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The consequences of rapidly increasing digitalisation are very difficult to gauge. How will occupations change, and which competencies will be needed in the World of Work 4.0 in future? BIBB is joining forces with stakeholders from trade and industry, academic research and educational practice to examine the consequences of digitalisation for vocational education and training. This issue focuses on initiatives, findings and perspectives for structuring technological change.
Numerous measures to promote the training of women in technical occupations over a period of more than 20 years have failed to bring about an increase in their proportion. In 2015, women accounted for 12.4 per cent of trainees in technical occupations, the same level as 1993. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile taking a closer look at the differences between men and women in technical training occupations. This reveals that there are indeed technical occupations which are female dominated.
Digitalisation is bringing about impressively rapid change in trade and industry and society, and is creating new requirements both for work and learning and for societal cohesion in general. More than ever, in these times of transformation, education and training faces the task of preparing people for life in the digital world (of work). In December, the Kultusministerkonferenz presented its strategy paper “Education in the digital world”. This is the starting point for the discussion which follows.
Although ongoing digitalisation of the production and service sector is stoking fears of job losses, there are indications that the overall effect on employment will be relatively slight. In fact, the main expectation is that the nature of work will fundamentally change. As the use of digital technologies increases, employees will be able to carry out more demanding tasks. This article uses data from a current additional survey of the BIBB-Establishment-Panel on Qualification and Competence Development to investigate the impacts of the deployment of digital technologies from firms’ point of view.
The implementation of “Industry 4.0” in the manufacturing sector and related branches is bringing considerable changes in its wake. Skilled workers will be massively affected by this. In order to clarify the need for change, a study of all metal working and electrical occupations including IT occupations in the manufacturing sector was undertaken on behalf of the Bavarian Employers’ Associations for the Metalworking and Electrical Industries (bayme vbm). This involved comparing the occupational profile positions of the respective training occupations with changes identified and the requirements derived from such changes. This procedure is described in the article and illustrated by using the occupation of mechatronics fitter as an example.
Stephanie Conein; Henrik Schwarz; Herbert Tutschner
BIBB has been investigating whether the four dual IT occupations, which have remained unchanged since 1997, need to be modernised. Against the background of the increasing digitalisation of the world of work, the aims of this process were to identify current and foreseeable requirements for skilled IT staff and to draw up proposals for the future shaping of the IT occupations. This article presents selected outcomes of the investigation and uses this to arrive at conclusions with regard to a possible rearrangement of IT occupations.
The digitalisation of work in the high-tech areas of the automobile industry and of the automobile supplier sector is a good example of the change in task and requirements profiles for skilled workers in engineering and plant construction. Within the scope of a pilot project, BIBB joined forces with the Volkswagen Academy to undertake a sample investigation of work tasks and activity profiles in the areas of operation, maintenance and repair of production systems. These were compared with existing training occupations and current training practice. After a brief description of the approach adopted, the article states the results which emerged and draws conclusions for possible changes in the structuring of training within the framework of existing occupations. It concludes by illustrating how these changes are presently being implemented on a step-by-step basis.
Vocational schools also need to react to the challenges of Economy 4.0. At Aalen Trade and Technical School, a learning factory has been set up in which implementation of 4.0 requirements is imparted to trainees in the occupational fields of metal working and electro technology and to pupils at the trade and technical school. In the interview, the two project heads of this smart factory describe the challenges that need to be overcome.
Task and skills requirements for skilled workers are changing as a result of the digital transformation. Digital media are particularly suited to providing preparation for these aspects during vocational education and training itself. This article presents social augmented learning, a form of teaching and learning which uses mobile end devices and augmented reality to expand existing learning venues. The opportunities and limitations of this approach are deliberated with initial experiences of implementation in mind.
Opportunities to deploy digital media for the initiation and support of vocational teaching and learning processes are comprehensive and diverse. The associated challenges for company-based training staff are currently being investigated within the scope of the BIBB research project DiMBA. This project is based on a model of media-pedagogical competence which is presented in this article.
The Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) is using the JOBSTARTER plus programme to fund projects that will strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for the future and structure vocational education and training in a more attractive way. The programme’s third round of funding is addressing the current challenges of increasing digitalisation and automation in the world of work. Initial results from the automotive supplier industry are available from the second round of funding, which was launched in July 2016 and focused on branches and clusters. These results are presented in the article.
What effects will developments such as the digital manufacture of dental prostheses using a 3D printer, driverless cars and intelligent building services technology and energy networks (“smart home”) have on vocational training in the dual system? Since 1 October 2016, eight pilot projects have been looking at these and other issues as part of the “Inter-company Vocational Training Centres Special Programme on Digitalisation”.
Michael Lindemann; Sebastian Niewiara; Grazyna Wittgen
The “Car-2-Lab” project (Erasmus+) is a strategic partnership instigated by BGZ Berliner Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit mbH, a non-profit organisation which focuses on international cooperation, to look at existing requirements and forms of the suitable imparting of professional competences in the field of vehicle telematics. The article provides insights into the objectives of the project and the current status of development.
Other Themes
Diana Cáceres-Reebs; Candita Victoria Gil Jiménez; María Elena Salazar Peña
Young people are often unclear as to their career wishes whilst at school. For this reason, services such as vocational orientation and guidance have an important role to play. This article presents the challenges and aims of educational guidance, and measures undertaken in this, at the National College of Technical Professional Education in Mexico (CONALEP). It investigates the question of how CONALEP can succeed in making educational guidance an established part of everyday vocational school provision even though this does not form a regular component of curricula. The article concludes by illustrating options for the possible further development of the concept of educational guidance by CONALEP.
Initial and continuing training in nursing professions have gained further significance over recent years due to a continuing high demand for skilled workers. Changes in healthcare provision mean that adaptations to the skills profile are necessary. This article uses two European projects as a basis for illustrating the areas of potential that are inherent in technology-aided learning tools with regard to successfully meeting future challenges.
The training occupation of transport services clerk is in competition with other occupations in the mobility sector. This article investigates the reasons why training numbers are now falling and which changes in public transport are requiring a realignment of the occupational profile.