Three into one: the new training occupation of Office Management Clerk

On August 1, 2014 the revised regulation for initial vocational training in office management enters force. The three previous training occupations of office clerk, clerk and specialist in office communication are merged under the new designation of Office Management Clerk (Kaufmann/Kauffrau für Büromanagement). German industry, commerce, the skilled crafts and the public services now have at their disposal a training occupation that will be one of the largest, accounting for over 80,000 training contracts. The article sets out the innovations in structure and content and the challenges of developing the occupation.