BWP Special Edition 2009
Promoting Innovations in Vocational Education and Training - An Exchange of German Experiences
Foreword
Topic
Reinhold Weiß
Learning form one another - global systems consultancy
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Professor Reinhold Weiß, research director of the BIBB (Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training), highlights the varied activities of the involvement of BIBB in international cooperation in vocational education and training. Core of the BIBB consultancy is the development of demand-oriented concepts for vocational education and training in other countries.
Michaela Brockmann; Linda Clarke; Christopher Winch
Cross-national equivalence of vocational skills and qualifications
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The introduction of an European Qualifications Framework is allied with the intention of rendering qualifications comparable and thus increasing the level of transparency and mobility within the European educational and employment system. In terms of specific implementation of the EQF, however, a number of hurdles remain to be overcome. The present paper takes the initial results from comparative case studies as a basis for identifying the barriers of oppurtunities emerging from the endeavours to establish cross-country equivalence of qualifications and skills. Whereas establishing understanding of joint terminologies has a part to play, general national conditions and sector and occupationally specific regulations are also of singnificance.
Georg Spöttl; Erik Heß
Core occupations as a building block for European vocational education and training
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At present, the proposals for a European Qualification Framework (EQF) and for a Credit Point System in Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) are revitalising the discussion surrounding European core occupations, although it remains unclear whether occupations should play a role in this system and which "vocational education and training concept" could form the basis of consensus in Europe. Core occupations may constitute the foundation for the respective context of a sector related "ECVET configuration" and could provide a major contribution to a vocational education and training concept dialogue between social partners and policymakers. The present paper investigates whether the establishment of European core occupations represents an opportunity to enrich the European vocational education and training debate by adding a modern concept of vocationalism.
Harald Pfeifer; Normann Müller
International indicators on youth education attainment levels - what is Germany's true position?
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Altough indicators mapping the level of youth education attaiment in international comparative terms are often used in discussions centering on the efficiency and effectiveness of the German eudcational system, the position occupied by Germany is not clear. The Eurostat data, for example, shows that the proportion of young people who have at least completed upper secondary educatin is at a comparatively low level. This contrasts with the upper secondary education completion rates provided by the OCED, where the figures for 2006 (OECD, 2008) show Germany in top position. The aim of the following is to examine the computation approaches adopted by both indicators and the attendant interpretation problems more closeley.
Peter Bott; Hans-Joachim Schade; Robert Helmrich
Labour market prognoses - trends, opportunities and limits
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The labour markets trends of tomorrow began yesterday. Past developments are being acted upon in order to make projections for the future. The dominant trend in terms of the supply of skilled workers is demographic development, whereas on the demand side the primary focus is on economic development. The aim of current labour market progress is to indicate which trends are currently most likely to loom large without necessarily being inevitable. Such prognoses constitute a concentrated point of focus for policy options. Where, however, do their opportunities and limits lie?
Günter Walden
Dual vocational education and training in the service society
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The dual system of vocational education and training in Germany is frequently accused of failing to have achieved the leap into the knowledge and service society and of remaining too rigidly aligned to the production sector. The present paper uses the results of empirical analyses conducted by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) as a basis for investigating whether the structures of the dual systems are, in fact, still operating in accordance with their historical origins. The results provide evidence that the increasing significance of the service sector initially brought about an attendant weakening of in-company training, although dual training has now made significant strides in developing in line with the service society. Work still remains to be done in respect of the more knowledge oriented service occupations. Of particular importance here is not to narrow down the debate to the competitive aspect of higher education.
Joachim Gerd Ulrich; Ursula Beicht
The course of training and the transition to employment
A comparison of participants in in-company and school-based vocational training
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The recent bottlenecks which have occurred on the apprenticeship market have forced many young people to make compromises, sometimes having to forgo the occupation they have set their hearts and even having to fall back on school-based vocational training in some cases. What were the implications of this for the course of their training? Did they complete their training or did they drop out? And what are the chances of making the transition to employment for those who have completed school-based vocational training rather than an in-company apprentieceship? The aim of the present paper is to use the BIBB transitional study as basis for identifying the answers to these questions.
