User data is collected from you whenever you visit this site. To find out how the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) handles your data and the purpose of processing your data please refer to our statement on data protection .
Language plays a key role in the acquisition and imparting of employability skills. At the same time, it is also an important medium for lending appropriate expression to the competence thus gained. Growing significance is being attached to occupationally related language support because not all people are in possession of sufficient language skills or else need to begin by learning the German language in the first place after having arrived in the country as an immigrant or refugee. The current issue of BWP focuses on concepts and experiences that have emerged from vocational preparation and from initial and continuing vocational education and training.
The ESF-BAMF courses in vocational German are an element within the context of funding measures for integration into training and employment. The article presents figures relating to the alignment of the courses and participant structure for the first and second funding periods, the latter ongoing since 2015.
The Ordinance on Support for Vocational German Language Learning has been in force since 1 July. It has created general conditions that are independent of financing provided by the European Social Fund. The purpose of vocational language support provided via funding from the Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales [Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs] is the advanced acquisition of language subsequent to the integration courses offered pursuant to the Residency Act, the aim being to help improve the labour market chances of newly-arrived immigrants. Iris Beckmann-Schulz, Head of the IQ Competence Centre for Vocational German Language, explains how this can be achieved and what further steps are necessary.
The relationship between language and work can be analysed from two perspectives. Language is the medium for the acquisition of employability skills, whilst at the same time everyday occupational activity is scarcely conceivable without language. This article begins by briefly highlighting both perspectives. The second of these perspectives then serves as the basis for an attempt to systematise language requirements in accordance with the primary reference to occupational activity. The organisation context in which occupational activity takes place is considered as a further factor. The aim is to develop a systemisation of language requirements which is able to provide a reference for appraisal of the status of research and for the planning of future research projects, as well as for curricular and didactic decisions.
The Bayerische Staatsministerium für Bildung und Kultus, Wissenschaft und Kunst (StMBW) [Bavarian State Ministry of Education, Science and the Arts] has reacted to the growing need for language training at vocational schools by introducing a teaching principle based on “German as a language of work” and a new curriculum for German. This article highlights the basic empirical principles underlying this and outlines the conceptual background for subject-integrated German teaching and for linguistically sensitive specialist teaching at part-time and full-time vocational schools, which has been jointly developed by the Staatsinstitut für Schulqualität und Bildungsforschung (ISB) [State Institute for School Quality and Education Research] and the Institute for German as a Foreign Language at the LMU Munich University.
Language competences required at work vary according to the respective tasks and activities. However, how can such competences be identified in occupationally-specific terms and be imparted and supported within the scope of training? This article takes the training occupation of housekeeper as an example in order to illustrate how the professional and (specialist) language competences stipulated in the general training plan and vocational school skeleton curriculum can serve as a basis for the school-based teaching of specialist and vocational language in an employment-oriented and differentiated manner.
Weaknesses in written language competence are an old and familiar problem in virtually all educational programmes at vocational schools. There has, however, thus far been an absence of diagnostic concepts and support materials to address this specific need. The “Individual diagnostic and support system for written language competence at vocational schools” has been developed on a broad empirical basis for vocational schools in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is presented in the article.
Since February 2016, Hamburg has been offering dualised training preparation with integrated language support in the form of a regularly offered programme named “AvM Dual”, which is specifically aimed at young immigrants. The aim is to structure teaching in a consistently language-sensitive way and to make structural use of the learning venue of the company as a place where young people can acquire language. The article describes the concept and presents initial experiences with this provision.
The vocational German language support programme of the Federal Government recommends extensive use of digital learning media both within and outside teaching. This seems to be an appropriate approach, both on the basis of the ongoing digitalisation of all areas of life and work, and in light of the objective to achieve the learning goal within the scope of 300 teaching units. The article highlights the requirements that digital mobile learning media need to fulfil in order to provide effective support for language acquisition via self-directed learning, including outside the scope of the classroom.
The ability to deal with language in an adequate way is viewed as fundamental to the acquisition of employability skills and to the performance of occupational activities. But what are the linguistic and communicative requirements that trainees need to master in company-based training? This article takes the occupations of management assistant for retail services and vehicle mechatronics technician as examples in order to illustrate the respective typical language and communication demands in the company and to show that there are considerable differences between occupations. The results emphasise just how important the development of language and communication competencies is for vocational education and training.
In light of the integration into the labour market of persons from a migrant background, a high degree of significance is attached to language acquisition for coping with typical communication situations in the workplace. This requirement creates new challenges for language teachers, and these cannot be fulfilled by solely concentrating on the language rulebook. The scenario approach presented here offers a method which is aligned to needs, actions and participants and which prepares learners for communication in the workplace in a targeted and effective manner.
The aim of the Osnabrück Training Support Centre is to open up new occupational prospects for persons in receipt of supplementary benefits pursuant to German Social Security Code (SGB) II. Six-month training programmes are offered to provide practical experiences which are of help for entry to training or work. Within the scope of the integral support provided to participants, particular emphasis is placed on language and communication skills. In the interview, Reimund Beer explains why this is so important.
This article presents the results of a cooperative project of several years’ duration which aimed to implement workplace-related basic educational provision in companies in Hamburg. Following an explanation of the specific characteristics of “work language” in unskilled tasks, the language support approaches piloted are described and illustrated on the basis of examples.
In order to bring about a tangible improvement in adult reading and writing skills and to raise the basic level of education, the Federal Government and federal states have joined forces to instigate a “National Decade for Literacy and Basic Skills 2016-2026”. This article explains the objectives of the decade and cooperation between future partners.
Language requirements at work are increasing, and this is also true for unskilled tasks. The pilot project “eVideo Transfer” uses the instrumental approach of web-based training as a vehicle for imparting relevant workplace-oriented basic skills to employees who have difficulties with reading, writing and arithmetic. The article describes how interactive learning videos can be used to increase the learning motivation and learning ability of the target group.
German officialese is difficult enough for many native speakers to understand. How much harder must it be for migrants who are confronted with this kind of language within the process of seeking professional or occupational recognition? This article describes both how the “Recognition in Germany” information portal uses simple language for the purposes of providing guidance and identifying occupational competencies, as well as the challenges associated with this approach.
Within the scope of its “Higher vocational education and training” initiative, the Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks (ZDH) [German Confederation of Skilled Crafts] has joined forces with the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) [The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs] to draw up a concept for the realisation of an educational programme leading to a double qualification. The article presents the objective of the initiative and three pilot versions.
The so-called “Berufsmatura” (vocational diploma) is an educational policy innovation in Austria which enables apprentices completing vocational education and training to also acquire a general higher education qualification. This article describes the objective, structure and organisation of the programme, which has been in existence since 2008, and investigates the degree of acceptance on the part of apprentices and companies.
In Germany, the (part-time) vocational school is of particular importance in its capacity as a dual learning venue partner. However, falling pupil numbers are creating structural challenges with regard to the organisation of occupationally-specific teaching. On the basis of the results from a BIBB development project, this article takes two training occupations as examples to describe the various starting positions and possible solutions.