Report on Vocational Education and Training 2019€¦ · 6 REPORT ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND...

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Report on Vocational Education and Training 2019

1Table of ConTenTs

Table of ContentsList of Charts ..................................................................................................................................................................................4List of Tables...................................................................................................................................................................................... 5Abbreviations used .......................................................................................................................................................................6Foreword.........................................................................................................................................................................................9Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

1 Vocational Education and Training Policy Priorities 11

2 The training market situation 2018 20

2.1 an overview of the training market .................................................................................................................. 202.1.1 Developments in (initial) vocational training ...................................................................................................... 202.1.2 Developments in the number of school leavers and trends in numbers by 2030...................................... 262.1.3 Current challenges ................................................................................................................................................... 27

2.2 Training as defined in the Vocational Training act and Crafts Code (bbiG/Hwo) .................................. 492.2.1 The training market balance in 2018 .................................................................................................................... 492.2.2 Newly concluded training contracts according to structural characteristics .............................................. 582.2.3 Schooling background of trainees with newly concluded training contracts ............................................ 712.2.4 Additional information on applicants represented in the BA statistics ........................................................ 722.2.5 Success in examinations and the transition into employment ....................................................................... 782.2.6 Prognoses for the development of training market supply and demand, 2019 ......................................... 78

2.3 Vocational training outside the dual system .................................................................................................. 802.3.1 Training in the healthcare occupations ................................................................................................................ 812.3.2 Training in the social services professions ........................................................................................................... 822.3.3 Training in public sector occupations ................................................................................................................... 84

2.4 Upgrading skills and qualifications through vocational training ............................................................... 84

3 The Federal Government’s current vocational training policy measures and programmes 87

3.1 The alliance for Initial and Continuing Training, 2015–2018 ..................................................................... 87

3.2 The national skills strategy .............................................................................................................................. 87

3.3 The Vocational education and Training Pact ................................................................................................. 88

REPORT ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING 20192

3.4 activities to secure a supply of skilled staff ................................................................................................... 893.4.1 Framework conditions ............................................................................................................................................ 893.4.2 Funding and support activities and programmes .............................................................................................. 93

3.5 Careers orientation activities ...........................................................................................................................1013.5.1 Framework conditions ..........................................................................................................................................1013.5.2 Funding and support activities and programmes ............................................................................................102

3.6 activities to help young people succeed in transitioning into training ...................................................1053.6.1 Framework conditions ..........................................................................................................................................1053.6.2 Funding and support activities and programmes ............................................................................................105

3.7 activities to fill vacant training places ...........................................................................................................1063.7.1 Funding and support activities and programmes ............................................................................................106

3.8 activities for unplaced applicants ..................................................................................................................1083.8.1 Funding and support activities and programmes ............................................................................................108

3.9 activities to increase companies’ participation in training ........................................................................1093.9.1 Framework conditions ..........................................................................................................................................1093.9.2 Funding and support activities and programmes ............................................................................................109

3.10 activities to prevent premature training contract termination and training dropouts .......................1113.10.1 Funding and support activities and programmes ............................................................................................111

3.11 activities to help young adults gain qualifications .....................................................................................1123.11.1 Funding and support activities and programmes ............................................................................................112

3.12 activities to increase the power of vocational training to promote integration ...................................1133.12.1 Funding and support activities and programmes ............................................................................................113

3.13 activities to improve the compatibility of training with particular life situations ...............................1193.13.1 Framework conditions ..........................................................................................................................................1193.13.2 Funding activities and programmes ....................................................................................................................119

3.14 activities to strengthen vocational training to upgrade skills ..................................................................1203.14.1 Framework conditions ..........................................................................................................................................120

3.15 activities to promote trainees’ mobility ........................................................................................................1213.15.1 Framework conditions ..........................................................................................................................................1213.15.2 Funding and support activities and programmes ............................................................................................121

3.16 International vocational training cooperation .............................................................................................1233.16.1 Vocational training in international relations and development cooperation .........................................1233.16.2 International cooperation on vocational training ...........................................................................................125

3Table of ConTenTs

4 Overview of Federal Government training and labour market policy activities and programmes 127

Opinions on the Report on Vocational Education and Training 2019 154

opinion of the board of the bIbb on the federal Government’s draft Report on Vocational education and Training 2019....................................................................................................154

opinion of the group of employee representatives on the federal Government’s draft Report on Vocational education and Training 2019....................................................................................................155

opinion of the group of employer representatives on the draft Report on Vocational education and Training 2019....................................................................................................161

opinion of the group of länder representatives in the bIbb on the draft Report on Vocational education and Training 2019....................................................................................................163

Imprint .........................................................................................................................................................................................167


List of Charts

Chart 1: Developments in education and training sectors/accounts .................................................................... 21Chart 2: A comparison of numbers of new entries into the “Vocational Training”

and “Tertiary Studies” iABE sectors ............................................................................................................... 23Chart 3: Development in the number of school leavers leaving general schools, 1992 to 2030 .................... 28Chart 4: Schooling background of new entries into the transition system in 2017 ........................................... 32Chart 5: Regional training market disparities .............................................................................................................. 35Chart 6: Occupations with a high proportion of unfilled training places of all training places

offered by companies 2017 and 2018 (in %) ................................................................................................ 36Chart 7: Occupations with a high proportion of unsuccessful training place applicants,

2017 and 2018 (in %) ......................................................................................................................................... 37Chart 8: Proportion of unfilled training places and demand for training, based on the proportion

of young people with a secondary general school certificate in the occupation................................ 39Chart 9: Companies that do and do not provide training in Germany ......................................................................40Chart 10: ANR, expanded ANR and expanded ANR based on company-based training places

nationally, 2009 to 2018 .................................................................................................................................56Chart 11: ANR, expanded ANR and expanded ANR based on company-based training places

in western Länder, 2009 to 2018 ............................................................................................................... 57Chart 12: ANR, expanded ANR and expanded ANR based on company-based training places

in eastern Länder, 2009 to 2018 .........................................................................................................................58Chart 13: The computed placement rate of young people interested in training (EQI), 2009 to 2018 ........... 59Chart 14: The 25 occupations as defined in the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and Crafts Code (HwO)

most frequently chosen by young women in 2018 .................................................................................... 67Chart 15: The 25 occupations as defined in the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and Crafts Code (HwO)

most frequently chosen by young men in 2018.......................................................................................... 68Chart 16: Developments in newly concluded training contracts by gender............................................................69Chart 17: Newly concluded training contracts in occupations requiring two years

of vocational training, 2004 to 2018 ......................................................................................................... 70Chart 18: Schooling background of trainees with newly concluded training contracts, 2009 to 2017 ........... 72Chart 19: Whereabouts of applicants registered with employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit)

or job centres on the 30 September, 2009 to 2018 .................................................................................... 74Chart 20: Schooling background of applicants registered with employment agencies

(Agenturen für Arbeit) and job centres, 2018 ......................................................................................... 75Chart 21: TOP 10 healthcare, care and nursing and social services training occupations

chosen by women .............................................................................................................................................. 82Chart 22: TOP 10 healthcare, care and nursing and social services training occupations

chosen by men .................................................................................................................................................... 83

5lIsT of CHaRTs and Tables

List of Tables

Table 1: Developments in numbers of new entries in iABE sectors/accounts by gender ..................................24Table 2: New entries into iABE sectors and accounts, differentiated by selected attributes ...........................26Table 3: Numbers of new entries into the transition system, 2005 to 2018 ....................................................... 31Table 4: Young adults with no vocational qualifications, 2014 to 2017 .................................................................44Table 5: Rates of new entries into training for young German and foreign women and men .........................46Table 6: Newly concluded training contracts, supply and demand, 1992 to 2018 ............................................ 51Table 7: Vocational training places registered during the 2017/2018 reporting year and

training places that were unfilled on the reference date of 30 September ..............................................54Table 8: Newly concluded training contracts in 2018 by Länder and sector ........................................................60Table 9: Changes in newly concluded training contract figures from 2018 to 2017

by Länder and sector ............................................................................................................................................62Table 10: Newly concluded training contracts by financing form, 2009 to 2018 ..................................................63Table 11: Newly concluded training contracts by financing form and Länder,

