Considering people with disability in vocational education and training

In Berlin, in a joint "Berlin declaration", they called for the development and expansion of a vocational education and training system, the general framework of which comprehensively takes into account the concerns of people with disability.

Jürgen Dusel, the Federal Government Commissioner for Matters relating to Persons with Disabilities explained: "Equal participation in the world of work is the key to inclusion". He added that the increasing unemployment among young people with disability was therefore sounding the alarm. This is particularly relevant, he explained, in light of the shortage of skilled workers.

"Despite the statutory obligation, for many years a large number of companies have been shirking their responsibility as regards the employment of people with disability," complains Dusel. He says this is not acceptable. For employers engaging no people with severe disability, the compensatory levy must therefore be at least doubled.

In the words of Christine Braunert-Rümenapf, Berlin Federal State Commissioner for Matters relating to Persons with Disabilities, vocational education and training must introduce accessible and equitable scope to support individual educational and professional careers. For this, she explains, social participation and right of the citizen to freely choose the service provider must be ensured. The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic also needs to be contained.

Her counterpart from Rhineland-Palatinate, Matthias Rösch, also called for a higher compensatory levy. "For young people with disability, training in a regular business must be the norm and not the exception as it is today," explains Rösch. This is the responsibility of business, rehab providers and colleges, he added.