News about VET from Germany

The Germans are an inquisitive nation – at least as far as professional continuing education is concerned. The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research has kept count for 2012: in the past year in Germany, a record number of people was registered to have completed a continuing education course.

Dual higher education study remains on a path of growth as the high degree of interest shown in this special form of training by young people, companies and Universities of Applied Sciences/other institutes of higher education continues unabated.

According to a report by the European Commission regarding the working conditions of teachers and school leaders in 32 countries, introductory programmes for the individual support and counselling of new teachers by now have become mandatory in 15 EU Member States as well as in Croatia and Turkey.

Part-time initial vocational training has been legally enshrined in Germany's Vocational Training Act since 2005. But apparently it is still not familiar enough to many companies and young adults - a conclusion suggested by the low number of newly concluded part-time training contracts.

Around 12 per cent of trainees do not gain a vocational certificate the first time they undertake a dual-system apprenticeship. Either they drop out before the final examination or they fail to pass it after all permitted attempts.

The trade of textile designer, comprising some 1,370 independent businesses, is to receive its first-time, modern and contemporary examination regulation for the master craftsman's diploma. It is to become effective on 1 September 2013.

The German Federal Education Minister, Johanna Wanka, and the German Federal Foreign Affairs Minister, Guido Westerwelle, promote the dual vocational education and training system abroad.

In order to tap in future also such potential as was hitherto not in the limelight for the job market, the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) now plans to put to the test the application and examination of partial qualifications by way of model projects.

One year after the law for recognising foreign occupational qualifications has come into effect, the industry drew a positive balance.