2009 and 2016 to 2018..................................................................................................................................... 64Table 12: Trend in the number of company-based training places by sector, 2009 to 2018 ............................. 66Table 13: Applicants from earlier reporting years, 2012 to 2018 ............................................................................77Table 14: Registered vocational training places and applicants who wanted to start training

by the end of 2018 ....................................................................................................................................................79Table 15: Training in the healthcare occupations ...........................................................................................................85Table 16: Training in the education and curative education therapy professions ................................................ 86


Abbreviations used

AA Auswärtiges Amt – Foreign OfficeAFBG Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderungsgesetz – Upgrading Training Assistance ActASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASMK Konferenz der Ministerinnen und Minister, Senatorinnen und Senatoren für Arbeit

und Soziales – Conference of Ministers and Senators for Labour and Social AffairsAufenthG Gesetz über den Aufenthalt, die Erwerbstätigkeit und die Integration von Ausländern

im Bundesgebiet – Residency ActAWStG Gesetz zur Stärkung der beruflichen Weiterbildung und des Versicherungsschutzes

in der Arbeitslosenversicherung – Law to strengthen further vocational training and insurance coverage in the employment insurance system

BA Bundesagentur für Arbeit – Federal Employment AgencyBAFA Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle – Federal Office for Economic Affairs

and Export ControlBAföG Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz – Federal Training Assistance ActBAMF Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge – Federal Office for Migration and RefugeesBAuA Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin – Federal Institute for Occupational Safety

and HealthBBiG Berufsbildungsgesetz – Vocational Training ActBGBl. Bundesgesetzblatt – Federal Law GazetteBIBB Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung – Federal Institute for Vocational Education and TrainingBMAS Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales – Federal Ministry of Labour and Social AffairsBMBF Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung – Federal Ministry of Education and ResearchBMEL Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft – Federal Ministry of Food

and AgricultureBMFSFJ Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend – Federal Ministry

for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and YouthBMG Bundesministerium für Gesundheit – Federal Ministry of HealthBMU Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit – Federal Ministry

for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear SafetyBMWi Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie – Federal Ministry for Economics and TechnologyBMZ Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung – Federal Ministry

for Economic Cooperation and Development

DGB Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund – German Trade Union ConfederationDIHK Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag – Association of German Chambers

of Industry and CommerceDZHW Deutsches Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung – German Centre

for Higher Education Research and Science Studies

ESF European Social FundEU European UnionEURES European Employment Services

7abbReVIaTIons Used

GWS Gesellschaft für wirtschaftliche Strukturforschung – Institute of Economic Structures Research

HwO Handwerksordnung – Crafts CodeHWK Handwerkskammer – Chambers of Skilled Trades

IAB Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung – Institute for Employment ResearchIHK Industrie- und Handelskammer – German Chambers of Industry and Commerce Association

KMK Kultusministerkonferenz – Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs

LwK Landwirtschaftskammer – Chamber of Agriculture

ODA Official Development Assistance

SGB Sozialgesetzbuch – German Social CodeSec. SectionSOEP Sozio-ökonomisches Panel – Socio-economic Panel StudySMEs Small and medium-sized enterprises SSEs Small and the smallest enterprisesStBA Statistisches Bundesamt – Federal Statistical OfficeSTEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, (STEM subjects)

UN United Nations UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

WHKT Westdeutscher Handwerkskammertag – West German Chambers of Crafts and Skilled Trades Council

WMK Wirtschaftsministerkonferenz – Conference of Ministers of EconomicsWZB Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung – Berlin Social Science Center

ZDH Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks – German Federation of Skilled CraftsZWH Zentralstelle für die Weiterbildung im Handwerk – National Agency for Continuing Vocational

Education and Training in the Skilled Crafts

ForewordIn our education and training system we have one treasure that is the envy of the rest of the world: vocational training. It enables every individual to develop his or her talents and pursue the path through life that suits them best. And it enables companies to engage well-trained staff and skilled workers. Now more than ever, all doors are open to young people with solid occupation training. Their career and promotion prospects are excellent. This is also because vocational and academic education and training complement each other. This is one of Germany’s strengths: We have two vocational and educational paths of equal value and we value them both equally.

This report shows how popular vocational training is. It is offering growing numbers of young people a successful start in life. In the past year again, more young women and men concluded a training place contract than in the previous year and more companies offered training places. That is an impressive achievement. Young people interested in training are in a good position and many of them are being enabled to train for their dream job.

The report does, however, also make it clear how hard it is for many companies to fill the training places they offer and find suitable applicants for them. The number of unfilled training places rose again over the past year and a growing number of young people have

no training place. These two facts show that we must do more to help companies and young people seeking training to find each other more easily. To do this, the Federal Government is intensifying its activities in the area of careers orientation.

Our goal is clear. We want to make vocational training even more attractive, not just dual training, but also school-based training measures, such as those in the areas of healthcare, care and nursing and early childhood education. These occupations are becoming increasingly important. This report focuses more closely on school-based training measures so it is structured differently from earlier reports. In an era in which the world of work is being rapidly transformed one thing remains clear – modern vocational training offers young people the best opportunities for a successful career.

Anja Karliczek Member of the German Bundestag Federal Minister of Education and Research

9foRewoRd


Summary

The 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training describes the training place market situation in the 2017/2018 training year and documents the current challenges confronting vocational education and training in the German Federal Republic. Vocational education and training outcomes were primarily positive over the reporting year.

There were 722,700 new entries into the training sector in the 2017/2018 training year, an increase of 10,300 or 1.4 % over the previous year.

The number of newly concluded training contracts rose again compared with the previous year to 531,400. Positive developments in the number of training places offered by companies in particular contributed to this growth. The supply and demand ratio was 106, so there were 100 people seeking training for every 106 training places offered. These figures show that the positive trend seen in recent years is continuing. This was also true of the percentage of young people interested in training who started training. Compared with the previous year, the number of companies offering training rose, although the even stronger growth in the number of companies resulted in a rate of 19.8 %. The number of training places offered by companies grew by around 17,800. The rise in the number of contracts for training places concluded and the increased interest in training were due mainly to higher rates of participation of people from migrant and forced migration backgrounds in training.

Harmonising supply and demand remains a major challenge. In 2018, the number of training places that companies offered but remained unfilled rose again to

around 57,700 and the number of unplaced applicants to around 24,500. Another 54,100 young people had found an alternative to training but still wanted to be placed in training. This highlights the need for more intensive careers orientation and counselling that can offer young people less well-known alternatives to their “dream job” that will still suit their inclinations, aptitudes and abilities.

It has also been noted that young men’s participation rates in dual training are increasing, while the propor-tion of young women in dual training continues to fall, although their participation rate in school-based voca-tional training courses for social care and education- related occupations is high and continues to rise.

For the coming year the Federal Government has set itself the goal of modernising vocational training and making it more attractive, especially for higher achievers. Working together with the Länder and Social Partners, it will achieve this goal through its numerous programmes, initiatives and projects. These will all be described in the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training, together with their budgets and results, where these are available.

Other central topics in the report include the amendment of the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code and the upgrading of training in the healthcare, education and social services occupations. It also reports on a competition launched to identify innova-tive approaches that will increase the attractiveness and quality of vocational training and ensure its equivalence with academic training and education.

11VoCaTIonal edUCaTIon and TRaInInG PolICy PRIoRITIes

1 Vocational Education and Training Policy Priorities

While earlier reports on Vocational Education and Training, in compliance with its statutory remit under sec. 86 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG), focused on developments in supply and demand for dual vocational training, the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training is striking out in a new direc tion. It will first report on the results of Integrated Reporting on Training, which provides an overview of the training and qualification activities of young people who have completed stage one secondary education, and then survey dual vocational training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) and outcomes in other forms of training that lead to full vocational qualification.

After this overarching survey, the report examines individual training sectors (dual training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code ( BBiG/HwO), school-based vocational training). This is followed by a section identifying the challenges and areas for action on which education and training policy activities will concentrate in coming years to give young people the best possible training opportunities, ensure skills building and ongoing qualification, as well as securing the supply of skilled staff that the economy needs in the long term.

