News about VET from Germany

Dual study courses experience a boom. According to numbers published by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), the number of dual study courses offered by enterprises in 2011 increased by 46 per cent to over 40,000.

With their project for the "Energy system optimisation of plastics injection moulding machines", seven apprentices from the firm of plastic concept gmbh in Neusalza-Spremberg won over the jury in the 13th federal state competition for the implementation of the Agenda 21 in the field of vocational education.

Friedrich Hubert Esser, President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), has described the agreement between the Federal Government, the federal states and the social partners on the introduction of the German Qualifications Framework (DQR) as an "important milestone" for vocational education and training in Germany.

The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) has taken on the project sponsorship of the next phase of the ANKOM Initiative "Transitions from vocational to higher education".

"Recognition in Germany" is the new information portal regarding the German government's Recognition Act. This portal provides up-to-date information on the legal basis and procedure for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications.

Kapilrajah Sathivel, former wire drawer apprentice at the Neuenrad-based company Elisental, was honoured in Berlin as one of the best 227 apprentices of Germany 2011. The award ceremony included some 1,000 guests.

Retail apprentices earn above average. This is the result of the up-to-date evaluation of apprenticeship salaries prepared by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB).

"The vocational training opportunities for young people in Germany have been further improved this year. It was possible to give an increasing number of young people an occupational perspective."

Compared to qualified workers, unskilled labour are significantly more often found working in menial and thus usually also more precarious jobs. Moreover, their gainful employment is concentrated on a few occupational fields only.