Vocational education and training must be part of economic policy

High-quality vocational education and training promotes the competitiveness of all businesses and guarantees that young people, even without a higher-level educational qualification, can quickly establish themselves in the labour market and therefore become integrated in society. The current position paper from the BKU highlights the necessary steps required for the strengthening and ongoing development of vocational education and training.

In everyday political life, the field of vocational education and training must be perceived more strongly as a key tool in economic and labour market policymaking.

Professor Ulrich Hemel, Chairman of the Association of Catholic Entrepreneurs (BKU)

For the BKU it is critically important that business demand for skilled workers is met, and that the employability of training graduates continues to be at the heart of vocational education and training policy. "In everyday political life, the field of vocational education and training must be perceived more strongly as a key tool in economic and labour market policymaking," stresses BKU Chairman, Professor Ulrich Hemel. He adds that this also necessitates greater institutional integration in economic policy-making.

The connection between theory and practice in the company is the key feature of dual training. The BKU is therefore demanding that competing full-time school-based training courses be limited in favour of company-based dual training relationships, and for increasing nationalisation of vocational training to be prevented.

Meeting business demand for skilled workers and the employability of training graduates needs to be at the heart of vocational education and training policymaking. Expertise in the federal government and federal state economic ministries therefore needs to be reinforced in order to jointly develop vocational training and higher-level vocational education and training.

The value of vocational education and training compared to university education must also be enhanced

This requires an excellence initiative in vocational education and training, targeted expansion of gifted and talented programmes and a digital pact for vocational education and training. Vocational education and training research relevant to the economy and the labour market also needs to be intensified. The training/master craftsman grant needs to be equivalent to the student grant, and the interface between the vocational and academic education systems needs to be developed. The overemphasis on academic training courses also needs to be appropriately challenged.

Vocational education and training is a cornerstone of the sustained success of Germany as a location for business.

Professor Ulrich Hemel, Chairman of the Association of Catholic Entrepreneurs (BKU)

"Vocational education and training is a cornerstone of the sustained success of Germany as a location for business," emphasised BKU Chairman Prof. Ulrich Hemel. The high-quality training of skilled workers in the dual system lays the foundations for industrial production and high-quality skilled trade and service provision, with high levels of remuneration.

In the view of the BKU, the practical vocational training in Germany ensures a high level of job security, and keeps youth unemployment at just 4.5 percent which is very low compared to other European countries. Vocational education and training opens the door to professional independence, enables business to be established, and facilitates successful business succession. The system of vocational education and training is also a manifestation of subsidiarity in action combined with a high level of voluntary commitment in the self-administration of the dual vocational education training system by those responsible in the German economy.