I. The Training Place Market Situation in 2018

Since 2005, Integrated Reporting on Training (iABE) has been delivering detailed annual data on the training and qualification activities of young people who have completed stage one secondary education. It surveys them at a time at which the young people and their parents are making vital decisions on their further education and training. The data is divided into the following four sectors: vocational training, integration into training (transition system), acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification and tertiary studies.

Vocational training has traditionally been the largest sector, including as it does all training leading to full vocational qualification. It includes dual vocational training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG /HwO), school-based vocational train ing and training for the middle grade of the

German civil service. In 2018, there were 722,7001 new entries into this sector (47.3 % of them women), which was an increase of 10,300 or 1.4 % over the previous year.

The transition sector includes training courses that prepare young people to take part in vocational training, such as study courses providing specific voca-tional qualifications, training courses for young people returning to study to gain a general lower secondary education qualification or higher-level school leaving certificate, and obligatory practical traineeships before the start of vocational training. In 2018, the number of new entrants into the transition sector was 270,000 (36.3 % of them women), 13,100 fewer young people than in the previous year (–4.6 %).

The acquisition of higher education entrance qualification and tertiary studies sector covers higher- level secondary education qualification courses that enable young people at vocational or general education schools to gain an entrance qualification for studies at a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) or general university entrance qualification. In this sector the number of new entries rose in 2018 after falling slightly in the year before and was at 484,100 (+16,000 or +3.4 %), 53 % of them women.

The fourth sector records the number of first year students starting studies at institutions of higher edu-cation. After many years of growth, this figure declined slightly to 514,000 (51.3 % of them women). This was a minimal fall of 2,000 or 0.4 %, but the number of students starting studies at institutions of higher education was still higher than the number of those starting dual training (494,500). If, however, this figure is adjusted to exclude non-nationals who acquired their university entrance qualifications outside Germany and Germans studying abroad, there were more new entrants into dual training. It should also be noted that dropout rates are much higher in the tertiary sector than they are in vocational training, with around a third of tertiary students dropping out.2

1 The figures in Chapter 1 have been rounded up to the nearest hundred. Absolute figures can be found in Chapter 2.

2 The DZHW, which regularly calculates the university dropout rates, includes only those former students who have left the tertiary system without any qualification in their calculations. Students who change university or universities of applied science are not counted


35 % of all people starting training in the vocational training sector in 2018 went into school-based voca-tio nal training.3 Since 2005, however, there have been significant shifts within school-based vocational training. The healthcare, education and social services occupations training sector has grown very strongly. This development must be seen in the context of demo-graphic change and an increasing demand for skilled staff in healthcare services, including geriatric care. The sector covering other school-based vocational training courses, in contrast, contracted (e. g. clerical assis tant/commercial assistant, chemical-technical assistant).

II. Positive overall development in dual vocational training

The sector covering dual training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG /HwO) recorded positive development, with all the main indicators showing growth. According to the BIBB survey carried out on the 30 of September 2018, the number of newly concluded training place contracts rose by 8,100 to 531,400, which was an increase of 1.6 %.

This growth was recorded entirely in company- based training contracts, the number of which grew over the reporting year by 9,100 to 516,500 (+1.8 %). In contrast, the number of non-company training contracts declined.

In the 2017/2018 training year, the overall number of training places offered grew again, rising by 16,800 (+2.9 %) to 589,100. Here too, the growth was recorded entirely in company-based training places. Companies offered 17,800 (+3.2 %) more training places than they did last year. In contrast the number of non-company training places fell.

as dropouts (see also Heublein, Ulrich; Schmelzer, Robert (2018): Die Entwicklung der Studienabbruchquoten an den deutschen Hochschulen. Berechnungen auf Basis des Absolventenjahrgangs 2016. DZHW, 2018).

3 Many terms are used to refer to this training sector, such as “school-based vocational training system”, “full-time school-based vocational training”, “school-based training” and “school-based train-ing occupation”. Here the term “school-based vocational training” is used, based on the definition of Integrated Reporting on Training (iABE). It includes school-based vocational training in the healthcare, early childhood education and social services occupations and other forms of school-based vocational training (incl. so-called “Assistant training”) (see Chapter 2.1.1).

Demand for training, which is calculated based on numbers of newly concluded training place contracts and unplaced applicants, also rose again for the second year in a row. During the reporting year 556,000 people wanted a training place, compared with the previous year’s figure of 547,000. This growth was due mainly to the increasing integration of young people from a forced migration background into the training market. In the 2017/2018 training year, their number was at 38,300 and 14,000 of them were placed in training.

Taken together, these figures yield a supply and demand ratio of 106. This means that for every 100 young people interested in training there were 106 training places. The last time there was a similar figure was in 1994.

For young people interested in training, these figures reveal attractive education and training pathways and good prospects of secure jobs. The number of those who were employed by the company that trained them after successfully completing training also grew. In 2017, the last year for which data is available, the rate at which companies took on their trainees was 74 %. After rising continuously over the past seven years, it has grown strongly again.

Vocational training is however facing a number of challenges. Demographic change means that trainees have to be recruited from a declining number of poten-tial applicants. Young people also increasingly want to study in institutions of higher education, so many train-ing places are remaining unfilled. On the other hand, the number of young people with a higher education entrance qualification starting training has grown since 2009 from 112,000 to 148,000. Their number has grown in all sectors (Trade and Industry, Skilled Trades, Professional Services, the Public Sector, Agriculture, Housekeeping and Shipping).

III. Positive development in numbers of trainees training in the healthcare, education and social services occupations

School-based vocational training is the second major pillar of vocational training after dual training in Germany. Most of the students in this type of training are training in the healthcare, education and social services occupations. These are training courses


outside the scope of the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG /HwO) that are regulated by Federal Govern ment or Länder law. These training courses are provided at full-time vocational schools, schools training people for work in the healthcare sector and trade and technical schools.

The healthcare, education and social services training sector has expanded strongly in recent years, in a clear contrast to training in the other school-based training occupations. According to BIBB analyses, the number of new entrants into training in the healthcare, education and social services occupations rose between 2005 and 2018 by 25.2 %. This reflects wider social developments. Due to increasing ageing for example, the need for skilled staff in the care and nursing sector has grown. Demand for kindergarten teachers has also increased, not least due to the legal right to a childcare place that was introduced in 2013.

In the 2017/2018 school year, there were 178,800 new entrants into training for one of the healthcare, education and social services occupations, 76.2 % of them women, so women predominate in the health care, education and social services occupations. This was a rise of 3,800 or 2.1 % compared with the previous year. In the healthcare services area, which includes general and geriatric nursing, there were 217,000 trainees training in schools in the 2017/2018 school year, a figure that remained roughly the same as the previous year’s (+0.2 %). The early childhood care and education training sector, which covers the occupations of kindergarten teacher, children’s nurse and social assistant, reported 105,800 new entrants in 2017/2018, a rise of 20,500 (+24 %) over the figure of the year before.

School-based training is facing the same challenge as the dual system, falling numbers of school leavers who are available for training.

IV. Matching supply and demand remains a major challenge

As in previous years, the complete matching of supply and demand was a central challenge confronting the training place market. At the end of the training year the BA recorded 57,700 company-based training places still open, an increase of 8,700 places (17.7 %) over the

previous year. The number of people without a training place at the end of the training year, so those classified as unplaced, also grew. In the reporting year their num-ber rose to 24,500, wich was 800 or 3.5 % more than in the year before. Notable also was the rise in the number of unplaced applicants with a non-subject-restricted higher education entrance qualification to 7,300 young people with a higher education entrance qualification. At the same time, the total number of applicants with a non-subject-restricted higher education entrance qualification registered with the BA fell, although without negatively affecting the proportion of trainees who had concluded a training place contract. The number of unplaced applicants with a secondary general school certificate also rose significantly by around 7 %. In contrast, the number of applicants with an alternative fell to 2,400, declining by 4.3 %.

