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About the Institute

The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) is recognized as a center of excellence for vocational research and for the progressive development of vocational education and training (VET) in Germany. BIBB works to identify future challenges in VET, stimulate innovation in national and international vocational systems, and develop new, practiceoriented solutions for both initial and continuing vocational education and training.

About the Institute

Technological, economic and social change presents companies with the constant challenge of maintaining a highly qualified skilled workforce. In Germany, the structural foundation for these qualifications is the dual system of initial vocational training and company-based continuing vocational training. At the same time, a dual system program of initial vocational training lays the foundation for lifelong learning. Both initial and continuing vocational education and training are investments in the future.

BIBB was founded in 1970 on the basis of the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz, BBiG) as a federal government institution for policy, research and practice in the field of vocational education and training.

For over 35 years now, BIBB has continued to fulfil this role. Its current basis in law is the Vocational Training Act of March 23, 2005 which sets out the Institute's tasks. In its research and development work and its advisory activities, BIBB helps to provide individuals with qualifications of lasting value for their economic security and employability, and to ensure the international competitiveness of German business and industry.

Being directly accountable to the Federal Government, BIBB is funded directly from the federal government budget and is subject to the legal supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Since 1999 its headquarters have been in Bonn.

50 years of the Vocational Training Act – a guarantor of high quality
Monday, September 23, 2019

50 years of the Vocational Training Act – a guarantor of high quality

The Vocational Training Act entered into force 50 years ago in September 1969. In the interview, BIBB President Esser acknowledges the Act as both a guarantor of the high quality of VET in Germany and that leaves stakeholders with plenty of scope to find practice-oriented solutions.

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50 years of the Vocational Training Act – its origins, and what the future holds
Thursday, September 19, 2019

50 years of the Vocational Training Act – its origins, and what the future holds

Vocational education and training in 1969 saw a lot of unsatisfied young people. “If you want cheap labour, get an apprentice” was a line they were no longer willing to accept, and they were becoming actively involved in the apprentice movement. Our interviewee, Dr. Klaus Heimann, was there.

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