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The journal reports on research findings and practical experience with issues from vocational education and training, thus fostering an exchange between education research, day-to-day education practice and education policy.
Current issue
Artificial intelligence (BWP 1/2024)
The debate surrounding the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence has gained momentum. The questions arising from the perspective of vocational education and training are which areas of potential AI-based technologies can offer for occupational learning and how these technologies can be used in a responsible and reflective way. The articles in this issue explore how AI-based technologies are deployed at the various learning venues, examine which experiences and research findings are in place with regard to their effectiveness, and determine which impetuses they may provide for the further development of learning processes. An additional focus is how AI itself can be made an object of learning in order to raise the awareness of both teachers and learners for a conscious and thoughtful approach.
Knowing what artificial intelligence (AI) is and being aware of how the various AI systems operate and of which new opportunities and qualitative improvements for teaching and learning arise as a result of AI are just as important as familiarity with the challenges, risks and ethical and data protection requirements relating to the development and deployment of AI. This article offers an insight into this thematic area which, in light of the highly dynamic developments taking place in the field of generative AI in particular, VET will need to address on a long-term basis from both a technological and a didactic and ethical perspective.
This article describes a systematisation for the classification of AI-aided education and training technologies which encompasses both technical and didactic categories. The system has been used to enable 13 AI-based applications for VET to be classified by their developers. This permitted an analysis of the didactic purpose and of the degree of necessity of deploying AK methods. It was revealed that many different AI methods are used at the same time with the aim of achieving multiple objectives. By way of contrast, the necessity of using AI to reach these goals is judged to be relatively low.
This article was written by humans. In an era of ChatGPT and similar applications, it seems highly appropriate to clarify what previously was considered a matter of course. One of the reasons for doing so is the increasing blurring of the boundaries between content which is produced by humans and machine-optimised output. The article uses a practical example to highlight the possible areas of deployment of ChatGPT and to show the preparation of stakeholders at Bamberg Upper Vocational School (FOS/BOS) in Bavaria.
Against the background of current breakthroughs in machine learning and in light of the reignited debate regarding the substitutability of human work, data from the BIBB Establishment Panel on Training and Competence Development (BIBB Training Panel) is being used to investigate the extent to which the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by companies in Germany has increased over recent years and to examine in which companies AI is used particularly frequently.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is continuing to become established across all economic sectors. AI is bringing about fundamental change to work and organisational processes and confronting skilled workers with new requirements and areas of activity. But how can future qualified skilled workers be prepared for this? This article presents results from surveys of trainees and vocational school teachers on their assessments and on the requirements placed on training provision that incorporates AI and machine learning. Clearly conflicting views emerge in respect of the evaluations and expectations which need to be taken into account in the implementation of AI topics in training at vocational schools.
Progress in education and training technology is offering new opportunities to personalise and support learning processes via the vehicle of adaptive learning environments. This article provides a compact overview of the possibilities, opportunities and challenges of adaptive learning environments for continuing training.
The seeking and selection of suitable continuing training provision may constitute a challenge for persons interested in pursuing such training. AI allows the providers of continuing training databases to develop innovative search systems and more convenient user interfaces. These systems are able to take on a virtual assistance role via the integration of additional functions such as determination of current status of knowledge or the visualisation of results.
Special Focus
Andreas Fischer; Sabrina Lorenz; Christopher Pabst
The cooperative project KIPerWeb is seeking to identify areas of potential for artificial intelligence in continuing VET. The learning platform of the Educational Association of Lower Saxony Trade and Industry is used as an example to illustrate how AI can be used to support learning recommendations and to demonstrate which decisions need to be made within this process.
Christina Hanck; Sabrina Lorenz; Christopher Pabst
Examination texts may present a major hurdle for trainees who have difficulties with the language. Text optimisation allows these to be overcome more easily. The project TOP.KI is developing a tool which uses AI to support the formulation of examination tasks in plain language. This article describes the requirements of such examination tasks and the approach adopted in the project.
The conventional method of recruiting apprentices, in which firms offer apprentice positions via various media and then wait for incoming applications, is becoming less and less likely to lead to success. One promising remedy is a reversed approach which involves the firms themselves searching applicant profiles in online apprenticeship training exchanges in order to find suitable candidates. This article sheds light on the extent to which this procedure now forms part of recruitment practice of firms.
In order to trace the constant change on the labour market and to be able to reveal the implications for skilled worker requirements and qualifications at a sectoral and occupational level, BIBB is developing a new dataset and a data portal integrating various data sources as part of a project being funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. This article presents the goals, object and structure of this new Occupations and Competency Radar.
Company continuing training mentors are employees who raise the awareness of their colleagues for the topic of continuing training whilst acting as equals. They thus fill a gap in the continuing training consultancy that is otherwise offered externally (the chambers, Federal Employment Agency, training providers) or at the company via line managers or the Human Resources Department. This article presents initial experiences with this approach from four projects being funded as part of the National Continuing Training Strategy.
Germany and Switzerland have moved closer together in the area of mutual occupational recognition. A simplified procedure for the mutual recognition of occupations has been in place since September 2021. The aims are to make it easier for German and Swiss qualified skilled workers to exercise their occupation and to pursue continuing training in the respective other country and to foster cross-border mobility. This article presents the specific structuring of the agreement, the support tasks undertaken by BIBB. and the status of implementation.
20 years after their last revision, the four environmental technology occupations have been modernised in order to bring them up to speed in terms of current and future challenges, including technological innovations and climate change. New qualification titles are being introduced with a view to enhancing the attractiveness of these occupations. The relevant training regulations enter into force at the start of the 2024 training year.
As well as being important transport routes for both humans and goods, Germany’s many rivers provide places of recreation and valuable habitats. The job of hydraulic technicians is to take care of the maintenance of these navigation lanes and of other waterways. This occupational description sets out their tasks, points out the impacts climate change has on their work, and explains how trainee project developed from these.
The third Board Meeting of 2023 was chaired by Nico Schönefeldt, representative of the employers. The main focus of discussion was the current situation on the 2023 training places market. Other topics included “Leandro”, BIBB’s new web portal for training and examination staff, and a presentation of virtual vocational orientation provision from the Federal Employment Agency.