The extent to which supply and demand does not overlap varies in different regions, industries and occupations. It is very marked in some regions in north- eastern Germany and the Ruhr area, while southern Bavaria, the Münster region and Emsland have few problems. Occupations with too few trainees interested in the places offered (and problems filling places) were, as in earlier years, those in the food industry and catering and cleaning businesses. In contrast, occupations in the media and commercial sectors reported an oversupply of applicants (supply problems) for the places offered.

According to an analysis carried out by BIBB,4 the willingness of trainees to move contributes greatly to the regional balancing of supply and demand. The analy-sis found, however, that a complete balance between region al differences is not possible. Reasons for this in-clude trainees’ frequent reluctance to move and the oc-cupations they wish to train in. The analysis also found that what is more important in achieving a balance of supply and demand is getting young people interested in occupations in which more training places are available.

Some young people start tertiary studies because there is no training place available in the occupation they want to train for. During the reporting year 11,500 people chose to start academic education, even though they originally wanted to go into training.

4 Deutlich mehr Ausbildungsplatzangebote, jedoch erneut mehr unbesetzte Plätze – Die Entwicklung des Ausbildungsmarktes im Jahr 2018 (draft version of 22.01.2019).


V. The rate of premature contract termination remaining static

During the reporting year the rate of premature con-tract terminations remained static at a significant level. After an increase in the 2016 reporting year to 25.8 %, the 20175 statistics recorded a figure of 25.7 %. Various studies indicate, however, that around half the cases of premature contract termination do not involve trainees abandoning training, but in fact continuing training in another company or another occupation. This finding would seem to be confirmed by the fact that around a third of premature contract terminations occur during the trainee’s trial period, while another third take place in the first year of training.

A premature contract termination is not necessarily a negative outcome. Like a change of employer in later working life, the goal is often to improve a training or work situation. A premature contract termination may occur, for example, when a young person shortly after beginning training realises that the company they originally wanted to train with is offering another training place so they decide to change their training. A move from funded (non-company) training to unfunded (company-based) training does involve a premature contract termination, but it is one with an overall positive effect.

Surveys carried out by the BIBB show that the rate of premature contract terminations traditionally increases when the market situation is good for trainees. When the supply and demand ratio is high – as it was in the reporting year – a higher rate of premature contract terminations is likely.6 This is however an increasing problem for companies. On the one hand, they have to not only find suitable trainees in the market, but if there are premature contract terminations, they have to find suitable successors for those who leave and they also have to be shown the ropes.

As in previous years, the rate of premature contract terminations ranged from 4.1 to 50.6 % in different

5 This report draws on various data sources in its reporting. This means that some figures are only available up until 2017, while most information is for 2018.

6 See also Uhly, Alexandra (2015): Vorzeitige Vertragslösungen und Ausbildungsverlauf in der dualen Berufsausbildung. Forschungs-stand, Datenlage und Analysemöglichkeiten auf Basis der Berufs-bildungsstatistik. BIBB, Wissenschaftliche Diskussionspapiere 157 (bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/wdp-157_barrierefrei.pdf).

occupations. Hotel and hospitality services occupations (e. g. restaurant specialists, cook) and services occupa-tions in the transport and personal care and hygiene sectors (e. g. driver, safety and security specialist, beautician and hairdresser) have higher premature contract termination rates. Rates of premature contract terminations were very low in public sector occupations, commercial services occupations and technical production and laboratory occupations in industry in 2017.

VI. Participation of small and the smallest companies in training

The number of companies offering training has fallen continuously in recent years. In 2016, the percentage of companies offering training was the lowest ever, at 19.8 %. The main factor in this decline is small and the smallest companies, which have withdrawn from participation in training at a disproportionate rate. In 2017, the proportion of companies offering training remained stable despite a slight marginal rise in the overall number of companies providing training.

Given the decline in demand for training places before 2017, the smallest companies also have the greatest difficulties in filling their training places because they are not generally as well known as large companies so do not have the same allure. In 2018, the percentage of the smallest companies with unfilled training places was 53 %, while for large companies this figure was only 24 %. It has also been observed that in the smallest companies training contracts are more often terminated prematurely7 and successful trainees more rarely subsequently employed (60 % vs. 83 % for 2017) than they are in large companies, which again involves additional time and effort for companies.

Companies that have only been founded in recent months and years and must first prove themselves in the market before they can participate in training must be viewed separately here. These enterprises are often not licensed to provide training. The percentage of companies not authorised to provide training rose from 41 % in 2010 to 46 % in 2017. The number of companies

7 In a 2014 analysis, the BIBB used logistical regression models to show that the risk of premature contract termination is lower in large companies than it is in the smallest companies.

http://www.bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/wdp-157_barrierefrei.pdf


that do provide training as a percentage of companies entitled to provide training is 54 %, and that figure has even risen by two percentage points since 2016.

VII. Occupations with lower qualification requirements

Occupations with lower qualification requirements offer young people who do not have a secondary general school certificate in particular an opportunity to gain training. These include occupations for which two years of training is required, such as sales assistant for retail services, inventory clerk or machine and plant operator. In 2017, 43,600 training contracts were concluded in occupations requiring two years of training.

Young people whose highest school leaving qualifi-cation is a secondary general school certificate are the largest group training in these occupations. The proportion of these young people among trainees with newly concluded training contracts was 58.5 %, while their percentage of new trainees in all training occupa tions was just 29 %. The number of school leavers leaving school with a secondary general school certificate as their highest qualification has been falling for some time. In 2008, it was over 275,000; in 2017, it was around 187,000 (with 52,700 school leavers in that year not having a secondary general school certificate). Between 2010 and 2016, the number of new training contracts concluded in occupations requiring two years of training declined, falling from 52,500 to 42,700. In 2018, the number rose slightly to 45,600.

VIII. The proportion of young women and young men in vocational training

Of the 531,400 new training contracts in 2018, 195,900 (36.9 %) were concluded with young women. 335,500 new training contracts were concluded with young men, who made up 63.1 % of the total.

A more nuanced examination shows that the gender imbalance in training occupations varies in different occupations. Many training occupations are either female or male dominated. A larger proportion of women train in some occupations, such as the house-keeping sector (with 86.3 % female trainees in 2018) while other training occupations are clearly male dominated,

such as the Skilled Trades (with just 20.4 % female trainees in 2018). Women also train in fewer occupations than men. In 2017, half of female trainees (50.8 %) were concentra ted in just nine occupations, while half of all male trainees were training in 16 occupations.

In 2018, the number of young women among all newly concluded training contracts rose by 1,800 (0.9 %) over the previous year’s figure. Over the same period the number of young men with new training contracts grew by 9,900 or 3 %. These figures continued the trend observed in recent years. The number of young women choosing dual training is falling.

Despite a declining interest in dual training, young women are not simply turning their backs on voca tional training. They are particularly strongly represented in training for the healthcare, education and social services occupations, where the proportion of young women among new entries into training in these fields was 76.2 %.

According to analyses carried out by the BIBB, one reason for this is demographic change. Declining school leaver numbers in recent years reduced potential demand for training places in both gender groups. In the case of men, this loss was compensated for by the additional demand for training resulting from the large influx of immigrants in recent years. These immigrants were mainly young men so there was no similar effect for young women.

Another reason is young people’s higher levels of previous school education. According to BIBB analyses, young women are withdrawing from training for ordi-nary services occupations and embarking on alternati ves to dual training. This is probably linked with the fall in numbers of school leavers whose highest school leaving qualification is a secondary general school certificate. They are the group from which trainees for these female- dominated dual training occupations have traditionally been recruited. Interest in dual training has grown in recent years in the group of those qualified to enter higher education who have not yet begun studies. In terms of gender distribution, this growth was stronger among men than among women. There was a similar effect in the group of young people who have discontinued their studies. Here too, the men show greater inte rest in dual training than women do. This effect is en hanced by the fact that men have a higher overall dropout rate.


Federal Government actions to meet these challenges

During the reporting year the Federal Government addressed the challenges described above in several areas of activity. The Coalition Agreement for the 19 legislative period plans further actions that will strengthen and modernise initial and continuing vocational training.

