News about VET from Germany

Today, bicycles are lifestyle products containing an increasing amount of technology. This is why, today, bicycle mechanics are known as mechatronic technicians for two wheeled-vehicles. The job has a future.

The facts are sobering. Whereas Germany's universities are bursting at the seams as they attempt to accommodate around 2.8 million students, interest in vocational education and training is in constant free fall. Reforms and financial improvements have now been made to the Upgrading Training Assistance Act in order to send out a signal to young people that apprenticeship occupations also provide plenty of opportunities for advancement. The emphasis now will be more on upgrading training rather than on training leading to a master craftsman qualification. Will this help?

The European social partners have issued a statement outlining their joint vision of training systems in Europe. Strengthening dual training is also an important part of the EU Commission's "Skills Agenda".

Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training takes positive stock and adopts main work focuses aimed at achieving a strong system of vocational education and training

The second cohort to attend the "vocational school plus" programme at Main-Spessart Vocational School in Lohr and the third group to complete special technician training at the same institution have both now completed their courses of study, cramming hard and sitting in the classroom whilst friends and acquaintances from amongst their contemporaries were already earning money and enjoying a normal end to the working day.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) plays a very important role in the different European educational systems. Initial and continuing VET share the dual objective of contributing to employability and economic growth and responding to broader societal challenges, in particular promoting social cohesion.

Nigerian industry has launched dual vocational training programmes with support from German business partners. With great success: trainees who complete the programmes are guaranteed a job.

When coming to landlocked Laos, you probably would not expect to meet Laotians who speak German – but quite a few do! You may not know that Germany and Laos have had a long-lasting relationship: in 2016 the Lao-German Friendship Association celebrated the 58th anniversary of diplomatic relations between both countries since 1958.

It was not a coincidence that this year's eLearning Africa was held under the patronage of the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr. Gerd Müller. 2016 is the year of digital education in Germany! This year, the German Government has declared digital education a priority of its national Digital Agenda. German Development Cooperation has also recognized the high potential of information and communications technology (ICT) particularly for improving access to quality education for refugees.