The mobility of trainees, students and skilled workers is becoming increasingly important in the European Education Area and European employment area and is a key element of the Europa 2020 strategy. This issue of BWP examines how mobile trainees and skilled workers actually are, what aims are being pursued by measures being taken to foster mobility and what conditions help ensure that not only individuals but also companies benefit from stays abroad. The recognition of learning outcomes and qualifications plays a central role in this context.
In his editorial, PROFESSOR DR REINHOLD WEIß refers in this connection to the Act to Improve the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Vocational and Professional Qualifications which the German government recently submitted to the Bundestag. With an eye to uniform implementation, he urges that existing information be bundled and expert systems and networks be developed in order to ensure the quality of the procedures to be used. Other reports in this issue present current figures regarding the transition system drawn from the integrated vocational training reporting system, examine youths' vocational orientation and choice of occupation and look at associate degrees used in the USA. Associate degrees come before bachelor's degrees, putting them at the interface between vocational and academic training. As a result, they could help foster permeability.