The activities described are the responsibility of each department and completely financed by them for the long term as part of current budgetary and financial planning (including posts/established posts) and taking budgetary and fiscal policy guidelines into consideration.

The focus has been and is currently on the following actions:

I. Further increasing the attractiveness of initial and continuing training

Vocational training and higher education support young people’s personal development and secure a supply of skilled workers for the labour market. The Federal Government implements various actions in its overarching campaign to establish the equivalence of vocational and academic educational careers and offer young people attractive opportunities for development.

The Federal Government is endeavouring to make dual training even more attractive. To this end, the term of the “Alliance for Initial and Continuing Vocational Education” will be extended beyond 2018. The shared goal of this alliance, which is made up of the Federal Government, Federal EmploymentAgency (BA), busi-ness representatives, the unions and the Länder, is to strengthen dual training and make it even more attrac-tive to young people.

The BMBF has consolidated its diverse activities and initiatives for further developing vocational training into an overarching strategy – the Vocational Education and Training Pact. The Vocational Education and Training Pact is a comprehensive implementation agenda for ongoing and upcoming actions, and those still to be developed, to make vocational training more modern, attractive and dynamic. The BMBF is actively working together with relevant partners in vocational training to implement this strategy.

In 2019 – the Year of Vocational Training – these activities will be highlighted. A wide range of events will be offered for a diverse array of target groups, ranging from young people who are about to decide on their future careers, through teachers at vocational schools, up to companies and Social Partners.

To enhance the attractiveness of training in the care and nursing sector, the Federal Government has launched a reform of training in this sector, which will come into effect on the 1 of January 2020. Training for the geriatric care and nursing, general care and nursing and paediatric care and nursing sectors will be consoli-dated in keeping with the regulations of a new law to reform nursing and care occupations (Pflegeberufe-gesetz), which will establish consistent and generalist care and nursing training. It will also expand the areas in which the trainees can work and their opportunities for development in their occupational field later. Speciali zation and continuing training courses will flank this new structure. Another essential central point of the new law will be the abolition of tuition fees and the introduction of a training allowance.

The concerted action care and nursing programme “Konzertierte Aktion Pflege” (KAP) also has as its goal increasing the numbers of young skilled care and nurs-ing staff by increasing the attractiveness of training and work in this area. For this initiative, which the Federal Government launched in 2018, the BMFSFJ, BMG and BMAS develop proposals for improving working and training conditions through a series of exchanges with relevant actors in the care and nursing sector. The results produced by the “Training and Qualifica-tion” work ing group, which is part of KAP, will be implement ed in 2019 in a “Ausbildungsoffensive Pflege” (care and nursing training campaign), the term of which has been extended until 2023.

Attracting future skilled staff and ensuring the continuing training of skilled staff currently working in the area of early childhood education is another of the Federal Government’s goals for this sector. To this end, it supports the Continuing Education Initiative for ECEC Staff (“Weiterbildungsinitiative Frühpädagogische Fachkräfte – WiFF”), which is designed to improve day care for children and early childhood education as the basis of the education system by professionalizing skilled staff. Through its planned “Campaign to recruit early childhood educators: attracting young workers


and binding professionals” (“ Fachkräfteoffensive für Erzieherinnen und Erzieher: Nachwuchs gewinnen und Profis binden”) national programme, the Federal Government is providing impetus for making the training to become a kindergarten teacher and the resulting occupational and financial development opportunities in working life more attractive.

To strengthen vocational qualification in STEM occupations, the BMBF approved a STEM Action Plan in 2019, setting itself the goal of expanding the range of services and activities in these subject areas for young people. The BMBF will fund and support STEM clusters all over Germany through a competitive process. Local actors will be called upon to join forces to develop a concept for promoting STEM subjects among 10 to 16-year-olds and embed the concept in an overarching local STEM education strategy.

Completing training is just one milestone in a young person’s life, but an important one. Improving opportunities for continuing training will help to further enhance both the attractiveness of different education and training options and their potential for securing a supply of skilled staff. This is a central concern of the Federal Government’s Skilled Labour Strategy, which was adopted in 2018. The Qualification Opportunities Act (Qualifizierungschancengesetz), which came into force on the 1 of January 2019, helps people in work to further develop their quali fications in a changing world of work and manage the new challenges emerging due to digitalisation. The new labour market projection developed by the BIBB, IAB and GWS (“skilled worker monitoring”) will make it possible for the first time to comprehensively estimate possible developments in the supply of, and demand for, workers in specific industries and regions, especially in terms of the qualifications and skills in demand, for the next 10 to 20 years.

The Federal Government and Social Partners are also working in close cooperation with the Länder and the involvement of other stakeholders to develop a National Skills Strategy, with the goal of making it easier for large sections of the population to advance in their careers, strengthen the basis for skilled staff and sustainably promote employability in a changing world of work. The National Skills Strategy will bundle Federal Government and Länder continuing education programmes and adapt them to fit in better with the

needs of employees and companies. The overarching goal is to develop a new culture of continuing education.

II. Modernising initial and continuing vocational education

Changes to the world of work require training that is appropriately adapted to meet those changes. The Federal Government is working in a range of different ways to ensure that this kind of training is implemented. Among the actions it is funding and supporting are studies on future needs in training occupations through the “Vocational Training 4.0” (“Berufsbildung 4.0”) umbrella initiative. The government will also support vocational schools, SMEs and inter- company training centres through a range of funding and support pro-grammes, helping them to purchase modern equipment and further digital learning and training in a digital world of work through networks of repre sentatives from science, companies and training providers. The Federal Government will also be engaged in programmes to boost the qualifications of vocational training personnel to ensure that they too are trained in the technologies of the present and future.

Findings from all these funding and support pro-grammes and studies will be incorporated into regula-tory policy work. The Federal Government will work in close cooperation with the Social Partners through the procedures to develop new training regulations and modernize existing ones, and continuously upgrade training regulations. This will ensure that developments such as the digitalisation of various areas of work are adequately included in training. In 2018, new regula-tions were drawn up for eight occupations, 17 were modernised and an entirely new occupation was created: that of management assistant for e-commerce.

III. Making use of all available potential

All available potential must be mobilised and system-atically deployed to counter an impending shortage of skilled staff. The first step along this path is providing young people with a wealth of information about their prospects and opportunities in the world of work at an early stage.


The Federal Government is doing this in a targeted way. Working through the BA, it is strongly engaged in providing careers orientation and counselling, filling open training places and placing applicants. Its many employment agencies and Job Centres provide young people with comprehensive support wherever they are. The Federal Government also proactively promotes careers counselling and orientation for students still at school, through actions such as potential analyses and workshop days, during which students at school can discover their interests and talents at an early stage. These enable young people to find out about their “ dream job” as well as about other, less well-known occu pations. During the current legislative period, activities will focus especially strongly on providing careers counselling at grammar schools (Gymnasien).

Once training starts, the main goal is to encourage successful completion. Through its “Educational Chains Initiative” (“Abschluss und Anschluss – Bildungsketten bis zum Ausbildungsabschluss” – Bildungsketten Initia-tive) the Federal Government is providing systematic support for young people’s success in education and training. To this end, the Federal Government (BMBF and BMAS), Länder and the BA are coordinating their activities and services in careers orientation and at the transition from school into work in a structured and coherent way. Among the support activities they offer are careers orientation, individual support for young people, the integration of young refugees and migrants into training and inclusion of people with disabilities. These activities support young people for a period ranging from the 7 grade at school through to the completion of training.

The Federal Government supports those who seem likely to give up their training through its “Preventing Vocational Education and Training Dropouts” funding and support programme. Complementing its actions in this area, the goal of the “Assisted Training” and “Support during training” programmes is to prevent such critical situations from arising in the first place by providing trainees with individual support and social educational guidance through training. The PraeLab (preventing training dropouts – Praevention von Lehrabbrüchen) project pursues the goal of reducing the number of trainees who drop out of training by establishing an “early warning system” to enable people working in the areas of training and careers counselling to identify young people at risk

of breaking off their training more quickly and offer them effective counselling and support services.

