New on the BIBB website - The German VET system

Presentation of the German vocational education and training system for international users.

The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB)'s English website has been complemented by a new section on the German vocational education and training (VET) system. In addition, important terms can now be looked up in a VET glossary.

International users of the BIBB website can now obtain much more comprehensive information on the German VET system in English. To achieve this, a completely new thematic area "The German VET system" has been added, providing an overview of the German VET system. In addition to a detailed description of the dual system, this section also includes information on vocational orientation, school-based initial training, dual study programmes, higher education study programmes and continuing education.

In detail, the following aspects are covered:

  • Success factors of the dual system
  • Information on the training process
  • Background information on the legal framework in which the system is embedded
  • Financing of the dual system
  • Aspects of quality assurance
  • Overview of the actors who shape the system and
  • Current developments and challenges for the future of the dual System

International users in particular would like more background information on vocational education and training in Germany, as well as explanations of characteristics of the German system. This was confirmed in an evaluation of the BIBB website completed in 2017, which also surveyed VET specialists abroad. When editing the new content for the section on the German VET system, care was taken to ensure that it is comprehensible for international users.

As an additional service to ensure that foreign users understand the German VET system, a "VET Glossary" was introduced. The glossary explains specific terms from the field of vocational education and training. The complete glossary can be accessed via the main navigation item "Our Service". The explanations can furthermore be linked to text passages throughout the website and accessed via a pop-up window. This has already be implemented in the section "The German VET system". The glossary will be updated on an ongoing basis to help facilitate international dialogue on VET topics.

The new section on the German VET system and the VET Glossary support BIBB's commitment in the context of the internationalisation of vocational education and training. BIBB maintains several cooperation agreements with partner institutes abroad and provides advice on the development of VET systems. Here, the new services provided on the English website can make a contribution to understanding the German model.

The German VET system

Information on the German VET system – on its success factors, its structure and components as well as on challenges and future topics for the further development of the system.


Source: BIBB.de (website of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training), revised by iMOVE, February 2019