Institutionalisation of company-based continuing vocational training and professionalism of continuing vocational training staff

Although continuing training staff are of central significance in terms of assuring the quality of training processes within a company, very few empirical findings regarding those involved in delivering company-based continuing vocational training have thus far been available. The present article takes data from the German additional survey to accompany the fourth European Continuing Vocational Training Survey (CVTS4) as a basis for investigating the extent of institutionalisation of company-based continuing vocational training in companies offering such training and how professionally continuing training staff are deployed.

Significance and role of company-based continuing vocational training staff

Every year, companies invest considerable sums in their continuing vocational training staff. On the basis of data from the continuing vocational training survey conducted by the German Institute for Economic Research (IW), KÄPPLINGER/LICHTE (2012, p. 377) estimate that companies spent €2.68 billion on their continuing vocational training staff in the year 2010. The Federal Statistical Office (2014) used the CVTS4 data to calculate that direct company expenditure on continuing vocational training was €10.4 billion in 2012¹. Internal training staff accounted for 21 percent of this figure. This proportion has remained relatively constant over the past 20 years. This means that costs of internal continuing training staff can be estimated at around €2.2 billion for the year 2012.

In the light of this not inconsiderable spending, it is astounding that very little empirical data on and further analyses of the role and function of company-based training staff have been available thus far, as KÄPPLINGER/LICHTE (2012) ascertain. They call for an intensification of activities within continuing vocational training research “in order to shed more light on this shadowy group of persons” (p. 376). The data from the German additional survey to accompany CVTS4 delivers findings in this regard, and these will be presented below.

Institutionalisation of company-based continuing vocational training

The term “institutionalisation” relates to the internal company organisation of company-based continuing vocational training. In the additional survey to accompany CVTS4 (cf. MORAAL/BEUER-KRÜSSEL/WEBER-HÖLLER 2015), the degree of institutionalisation was investigated on the basis of eight indicators formed from issues arising from the main CVTS4 survey on the organisation of continuing vocational training and continuing vocational training policy:

1. Identification of future skills needs within companies offering continuing vocational training (identification of requirements as part of the general planning process).

2. Review of the training needs of individual employees in companies offering continuing vocational training (investigation primarily via staff interviews).

3. Written continuing vocational training plan or continuing vocational training programme in companies offering continuing vocational training.

4. Existence of a certain person or organisational unit with responsibility for company-based continuing training in companies offering continuing vocational training.

5. Use of a training centre for company-based continuing training in companies offering continuing vocational training.

6. Annual budget with funds for company-based continuing training in companies offering continuing vocational training.

7. Collective wage agreements or company agreements relating to company-based continuing training in companies offering continuing Training.

8. Evaluation of the results of continuing training activities in companies offering continuing vocational training (evaluation after every measure and evaluation only after some measures).

These were used as the basis for the formation of indicators to serve as a foundation for the typisation of companies according to degree of institutionalisation. The assumption is that companies exhibit a high degree of institutionalisation if they answer “yes” to seven or eight questions. The middle category includes companies in which four to six instruments/measures are in place. Companies responding “yes” to no more than three questions have a low degree of institutionalisation. As Table 1 shows, ten percent of respondents state that none of the indicators applies in their company. Only eight percent of companies offering continuing vocational training achieve the highest degree of institutionalisation of company-based training. The middle category encompasses 35 percent of companies. Nevertheless, more than half of companies (57 %) exhibit only a low degree of institutionalisation or no degree of institutionalisation at all.

Professionalism of continuing vocational training staff

According to the definition of the CVTS surveys, continuing vocational training staff are persons who are exclusively (full-time continuing vocational training staff) or partially (part-time continuing vocational training staff) involved with the design, organisation and execution of training programmes, courses and seminars in companies. They include managing directors and other management staff, heads of training, lecturers, training centre staff and other colleagues who are active in the field of continuing vocational training in companies.

In the majority of companies surveyed, responsibility for company-based continuing training lies with the Human Resources Department (65 %). In 20 percent of companies, company management is responsible for continuing vocational training. A separate continuing vocational training Department or a person specially designated for the purpose only exists in nine percent and five percent of companies respectively.

All companies offering continuing vocational training which were surveyed deploy both full-time and part-time staff for company-based continuing training. In 81 percent of companies offering continuing vocational training, line managers take on continuing vocational training tasks alongside their normal work, and in 68 percent of companies employees do likewise. The activities undertaken by full-time and part-time continuing training staff vary. Part-time continuing training staff are mainly (74 %) deployed for the implementation of continuing vocational training measures. In 62 percent of companies, they are also involved with continuing vocational training planning. By way of contrast, the tasks of full-time continuing vocational training staff are much more focused on organisational and coordinating activities than on operational matters (cf. Table 2).

If internal continuing vocational training staff are involved with the execution of continuing vocational training measures, most companies deploy them for internal training programmes, information events and instructions/inductions. This applies to both full-time and part-time continuing vocational training staff. Internal continuing vocational training staff play virtually no role in the implementation of external training programmes or in forms of learning such as job rotation and exchange programmes.

