Ceremony for around 1,000 Chamber of Industry and Commerce examiners in Osnabrück
"When we refer to skilled workers, the quality of the vocational education and training and to the strength of Germany as a location for business, then we are also referring to you, our voluntary Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) examiners."
These were the opening words of Chamber of Industry and Commerce President Uwe Goebel at the start of a ceremony in OsnabrückHalle which focused on the volunteering work in the commercial sector to support the IHK examination system. This was the first time the IHK had hosted such a large joint event, to which around 1,000 guests were invited.
"The work of a chamber of industry and commerce in the area of vocational education and training is unthinkable without your voluntary commitment and your expertise," emphasised Uwe Goebel. He added: "This is all the more impressive when you consider that the work is undertaken voluntarily and 'in addition': voluntarily in the sense this is an honorary appointment, and 'in addition' to the ever increasing demands in companies and in vocational schools." The IHK president also thanked companies and vocational colleges which support the chambers of industry and commerce in the conducting of the examinations with their personnel and their infrastructure.
In a video message, Federal Minister of Education and Research Anja Karliczek addressed the IHK examiners in person: "I rely on you! And I would be delighted if together – moving forward as one – we continue to strengthen vocational education and training over the coming years."
Guest speaker Professor Martin Korte, neurobiologist at the Technical University of Braunschweig and author, addressed the theme of education and digitalisation. In his presentation, "brains in the digital transformation", he explained to the audience in a humorous way the different ways in which the human memory determines thoughts and actions.