Ursula Bylinski
Assessing competences - developing competences: procedures and quality standards
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Procedures and instruments for the assessment of competences afford a particular opportunity in so-called search and transitional phases such as that from school to work to render personally related areas of potential and resources visible and to make them deployable for development processes. At the same time, they may also play a part in recognising (educational) risks at an early stage and instigating preventative support. A multiplicity of various procedures for the assessment and development of competences have emerged and been deployed within the vocational orientation provision of general schools and school-based and extra-school vocational preperation over the course of recent years. The question arising is which procedures are really suitable for the assessment of competences. The present paper presents various procedures and criteria for their evaluation.
Gisela Dybowski; Barbara Burger
Structuring dual vocational education and training in a competence oriented manner
Aerospace occupations set the standard
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The present paper reports on the MOVE PRO EUROPE pilot project conducted by the German companies involved in the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Agency (EADS) and which came to a conclusion in August. The main focus of the pilot project was on two objectives: to use the skills potentional within real work processes in a targeted way in training and to make a contribution towards the European debate surrounding competence oriented occupational standards.
Manfred Kremer
Learning within the work process - often demanded, rarely supported!?
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Manfred Kremer, the President of the BIBB, regards the insight into practice in active and work-process-oriented teaching and learning concepts and curricula as the formula for success in a modern dual system of initial vocational training. The experience with dual-system vocational training gives German companies and education providers a head start. This is to be used more offensively in the European context. This also means supporting and continuously developing competence-oriented learning within the work process
Waldemar Bauer; Claudia Koring
Work oriented continuing training for semi-skilled and unskilled employees
An example from the metal and electrical industry
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Semi-skilled and unskilled employees working in "reduced skill" areas have an important role to play in some branches. Despite the growing skilly requirements in the workplace, however, this particular employment group is underrepresented in terms of participation in continuing training. The present paper portrays a work oriented continuing training concept for semi-skilled and unskilled employees which was developed within the scope of a three-year project involving companies from the metal and electrial industry and which has undergone successful piloting. The concept facilitates systemisation and promotion of self-directed learning in the workplace and is capable of autonomous and relatively rapid implemention by companies.
Thomas Scheib
Occupational competence in modern production structures
Development of competences for the production of tomorrow
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Modern production concepts and holistic production systems from the basis for current and future production. The main focus is on consitent process orientation and the streamlining of these processes. The effects of these developments extend to exerting a direct impact on operative employees rather than merely affecting executive management and require new and changed competences. The present paper concentrates on presenting these new competences and other competences gaining in significance. It also highlights further competences of relevance due to teamwork, the characteristic feature of modern production concepts alongside process orientation. This "broad-based" development necessitates a widening of and a change in our understanding of occupational competence in overall terms. The paper concludes by outlining a profile for employability skills for skilled work within modern production concepts.
Manfred Kremer
The long road to sustainability
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Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable Development" (BBNE) is about many years an observed key activity of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). The President of the BIBB, Manfred Kremer, outlines the current state of affairs in vocational education and training across the term sustainability, especially the role of the BIBB in this field.
Klaus Hahne; Andreas Diettrich; Dagmar Winzier
Vocational education and training for sustainable development: backgrounds, activities, initial results
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Education for sustainable development has received something of a boost, this being evidenced by the UN Reports on Climate Development, by the declared will of politicians and political parties to strengthen climate protection and drive sustainability forwards and by the UN Decade of "Education for Sustainable Development" and its attendant national follow-up activities. The present paper explains the educational dimension of the central idea of "sustainable development" and describes the processes and findings which have emerged from the "Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable Development" programme (known by its German abbreviation of BBNE).