The Federal Government also provides funding and support for people who want to, or have to, strike out in a new occupational direction. As well as implementing BA labour market policy measures (e. g. funding for training) the Federal Government helps people to validate the skills they have gained over their working lives so that they can gain a formal (training) qualifica tion. The “ Taking opportunities – with qualification modules towards vocational qualification” (“CHANCEN NUTZEN! Mit Teilqualifikationen Richtung Berufsabschluss”) project is improving overall framework conditions to enable those with low-level formal qualifi cations to gain a substantial training qualification, step by small step.

As well as all these actions, the Federal Government funds and supports the expansion and improvement of the quality of gender-aware preparation for making a decision on a career through its “Klischeefrei” initia tive. This initiative expands the range of careers chosen by young women and men as well as helping to prevent trainees from dropping out of training due to gender-stereotyped ideas about occupations.

IV. Supporting more participation by SMEs in training

SMEs form the backbone of dual training in Germany. To support them, the Federal Government is financing 6,000 courses for entrepreneurs and their staff who want to take an examination under the regulations of the Instructor Aptitude Ordinance. The Federal Government also assists SMEs by funding and suppor ting numerous projects as part of the “ JOBSTARTER plus” training structure programme, which offer advice to SMEs on a range of different issues including digitalisation, recruiting people who discontinue their studies as trainees and integrating those returning to work into dual training.

The “Inter-company training centres in the skilled trades” (Überbetriebliche Lehrlingsunterweisung – ÜLU) scheme offers targeted support for the training provided by skilled trades enterprises by funding and supporting inter-company training courses. The initiative aims to bring vocational skills and abilities into line with state-of-the-art business and technical developments and


balance out regional differences in training to ensure a consistent standard of quality in vocational training for the skilled trades.

The “Refugee Guides” (“Willkommenslotsen”) and “Tailored Matching” (“Passgenaue Besetzung”) programmes support companies in their search for suitable young people to fill training places. While the “Welcome mentors” programme integrates refugees into the training market, “Passgenaue Besetzung” con-centrates on young people from Germany and other countries who are not refugees. KAUSA service centres, which are also funded by the Federal Government, provide targeted support for entrepreneurs of non- German origins, convincing them of the advantages of training for companies.

V. Making initial and continuing training more attractive for high achievers

The Federal Government regards vocational initial and continuing training as equivalent to academic educa-tion. During the “Year of Vocational Training 2019” the Federal Government is continuing to reinforce the equivalence of vocational and academic education and training through a diverse range of measures, including those aimed at increasingly attracting high achievers into training.

In early 2019, the Federal Government launched an innovation competition to secure excellence in voca-tio nal training and strengthen the vocational initial and continuing training system. The aim of the competition

is to develop concepts that more closely interlink initial and continuing vocational training and secure opportu nities for transfer between vocational and academic education and training up to GQR level 7. The competition is also designed to develop innovative ideas for presenting companies, young people and adults with attractive offers that will motivate them to get involved in initial and continuing vocational training.

New amendments to the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) are aimed at giving further training qualifica-tions more consistent and attractive titles that make the equivalence of vocational and academic education and training more visible and tangible. Amendments to the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (AFBG) also aim to provide additional support for young people in completing further training measures. In future, young people should be able to receive funding to undergo all levels of further training.

By funding and supporting Germany’s participation in the European and worldwide vocational training championships (EuroSkills and WorldSkills), the Federal Government has created further impetus for motivating and promoting highly qualified trainees in vocational training. Several German competitors returned home from the last world vocational training championships with gold medals.

Programmes such as Vocational Training Worldwide (“AusbildungWeltweit”) and “Erasmus+” provide funding and support for international exchanges among trainees.


2 The training market situation 2018

2.1 An overview of the training market

2.1.1 Developments in (initial) vocational training

Data supplied by Integrated reporting on training ( integrierte Ausbildungsberichterstattung – iABE) offers a current overview of developments in education and training in Germany involving young people who have completed stage one secondary education.8 Integrated reporting on training is a reporting system that consoli-dates or “integrates” a range of different official statistics to provide a complete picture of education and training activities.9 As well as data on dual vocational training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO)10 it includes data on new entries into other training courses that provide specific vocational quali-fi cations but are outside the ambit of the BBiG/ HwO. This includes data on school-based vocational training in the healthcare, education and social services occu-pations and on other school-based vocational training.11 The iABE also covers data on the transition system and on training courses that can result in the acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification and tertiary studies.

8 The BMBF funded the establishing and further development of iABE from 2009 to 2017. The integration of iABE into the standard supply programme of the Statistical Offices from 2012 has secured the data it provides for the Report on Vocational Education and Training and Data Report for the long term.

9 The iABE systematises in its reporting system data from the voca-tional schools statistics (Statistik Berufliche Schulen – StBA), general schools statistics (Statistik Allgemeinbildende Schulen – StBA), institutions of higher education statistics (Hochschulstatistik – StBA), public service personnel statistics (Personalstandstatistik – StBA) and the funding statistics of the Federal Employment Agency (BA Förderstatistik).

10 The data used in the iABE to evaluate dual vocational training as defined in the BBiG/HwO comes from vocational schools statistics and not from the BIBB survey on the 30 of September or the vocatio nal training statistics from the 31 of December. Discrepancies with other presentations in the Report on Vocational Education and Training (BBB), in Chapter 2.2.1 for example, are due to the different survey instruments used (see also the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A4.1).

11 The other school-based vocational training courses include the iABE accounts “School-based vocational training at vocational schools as defined in the BBiG/HwO” (I 02), “School-based vocational training at vocational schools outside the scope of the BBiG/HwO” (I 03), “School-based vocational training that results in acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification (doppelqualifizierend)” (I 04) and “Vocational training in a public sector training course (training for the middle grade of the civil service)” (I 06).

Integrated reporting on training divides training courses into four sectors and “accounts” based on their main goals.12 At the top level are four sectors:13

• The “vocational training” sector, where the goal is a specific full vocational qualification. It covers young people in dual vocational training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) and those in school-based vocational training.

• The “Integration in Ausbildung (transition system)” sector, where the goal is to prepare young people for vocational training and integrate them into it. It covers young people in partially qualifying Federal Government and Länder measures.

• The “acquisition of a higher education entrance qualifi-cation” sector, where the goal is acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification. It covers young people in general and vocational schools.

• The “tertiary studies” sector, where the goal is acquisition of an academic degree. It covers students at institutions of higher education, colleges of public administration and those in combined work and study programmes.

Table 3 and Chart 1 show information on the development of education and training sectors and selected education and training accounts.

12 For more information on the iABE system of education and training sectors and accounts see also bibb.de/iABE and the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A4.

13 The iABE classification is different from that used in the “Bildung in Deutschland” report by the reporting on vocational education and training Authoring Group, which differentiates training in three sectors (“Dual system”, “School-based occupational system” and “Transition system”). The results are therefore also only partly comparable.

With 722,684 new entries in 2018, the “Vocational training” sector was the largest sector. The number of new entries compared with 2017 rose by (+10,271 or +1.4 %).

Of the 722,684 new entries into the “Vocational training” sector, 494,539 (68.4 %) started dual voca-tional training as defined in the BBiG/HwO (+8,111

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Since 2013, there have been more first year students starting studies in Germany than new entries into dual vocational training (see Chart 2). It must be taken into account here, however, that new first year students include non-national students who acquired their higher education entrance qualification outside Germany (in 2017 around 104,900 or 20.3 % of new first year students16). At the same time, young Germans (around 27,000 in 201617) go abroad to study after completing school.

When non-nationals who acquired their higher education entrance qualification outside Germany and Germans studying abroad are excluded from the new first year student figure, BIBB estimates carried out for 2017 identified 440,000 new first year students, fewer than the number of new entries into dual training (486,428). In total more young people still begin voca-tional training than start tertiary studies, if school- based vocational training and dual training are taken into account (total numbers of new entries into the “Vocational Training” sector: 712,413).

16 No data on non-nationals who acquired their university entrance qualification outside Germany for 2018 is available.

17 Numbers of new first year German students abroad were estimated based on overall student numbers (population) (StBA: Deutsche Studierende im Ausland 2017. Wiesbaden 2018). Data on German students abroad is only currently available for 2016. The previous year’s data was therefore used for the 2017 reporting year.

