BIBB survey amongst vocational education and training experts
"Although an increasing number of young people, after finishing secondary general school, pushes to enrol in universities and universities of applied sciences and businesses increasingly face difficulties filling their apprenticeship training positions, the dual vocational education and training system in Germany enjoys a good reputation."
This is how the President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Friedrich Hubert Esser, comments the results of a survey the BIBB has conducted amongst more than 1,200 vocational education and training experts. According to this survey, 70 per cent of polled experts evaluate the image of the dual vocational education and training system as mostly positive; some 23 per cent deemed it even very positive.
Even though the respondents acknowledge the overall positive image of the dual vocational education and training system, Esser stressed that this does not justify idleness. He said that measures for increasing desirability are necessary also in the future to win over young people for a dual vocational education career.
Given a choice of potential structural measures, the experts deemed as particularly promising the further expansion of career counselling at secondary modern schools. Some 86 per cent expect this to have a positive influence on the image young people attribute to dual vocational education and training. Positive effects are expected also from increasing the practical elements during an apprenticeship. Conversely, only very few experts expect positive effects from decreasing the number of occupations requiring vocational education and training and from a general shortening of the duration of such a vocational training course.
The experts identify other suitable approaches for improving the image in the widening of the range of additional qualifications and the increased professionalism of the teaching staff. 88 per cent and, respectively, 84 per cent think that these respective measures would positively influence the image of dual vocational education and training. The experts expect similarly positive effects from an increase of remuneration during the apprenticeship, from improved co-ordination regarding the curricula between vocational school and the business providing vocational training and from an intensified personal supervision of apprentices, for example, by mentors.
The majority of respondents is open-minded regarding targeted campaigns aiming at improving the image of dual vocational education and training. Respectively, just over half of respondents are of the opinion that such image campaigns can on the one hand win over well-performing young people to start a dual vocational education and training course and, on the other, awaken in young people the interest for occupations requiring vocational training, which they otherwise would not have taken into consideration.
However, the survey illustrates also the risks of such image campaigns: more than 60 per cent of experts see here a potential danger of awakening in young people expectations, which the businesses providing vocational training will subsequently not be able to fulfil.