The initiative award recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of in-house vocational education and further training. It is awarded by the Otto-Wolff Foundation and the Federation of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce to initiatives of the business sector which contribute to an increased quality and attractiveness of in-company training.
In 2004 the German federal government and the central associations of the German economy have made an agreement to promote education, training and professional qualification. This National Education Agreement will be prolonged until 2014. The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and the Authorized Representative of the Government for Integration Issues will now enter into the agreement and new challenges will be tackled.
With regard to the economic development the German training sector is still optimistic. Especially those training providers whose customers are enterprises are in a positive mood. They expect enterprises to invest more in further training because of the positive overall economic development.
The German company Volkswagen Coaching has started a project to increase the number of training opportunities for under-performing youths with the help of educational measures for SMEs.
The best apprentices in each profession have been honored for their outstanding achievements by Hans Heinrich Driftmann, president of the Federation of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), and Ursula von der Leyen, Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. Among the best were 135 young men and 78 young women. This reflects the proportion of male and female apprentices in dual training - the ratio is 60 to 40 per cent.
Further education becomes more and more important also in advanced stages of professional life. In December 2008, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research first established the education bonus. It constitutes a financial support for exployees with a low income who wish to receive further training. The bonus is a huge success: Minister Annette Schavan already consigned over 50,000 bonuses.
In the course of the last few years new jobs have been created which only afford two years of training instead of the standard three years. According to a recent study of the Federation of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) young practice-oriented people find these jobs increasingly attractive.
On the occasion of the performance competition of the German skilled crafts, Bavaria's prime minister Horst Seehofer has emphasized the significant value of the dual training system for prosperity and employment in Germany.
The Technical University (TU) Dortmund is designing an e-learning programme for young people that works equally well for apprentices with disabilities. The plan will bring e-learning to apprentices with visual, cognitive, motor and auditory disabilities and others in vocational training in the transport and warehousing sectors of German industry. Barrier-free training will comply with German and international laws and standards.