2016 was due mainly to growing numbers of refugees15 being placed in training.

The “Acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification” sector recorded a rise of 29,679 (+6.5 %) compared with the 2005 figure. The number of new entries into the “Tertiary studies” sector increased considerably (+147,746 or +40.3 %) over this period. These results reflect the general trends for young people to gain higher school leaving qualifications and their increasing tendency to study in the tertiary sector.

15 It must be noted here that iABE does not record the attribute “refugee” but only distinguishes between German and non-German nationals.

or +1.7 % more than in 2017). 178,718 (24.7 %) young people (+3,707 or +2.1 %) began school-based vocational training in the healthcare education and social services occupations. 49,427 (6.8 %) new entries went into other school-based vocational training (1,547 or 3.0 %).

The number of new entries in the “Transition system” sector fell in 2018, when 269,991 young people began a transition measure, 13,147 (–4.6 %) fewer than in the year before.

In 2018, the “Acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification” sector recorded a rise in numbers of new entries to 484,102 (+16,074 or +3,4 %). This growth was due to the reintroduction of the nine-year grammar school course (G-9) in Lower Saxony in the 2016/2017 school year.14 If Lower Saxony is removed from the statistics, the national trend reflected a figure of –2.1 %.

The number of young people in the “Tertiary studies” sector fell slightly compared with the 2017 figure to 513,988 (–2,048 or 0.4 %).

Long-term figures since the base year of 2005 have developed as follows: in the “Vocational training” sector the number of new entries fell to 16,485 (2.2 %). The number of new entries into dual vocational training as defined in the BBiG/HwO compared with 2005 in par-ti cular has declined (–22,803 or –4.4 %). In contrast, the number of new entries into training for the healthcare education and social services occupations compared with 2005 grew significantly (+36,008 or +25.2 %). This development must be seen in the context of demo-graphic change and a growing need for skilled staff in healthcare occupations, including geriatric care and nursing and early childhood education. Numbers of new entries into other forms of school-based training have fallen sharply (–29,690 or –37.5 %) compared with the 2005 figure.

The number of new entries into the “Transition system” sector has fallen by 147,658 (–35.4 %) compared with 2005. This decline occurred largely in parallel with demographic developments and must also be seen in the context of an increasingly relaxed training market from the point of view of young people. A brief rise of 19.9 % or around 50,000 new entries between 2014 and

14 See also StBA: Schnellmeldung Integrierte Ausbildungsbericht-erstattung 2018. Anfänger im Ausbildungsgeschehen nach Sektoren/Konten und Ländern (data as of 15.03.2019). Wiesbaden 2019.

In 2018, the gender balance in the “Vocational Training” sector was fairly even (47.3 % were women). A more detailed examination of the sector, however, reveals that the proportion of women in dual vocational training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) was well below average


Chart 2: A comparison of numbers of new entries into the “Vocational Training” and “Tertiary Studies” iABE sectors

Dual training under the BBiG/HwO

Training in healthcare, education and social services occupationsOther school-based vocational training

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(37.2 %), while it was well above average in school- based training for the healthcare, education and social services occupations (76.2 %). Young women were also more often in the “Acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification” (53.0 %) and “Tertiary studies” (51.3 %) sectors. In contrast, young men predominated in the “Transition system” sector (36.3 % women).

The sectors and accounts had very different propor-tions of foreign trainees. The “Transition system” at 34.2 % had the highest percentage of new entries who were not German nationals. Numbers of foreigners in the “Vocational Training” (12.0 %) and “Acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification” sectors (6.5 %) were much lower. There were only slight differences in the figures for dual vocational training as defined in the

Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code ( BBiG/ HwO) (12.3 %) and school-based vocational training in the health, education and social services occupations (12.4 %).18 The “Tertiary studies” sector recorded 24.2 % of foreign national trainees.19

18 The comparatively low percentage of foreigners in other school- based vocational training (8.2 %) is due to the consolidation of this figure with the figure on training for the civil service, which only German nationals can begin.

19 Here it must be noted that among foreign national first year students in 2017 were around 86 % foreign nationals who acquired their university entrance qualification outside Germany.

* Data on non-nationals who acquired their higher education entrance qualification outside Germany for the 2018 reporting year is not yet available. Source: StBA, iABE 2017 (data as of 08.03.2019) and StBA “Studierende an Hochschulen, Fachserie 11, Reihe 4.1.” and “Deutsche Studierende im Ausland”

(special analyses made for the BIBB 2018)


Table 1: Developments in numbers of new entries in iABE sectors/accounts by gender

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Sector: Vocational training 739,168 751,562 788,956 776,047 728,484 729,577 741,023

female 374,150 378,208 394,498 389,864 376,297 370,182 367,183

male 365,019 373,354 394,459 386,183 352,187 359,396 373,837

of which

Vocational training in the dual system under the BBiG/HwO1) 517,342 531,471 569,460 559,324 512,518 509,900 523,577

female 217,115 222,979 238,061 235,750 220,593 214,070 213,747

male 300,227 308,492 331,399 323,574 291,925 295,830 309,827

Schoolbased training in the healthcare, early childhood education and social services occupations

142,710 140,484 143,144 142,407 153,840 159,850 160,141

female 115,112 112,568 115,645 115,355 123,840 126,139 125,191

male 27,598 27,916 27,499 27,052 30,000 33,712 34,950

Other schoolbased vocational training2) 79,116 79,607 76,352 74,316 62,126 59,827 57,305

female 41,923 42,660 40,791 38,759 31,864 29,973 28,245

male 37,194 36,947 35,562 35,557 30,262 29,854 29,060

of which

Vocational training in the public sector (training for the middle grade of the civil service)

5,953 4,868 4,667 5,634 6,442 7,314 7,829

female 2,450 1,917 1,765 2,052 2,388 2,726 2,863

male 3,504 2,951 2,903 3,582 4,054 4,588 4,966

Sector: transition system 417,649 412,083 386,864 358,969 344,515 316,494 281,662

female 177,361 176,935 168,605 157,635 148,536 133,976 119,924

male 240,288 235,148 218,258 201,334 195,976 182,468 161,719

Sector: Acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification 454,423 466,700 463,464 514,603 526,684 554,704 492,696

female 244,577 252,989 248,721 275,311 279,684 293,182 260,758

male 209,846 213,710 214,743 239,292 247,000 261,522 231,938

Sector: Tertiary studies 366,242 355,472 373,510 400,600 428,000 447,890 522,306

female 178,277 175,063 185,369 198,519 213,321 221,518 243,228

male 187,965 180,409 188,141 202,081 214,679 226,372 279,078

Total 1,977,482 1,985,817 2,012,794 2,050,219 2,027,683 2,048,665 2,037,687

female 974,365 983,195 997,193 1,021,329 1,017,838 1,018,859 991,094

male 1,003,118 1,002,621 1,015,601 1,028,890 1,009,842 1,029,759 1,046,572

1) Including comparable forms of vocational training (S. Para. 2 No. 3 of the BBiG/HwO)2) Other school-based vocational training includes here the iABE accounts of “School-based vocational training at full-time vocational schools under the

BBiG/HwO” (I 02), “School-based vocational training at full-time vocational schools outside the BBiG/HwO under Länder law” (I 03), “School-based vocational training resulting in acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification (double qualifying)” (I 04) and “Vocational training in the public sector (Training for the middle grade of the civil service)” (I 06).

