Latest developments

The high value placed on apprenticeships in Germany is reflected in yet another significant increase in apprenticeship remuneration for 2024, following a continuous rise in previous years. Particularly companies in sectors experiencing a shortage of applicants, have increased apprentice salaries to attract more young talent. As a result, regional and occupation-related pay inequalities have decreased significantly.  read more

Skilled craft occupations have a long tradition in Germany but are currently suffering from shortages of apprentices. Several initiatives from trade associations and politicians are supporting craft businesses in making a career in the crafts sector more visible and attractive for young people.  read more

The VET report from the education ministry and the complementary data report from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training provide figures from the past reporting year on VET activities, and contextualise them against the background of socio-political situations at regional, national and international/global levels and over a longer period of time. Positive developments on the VET market are set against current and future challenges for German VET. Both reports were published in May 2024.  read more

The growing shortage of skilled labour is a real challenge in many European countries. In 2022, the German government presented its Skilled labour strategy. One of the fields of action is the implementation of a modern immigration policy. The Skilled Immigration Act was revised, and since November 2023 the amendments have entered successively into force, adapting the immigration policy to the training and labour market needs.  read more

Since September 2023, the new portal ‘Stays abroad in training’ has been offering comprehensive guidance on how institutions can enable and support their apprentices in acquiring skills abroad. It targets stakeholders involved in apprenticeships, such as training companies, vocational schools and chambers. The new portal complements the existing portal ‘My apprenticeship abroad’, which provides counselling services to apprentices themselves.  read more

Many VET policy measures focusing on vocational orientation for young people are being launched to counteract the shortage of skilled workers, the decline in training numbers and high dropout rates. The current issue of BIBB's journal Berufsbildung in Wissenschaft und Praxis (Vocational training in research and practice) (BWP 2/2023) summarises the latest findings.  read more

Digitalisation and the energy transition require new skilled workers, while the numbers of young people opting for vocational training are declining. The Excellence in VET initiative addresses these challenges in VET with a portfolio of new and already established programmes.  read more

The integration of digital learning technologies in apprenticeship have proven to be a competitive advantage in the search for applicants. Currently, various projects are promoting the use of digital technologies in VET, such as data glasses (augmented reality glasses, AR glasses), virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI).  read more

According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, 610 103 people from Ukraine were registered by the beginning of May, of whom 241 769 are minors. Some 80% of all adults are women. This article describes services available on arrival, learning the German language, integration in the education system in general and specifically into vocational education and training, as well as integration into the labour market. read more 

The growing number of apprentices with a higher education entrance qualification bring new demands to VET curricula. The Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and the project Study-integrated training (SiA-NRW) are now bringing academic study content into the curricula of some dual training programmes. Participants start with dual vocational training (apprenticeship) and a bachelor degree programme in parallel. read more  

Occupational profile items are interdisciplinary competences within the training regulations that are the same for all apprentices. They are an essential basis for employability skills and vocational proficiency and are part of the general training plans and the subject of examinations. From 1 August 2021, training regulations will include the new minimum standards for the defined skills, knowledge and competences for the following four subject areas:

- company, VET, labour and tariff law;

- health and safety at work;

- environmental protection and sustainability;

- digitalised world of work.

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The National Skills Strategy, launched in June 2019, responds to the changing world of work by promoting a new training culture, which sees occupational CVET as a lifelong necessity. Two years later, an implementation report looks into the measures taken so far. What has been accomplished? What comes next? read more

Seek and you shall find. While easily said, the search for a suitable continuing professional training programme is still difficult. What tools can make a change to find a perfect fit in a huge and heterogeneous continuing education market? The INVITE innovation competition aims to find answers to this question, with the help of artificial intelligence. read more