Karliczek: We are investing in modern training

Under the special programme "Digitalisation in inter-company education and training centres (ÜBS)" , the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has been supporting the provision of digital equipment and modern training concepts in inter-company vocational training centres since 2016 to ensure the up-to-date and high-quality training of skilled workers. As of this Tuesday, 15 new development and trial projects involving 25 stakeholders from the craft trades, construction, agriculture, and industry and commerce will gradually be launched across Germany. Further projects will follow in 2021. Federal Minister of Education and Research Anja Karliczek explained.

"We want to use a new funding round of €16 million in our special programme 'ÜBS Digitalisation' to provide a boost to digitalisation in the inter-company vocational training centres. My department will be investing a total of €224 million in the modernisation of training by the end of 2023. By doing this, we are supporting small and medium-sized enterprises which at these times in particular are suffering under the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. They are the very backbone to our economy and are a reliable employer for many people in Germany. As training companies they also offer numerous young people a secure start to a successful professional life.

For me, it is therefore particularly important to support these companies in the training of future skilled workers. Inter-company vocational training centres help in those instances where small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are unable to deliver the broad range of training by themselves. With their offering of practical training courses, they are the third learning location in dual training alongside the company and the vocational school.

The projects which are now starting range from the use of virtual building models in construction training, sensors and digital control technology in dairy technology, to the development of completely new learning concepts and materials for inter-company training courses for the future training occupation of 'Electronics technician for building systems integration'' The aim is to make the results of the funded projects available to other vocational training centres, to disseminate them into the VET landscape and in this way contribute to ensuring modern training provision. The goal is also to further promote cooperation between vocational training centres, companies and vocational schools. We are using the special programme to facilitate modernisation from practise for practice."

Background

BMBF has already used a special programme to provide impetus for modernisation in the vocational training centres. From 2016 to mid-2020, almost 40,000 items of digital equipment were procured at 200 locations. Equipment ranges from outdoor tablets via assistance robotics for welding and drilling through to construction and agricultural machinery simulators. Eight example projects of good training practice have already been completed and these are making their findings available online and via specialist events to other inter-company vocational training centres and trainers. A virtual workshop on building control, locking and security technology as well as online courses for aspiring electronic technicians have been developed, for example. The new projects also address digital learning formats. Experiences with the coronavirus pandemic have shown just how important modern and digitally supported learning offers are in the education and training sector.

The special programme "ÜBS Digitalisation" remains open to new project ideas from inter-company vocational training centres. Project outlines can be submitted by the end of 2020 or by mid-2021. The provision of digital equipment to inter-company vocational training centres continues to be supported.

These are the 15 new projects and their 25 stakeholders:

