of the delegation headed by Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel at the recent German-Indian government consultations, "As a rising economic power, India has set itself the goal of providing vocational training for some 500 million people by the year 2022. The Indian government is counting on German assistance and particularly on BIBB's expertise to help it master this enormous task. The German dual vocational training system with its unique combination of theory and practice is very attractive for India. Through its advisory services BIBB can make a sizable contribution to the progressive development of India's vocational education and training system."
The German and Indian delegations signed several agreements regarding closer cooperation in the vocational education and training field in the presence of Germany's Minister of Education Professor Dr Annette Schavan and India's Minister of Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Kharge. These agreements included an agreement signed by President Esser between the iMOVE (International Marketing of Vocational Education) project which is attached to BIBB and India's National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). This agreement provides for more intense collaboration between German providers of initial and continuing vocational training and public education facilities and private enterprises in India.
In addition, the German-India Working Group on Vocational Education and Training headed by Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research agreed that BIBB experts will advise the Indian government in future in connection with the development of occupational and examination standards, qualification development research and the training of training personnel. A first joint workshop is scheduled to be held in New Delhi in mid-September. "The aim of BIBB's strategy is to strengthen skilled personnel on the ground on a lasting basis," BIBB's President Esser emphasized. Plans also foresee an exchange programme for guest researchers from BIBB and the Central Staff Training and Research Institute (CSTARI) with the aim of fostering young researchers.
Demand from other countries for BIBB's advisory services has been growing for years now due to the attractiveness of Germany's vocational training system. At present, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training has some 30 international cooperation arrangements with institutions and facilities throughout the world to assist and support the reform of the vocational education and training systems there. In Asia alone, BIBB is active on location not only in India but also in China, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
Further information is available on the BIBB website at www.bibb.de and at www.imove-germany.de
Photos are available at www.bibb.de/pressefotos
Point of contact at BIBB:
Maren Verführt, Tel.: +49 (0) 228 / 107-1348, E-mail: verfuerth@bibb.de
Michael Härtel, Tel.: +49 (0) 228 / 107-1013, E-mail: haertel@bibb.de
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