Research at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training

The international conference hosted by "Education and Employers" took place under the motto "Preparing Young People for the Future". BIBB Director of Research and Vice President, Prof. Hubert Ertl, analysed the role of employers in initial and continuing vocational education and training in Germany.

At a virtual conference hosted by BIBB, representatives of national vocational education and training institutes and research facilities from 14 European countries spoke out in favour of further developing and strengthening VET research in Europe.

Inspired by the international GOVET survey regarding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on VET and the labour market, the US Department of Labor initiated a digital round table on this topic. BIBB Director of Research Prof. Hubert Ertl opened this first well-founded exchange of expertise.

Following an invitation from the German Embassy, Prof. Ertl last week participated as an expert as regards the dual VET system in high-level events taking place in Boston and in Washington DC. The background is a legislative initiative to introduce Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs.

The vast majority (83%) of applicants able to find a company-based training position are receiving training in their desired occupation or in one of their desired occupations. These are the findings of the representative BA/BIBB applicant survey.

Even if an occupation reflects the activities in which they are interested, many young people will still tend to drop it during the career choice process if insufficient social recognition appears to be on offer. This is the main outcome to emerge from a study conducted by the BIBB.

Around eleven percent of skilled workers in Germany who have completed dual VET carry out higher level tasks for which a higher qualification is typically required. Men have a clear advantage over women, as the new issue of BIBB REPORT shows.

Stakeholders from academic research, policy making and practice all have an equal role to play in the shaping of vocational education and training. Yet how can dialogue produce sustainable concepts and solutions given the differing logical approaches and interests involved?

Following his appointment last year as Professor of Vocational Education and Research at Paderborn University, BIBB Research Director Prof. Ertl has now delivered an inaugural lecture entitled “Vocational education and training research in the age of digital transformation”.

An increase in the population, hostorically low unemployment and shortages of skilled workers in specific occupations – especially in health care occupations – will characterise the labour market in Germany in 2035. This is shown by current projections by BIBB and IAB.

The development of the German VET system and more specifically of the dual system relies on regular data collection. The Data Report of the BIBB is a selection of most relevant and actual data on the German VET system.

BIBB’s English website has been complemented by a new section on the German vocational education and training (VET) system. In addition, important terms can now be looked up in a VET glossary.

For a period of three months Dr. Rein (BIBB) will conduct research on the subject of “Compatible degree and non-degree post-secondary education in the US“ at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) in Washington DC .

Harald Pfeifer has been appointed as Professor of the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) at Maastricht University. This bolsters cooperation in research into economic issues relating to vocational education and training.

What will dual VET look like in the industrial sector in ten years’ time? In order to examine issues of this nature in greater detail, BIBB hosted a workshop  which was attended by around 40 specially chosen participants from several industrial sectors.