The following six questions on continuing vocational training staff from the CVTS4 additional survey can be used to identify how professionally companies offering continuing training deploy their continuing vocational training staff.

1. Internal recruitment of full-time continuing vocational training staff from the existing workforce.

2. Regular and systematic cooperation between full-time continuing vocational training staff and the specialist departments.

3. Internal continuing vocational training staff are assigned activities in company-based initial vocational vocational education and training.

4. Regular staff interviews, in which internal continuing vocational training staff also take part.

5. Regular participation by internal continuing training staff in measures for their own continuing vocational training.

6. Targeted promotion of the vocational teaching competence of the internal continuing vocational training staff.

Internal recruitment is an indication that a company trains its continuing vocational training staff for the work and tasks they perform in a company-related manner. In 51 percent of companies which offer continuing vocational training and have full-time continuing training staff, such staff is recruited from the existing workforce. 35 percent of companies recruit externally. 14 percent of companies make use of both recruitment opportunities.

Cooperation between full-time continuing vocational training staff and the specialist departments indicates good networking within the company. This is the case in 94 percent of companies.

Deployment of continuing vocational training staff for initial vocational education and training also shows that the company has a systematic training policy in place. 70 percent of companies agree with this statement.

Employee interviews are an important continuing vocational training instrument in order to identify staff requirements. If continuing vocational training staff takes part in such interviews, this indicates a good flow of information between continuing training staff and the continuing vocational training needs/wishes of the employees. Employee interviews are conducted in 80 percent of companies offering continuing training. In 42 percent of companies, continuing training staff also take part in these interviews.

Regular continuing vocational training for continuing training staff and promotion of vocational teaching competence are indicators of systematic support. In 69 percent of companies, continuing vocational training staff regularly take part in measures for their own continuing vocational training. 25 percent of companies foster the vocational teaching competence of continuing vocational training staff in a targeted manner.

The set of indicators formed from the questions regarding continuing vocational training staff stated above enables a typisation of companies in accordance with the degree of professional deployment of continuing vocational training staff (cf. Table 3). In eleven percent of companies, none of the indicators applies. The highest degree of professionalisation of internal continuing vocational training staff is only achieved in five percent of the companies. The middle category encompasses 35 percent of companies. 49 percent exhibit a low degree of professionalisation.

A closer statistical analysis of the correlation between the degree of institutionalisation of company-based continuing vocational training and the degree of professional deployment of continuing vocational training staff shows that a close link between these two organisational aspects of company-based continuing vocational training only exists in large companies. This is not the case at small and medium-sized enterprises. This close correlation can also be found in companies in the manufacturing sector. No such correlation can however, be identified in the service sector. This means that professional execution of company-based continuing vocational training on the basis of an institutional continuing vocational training structure can primarily be ascertained at major companies in the manufacturing sector (cf. MORAAL/BEUER-KRÜSSEL/WEBER-HÖLLER 2015). Significant organisational deficits can be identified across the rest of German trade and industry.

Conclusion

With regard to the findings set out above, KÄPPLINGER/LICHTE (2012) arrive at the following conclusion. “Professionalism cannot be regulated via fixed structures. It needs to be created on each occasion in a situationally specific manner by persons acting professionally.” (p. 380). Nevertheless, continuing vocational training staff acting in a professional way require institutionalised general conditions for company-based continuing vocational training. The results of the CVTS surveys, however, show that professional implementation of company-based continuing vocational training on the basis of a thoroughly organised continuing training structure and continuing training policy is not very widespread in German companies. Although company-based continuing training is the most important area in continuing vocational training in Germany, for more than twenty years the results of the Europe-wide CVTS surveys have shown that company-based continuing vocational training is located in the bottom third of the scale for European countries.

The same also applies to internal company organisation and implementation in companies in Germany. This finding can be differentiated still further using the results of the additional CVTS4 survey. Internal company organisation of company-based continuing vocational training is systematically structured in only one tenth of companies offering continuing vocational training. In addition to this, only a small minority of companies can be said to have professional deployment of internal continuing vocational training staff. This mainly applies to major companies in the manufacturing sector.

Professional activity, however, requires good initial and continuing vocational training for continuing vocational training staff. The additional CVTS4 survey shows that only 35 percent of companies in Germany recruit continuing vocational training staff externally. This is probably also connected with the fact that it is virtually impossible to find suitable continuing vocational training staff on the labour market. Although the new advanced training regulations for the qualifications of “Certified Vocational Educator for Initial and Continuing vocational training” and “Certified Vocational Educator” (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) from the year 2009 may mean a certain professionalisation of continuing vocational training staff, between 2009 and 2012 only 1,000 persons completed this advanced training.

DICK MORAAL
Research associate in the “Costs, Benefits, Financing” Division at BIBB

Translation from the German original (published in BWP 4/2015): Martin Stuart Kelsey, Global Sprachteam Berlin