50 years of the BBiG – a legal framework with sufficient leeway?

The Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBiG) [Vocational Training Act] entered into force on 1 September 1969. Its enactment was preceded by long and detailed debates on the necessity for such a law and the regulatory areas that should be covered. Uniform national provisions for dual and advanced VET have applied since the BBiG came into effect. The high degree of standardisation and the statutorily regulated cooperation that takes place between the social partners, the Federal Government and the federal states exert a major impact on raising the profile of this particular area of education and enjoy a considerable amount of esteem internationally. But does this legal framework offer enough flexibility for it to react to changes in trade and industry and within society? Members of the BIBB Board and Research Council have provided brief statements which shed light on this issue, both retrospectively and in looking to the future.