• "Digi-BacK", VET Centre of the Erfurt Chamber of Crafts and Trades [Berufsbildungszentrum der Handwerkskammer Erfurt]
• "DInA-Elektro", Dresden Electrical Training and Technology Centre [Elektrobildungs- und Technologiezentrum e. V. Dresden]
• "ko.ve.di", Arnsberg VET Centre, part of the South Westphalia Chamber of Crafts and Trades [Berufsbildungszentrum Arnsberg der Handwerkskammer Südwestfalen]
• "Diakom-E", HandWERK gemeinnützige GmbH − the Centre of Excellence of the Bremen Chamber of Crafts and Trades [Das Kompetenzzentrum der Handwerkskammer Bremen]
• "GSIdigital", Electrotechnology Centre for the Guild of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Stuttgart [Elektro Technologie Zentrum der Innung für Elektro- und Informationstechnik Stuttgart]
• "ARTKfz", Götz Centre for the Promotion of Trade, part of the Potsdam Chamber of Crafts and Trades [Zentrum für Gewerbeförderung Götz der Handwerkskammer Potsdam]
• "ARihA", Schweinfurt Education and Training Centre, part of the Lower Franconia Chamber of Crafts and Trades [Bildungszentrum Schweinfurt der Handwerkskammer Unterfranken]
• "DiKonA", Osnabrück Vocational Education, Training and Technology Centre, part of the Chamber of Crafts and Trades for Osnabrück, Emsland and the County of Bentheim [Berufsbildungs- und TechnologieZentrum Osnabrück der Handwerkskammer Osnabrück-Emsland-Grafschaft Bentheim]; Education, Training and Technology Centre of the Chamber of Crafts and Trades for Braunschweig, Lüneburg and Stade [Bildungs- und Technologiezentrum der Handwerkskammer Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Stade]; Götz Centre for the Promotion of Trade, part of the Potsdam Chamber of Crafts and Trades [Zentrum für Gewerbeförderung Götz der Handwerkskammer Potsdam]; Walldorf Initial and Advanced Training Centre, part of the construction training organisation BAU Hessen-Thüringen e. V. [Aus- und Fortbildungszentrum Walldorf des Bildungswerks BAU Hessen-Thüringen e. V.]
• "B3AUS", Dresden inter-company vocational training centre, part of the construction training organisation Bau Bildung Sachsen e. V. [Überbetriebliches Ausbildungszentrum Dresden des Bau Bildung Sachsen e. V.]; Holleben inter-company vocational training centre, part of the construction training organisation Bau Bildung Sachsen-Anhalt e. V. [Überbetriebliches Ausbildungszentrum Holleben des Bau Bildung Sachsen-Anhalt e. V.]; Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania training centre for the construction industry [Ausbildungscentrum der Bauwirtschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern GmbH Rostock]; Hamm training centre, part of the Centre for the Promotion of Construction Industry Occupations of North Rhine-Westphalia [Ausbildungszentrum Hamm des Berufsförderungswerks der Bauindustrie NRW gGmbH]; Brandenburg an der Havel inter-company vocational training centre, part of the Centre for the Promotion of Construction Industry Occupations of Berlin-Brandenburg [Überbetriebliches Ausbildungszentrum Brandenburg an der Havel des Berufsförderungswerk der Bauindustrie Berlin-Brandenburg e. V].; Mannheim Construction Education and Training Centre, part of the Baden-Württemberg Construction Industry Training Academy [Bildungszentrum Bau Mannheim des Bildungsakademie der Bauwirtschaft Baden-Württemberg gGmbH]
• "DALiB", Walldorf Initial and Advanced Training Centre, part of the construction training organisation BAU Hessen-Thüringen e. V. [Aus- und Fortbildungszentrum Walldorf des Bildungswerks BAU Hessen-Thüringen e. V .]; Glauchau inter-company vocational training centre, part of the construction training organisation Bau Bildung Sachsen e. V.[ Überbetriebliches Ausbildungszentrum Glauchau des Bau Bildung Sachsen e. V.]; Brandenburg a.d. Havel inter-company vocational training centre, part of the Centre for the Promotion of Construction industry Occupations of Berlin-Brandenburg [Überbetriebliches Ausbildungszentrum Brandenburg a.d. Havel des Berufsförderungswerks der Bauindustrie Berlin-Brandenburg e. V.]
• "tekom_LandBauMT", Bau-ABC Rostrup Initial and Advanced Training Centre, part of the Northern Association for the Promotion of Construction Industry Occupations [Aus- und Fortbildungszentrum Bau-ABC Rostrup des Vereins zur Berufsförderung der Bauwirtschaft Nord e. V.]
• "AudiTraMi", dairy industry education and training centre, part of the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture [Milchwirtschaftliches Bildungszentrum der Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen]; LUFA North West Institute for Food Quality [Institut für Lebensmittelqualität, LUFA Nord-West]
• "DiTRiGesund", Almesbach education, training and testing centre, part of the Bavarian State Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Forestry [Bildungs- und Versuchszentrum Almesbach des Bayerischen Staatsministeriums für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten].
• "ProMech-I", saz − Schwerin initial and continuing education and training centre [Schweriner Aus- und Weiterbildungszentrum e. V.]
• "IQ-LEH", food akademie Neuwied GmbH