Dear Readers,

Jaron Lanier, the computer scientist who last year was awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, called his book about digitalisation “Who owns the future?”. The question may come across as somewhat pretentious, but is appropriate for this important topic. It also expresses one of the classic areas of interest in the quest for understanding, and in particular in times of upheaval. Who better to turn to for the answer, therefore, than a classicist? And why not Goethe himself: “He who looks ahead rules the day”. In terms of digitalisation of the economy and its relevance for vocational education and training, this implies that those who have noted three current trends, all inextricably linked with one another, are best placed to act with foresight.

1. Digitalisation is changing vocational education and training

Let’s use the IT occupations as an example. The transformation due to digitalisation is also evident here in the training figures. While the number of newly concluded training contracts among information technology specialists continues to rise, the figure is falling in the areas of IT system electronics. This indicates a marked change in the demand situation on the part of the training companies with regard to future demand for skilled workers. Digitalisation is therefore also creating jobs. The engine initially driving this trend was the use of IT in widely diverse areas of employment. However, this is now increasingly IT security management and web engineering. Besides vocational schools, smart companies represent the learning locations of the future. There is thus much to be said for firmly establishing IT competency within vocational education and training as a key competency. We must therefore increasingly be talking to general education schools to clarify the extent to which IT competency should be supported at this point? There is some catching-up to do here as, according to the most recent International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS), the computer and ICT knowledge of German pupils is at an average level only. 

2. Digitalisation is changing job descriptions

The importance of IT competency will increase in many occupations. What is needed is an understanding of switching behaviour and the ability to operate and adapt control software. Economy 4.0 does not signify an inevitable emergence of lots of new job descriptions and the disappearance of many of those which currently exist. Instead we anticipate more of an evolution than a revolution. For example, even driverless trucks will need personnel for inner-city traffic, but the demands placed on the drivers will change. Together with its partners, the BIBB is therefore monitoring exactly how the different requirements increase or decrease in terms of importance. For example, a preliminary study is currently under way regarding the restructuring of IT occupations. 

3. Digitalisation has an impact on the vocational education and training system

Despite the overall change in the demand for skilled workers, our view is that the vocational education and training system – which is competing against other education and training options in both the national education and training system as well as internationally – generates employable skilled workers over the long-term. These skilled workers are in a position to adapt flexibly to the new requirements in the world of work. At the same time, companies are pointing to a rising demand for skilled workers, particularly at intermediate levels and are launching initiatives in order to reinforce vocational education and training. In this sense, digitalisation does not automatically mean growing academisation. On the contrary, Economy 4.0 currently represents the outstanding opportunity for increasing the attractiveness of vocational education and training and making it fit for the future. The work of the BIBB forms part of this fascinating process; and in this way we are contributing to shaping the future and the challenges this will present.

 

FRIEDRICH HUBERT ESSER
Prof. Dr. President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB)

Translation from the German original (published in BWP 6/2015): Martin Lee, Global SprachTeam, Berlin