Absolute values are rounded to a multiple of 3 because of data protection; the total value can be different from the total of the individual values.Sources: Federal Statistical Office (StBA), iABE 2017 (data as of 07.03.2019) and a special analysis for the iABE Interim Report 2018 (data as of 15.03.2019)


2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Development 2018 to 2017

Development 2018 to 2005

726,560 716,042 700,516 698,419 709,806 712,413 722,684 10,271 1.4 % –16,485 –2.2 %

363,344 359,304 349,591 345,128 350,335 341,393 342,112 719 0.2 % –32,039 –8.6 %

363,216 356,739 350,925 353,291 359,471 371,020 380,572 9,552 2.6 % 15,553 4.3 %

505,523 491,380 481,136 479,545 481,423 486,428 494,539 8,111 1.7 % –22,803 –4.4 %

206,521 199,476 194,719 191,919 189,745 184,050 183,741 –309 –0.2 % –33,374 –15.4 %

299,003 291,904 286,418 287,627 291,678 302,378 310,798 8,420 2.8 % 10,571 3.5 %

164,776 171,081 166,407 167,330 176,632 175,011 178,718 3,707 2.1 % 36,008 25.2 %

129,168 134,088 129,465 129,643 137,123 134,242 136,138 1,896 1.4 % 21,026 18.3 %

35,608 36,993 36,942 37,687 39,509 40,769 42,580 1,811 4.4 % 14,982 54.3 %

56,260 53,582 52,972 51,544 51,751 50,974 49,427 –1,547 –3.0 % –29,690 –37.5 %

27,656 25,740 25,407 23,566 23,468 23,101 22,233 –868 –3.8 % –19,691 –47.0 %

28,605 27,842 27,565 27,977 28,283 27,873 27,194 –679 –2.4 % –10,000 –26.9 %

8,957 9,061 9,347 10,050 11,244 12,388 12,388 0 0.0 % 6,435 108,1%

3,126 3,258 3,364 3,543 4,047 4,628 4,628 0 0.0 % 2,178 88.9 %

5,831 5,803 5,983 6,508 7,198 7,760 7,760 0 0.0 % 4,256 121.5 %

259,727 255,401 252,670 266,194 302,881 283,138 269,991 –13,147 –4.6 % –147,658 –35.4 %

109,857 106,054 102,226 100,707 104,471 98,768 98,098 –670 –0.7 % –79,263 –44.7 %

149,870 149,347 150,444 165,487 198,410 184,370 171,893 –12,477 –6.8 % –68,395 –28.5 %

505,935 537,740 520,294 519,446 511,783 468,028 484,102 16,074 3.4 % 29,679 6.5 %

267,195 283,458 273,842 273,768 270,235 245,905 256,578 10,673 4.3 % 12,001 4.9 %

238,739 254,282 246,453 245,677 241,548 222,123 227,524 5,401 2.4 % 17,678 8.4 %

498,636 511,843 508,135 509,821 512,646 516,036 513,988 –2,048 –0.4 % 147,746 40.3 %

246,365 254,747 254,162 255,844 258,921 262,210 263,711 1,501 0.6 % 85,434 47.9 %

252,271 257,096 253,973 253,977 253,725 253,826 250,277 –3,549 –1.4 % 62,312 33.2 %

1,990,857 2,021,027 1,981,615 1,993,880 2,037,116 1,979,615 1,990,765 11,150 0.6 % 13,283 0.7 %

986,762 1,003,562 979,820 975,448 983,962 948,276 960,498 12,223 1.3 % –13,866 –1.4 %

1,004,095 1,017,464 1,001,795 1,018,432 1,053,154 1,031,339 1,030,266 –1,073 –0.1 % 27,148 2.7 %


Table 2: New entries into iABE sectors and accounts, differentiated by selected attributes

There were major differences in the educational backgrounds of new entries into training, especially those coming into the “Vocational Training” sector. Young people do not have to have a formal school leaving qualification to start dual vocational training, but other forms of school-based vocational training have different prerequisites. The percentage of new entries who did not have a secondary general school certificate (4.4 %) and did have a secondary general school certificate (23.2 %) in dual vocational training was therefore higher than in school-based vocational training. Among the new entries into other types of school-based vocational training, which are mainly forms of so-called “Assistant training”, 83.9 % had a school leaving certificate after year 10 and only 7.8 % began training with a secondary general school certifi-cate. A fifth of new entries into school-based vocational training for the health, education and social services

occupations even had a (subject-restricted) higher education entrance qualification.20

20 For more details on the educational background of new entries into transition system sectors and accounts see also Chapter 2.1.3.3.

2.1.2 Developments in the number of school leavers and trends in numbers by 2030

Demographic change has resulted in falling numbers of young people leaving general schools in recent years. In 2017, 133,200 fewer young people left general schools than did so ten years earlier (2007: 965,000; 2017: 831,800). At the same time, a trend for higher school leaving qualifications has become established. In 2017, 94,200 fewer school leavers had a secondary general school certificate than school leavers in 2007 did (2007: 228,600; 2017: 134,400). The number of school leavers with a school leaving certificate gained after

1) Preliminary data from the iABE Interim Report.2) Incl. the school-based part of the qualification to enter studies at a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule).Sources: Federal Statistical Office (StBA), iABE 2017 (data as of 08.03.2019) and special analysis for the iABE Interim Report 2018 (data as of 15.03.2019)

New entrants

2018 1) 2017

absolute Proportion

female (in %)

Proportionnot German

(in %)

no secondary general school

certificate (in %)

with secondary

general school certificate

(in %)

with a school leaving

certificate after year 102)

(in %)

with higher education entrance

qualification (in %)

no information/

other(in %)

Total new trainees 1,990,765 48.2 16.8 5.5 13.4 45.9 32.9 2.3

Vocational training 722,684 47.3 12.0 3.2 21.0 54.3 19.3 2.2

Dual vocational training under BBiG/ HwO

494,539 37.2 12.3 4.4 23.2 48.7 20.9 2.8

School-based vocational training in healthcare, education and social services occupations

178,718 76.2 12.4 0.4 19.0 61.4 18.4 0.8

Other school-based vocational training (including training for the civil service)

49,427 45.0 8.2 0.8 7.8 83.9 7.0 0.6

Transition system 269,991 36.3 34.2 30.5 38.4 20.6 1.5 9.1

Acquisition of a higher education entrance qualification

484,102 53.0 6.5 0.2 1.5 97.7 0.2 0.4

Tertiary studies 513,988 51.3 24.2 – – – 99.3 0.7


year 10 declined over the same period by 35,800 (2007: 392,600; 2017: 356,800). In contrast, the number of school leavers with a higher education entrance qualification has grown by 14,700 (2007: 273,400; 2017: 287,900).21

The school leaving qualification levels of young people interested in dual vocational training have also changed. In 2016, the BA registered more applicants with a higher education entrance qualification than those with a secondary general school certificate for the first time. In 2018, the number of applicants with a higher education entrance qualification fell slightly after growth in previous years, but was still somewhat higher than the number of applicants with a secondary general school certificate.22

In 2018, the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) again submitted an update of its forecast of school student and graduate numbers after this was temporarily suspended23 so forecasts for the future can now be made once more. A current forecast of developments of school leaver numbers, drawn up by the BIBB based on the KMK prognosis and taking actual developments until 2017 into account, found that school leaver numbers will show a declining trend by 2025 (772,300). Their number will then grow by 2030 to 815,200 but will still be around 16,600 below the 2017 figure. Chart 3 shows developments in numbers of school leavers by type of school leaving qualification by 2030 (from the 2018 prognosis). The prognosis also

21 In 2017, school leavers with no secondary general school certificate included 32,900 men and 19,800 women (by comparison, the figures in 2007 were 44,200 and 26,300). 80,200 men and 54,200 women had a secondary general school certificate (131,200 and 97,400 in 2007). 184,000 men and 172,800 women had a school leaving certificate gained after year 10 (2007: 195,400 and 197,200). 131,500 men and 156,500 women had a higher education entrance qualification (2007: 119,900 and 153,400).

22 See also Matthes, Stephanie; Ulrich, Joachim Gerd; Flemming, Simone; Granath, Ralf-Olaf; Milde, Bettina (2018): Deutlich mehr Ausbildungsangebote, jedoch erneut mehr unbesetzte Plätze. Die Entwicklung des Ausbildungsmarktes im Jahr 2018 (bibb.de/ dokumente/pdf/a11_beitrag_naa309-2018.pdf).

23 In contrast to the last forecast of school student and graduate numbers (Documentation Nr. 200 of May 2013), higher numbers of school students and graduates are expected by 2030, due mainly to demographic developments. The rise in school student numbers in particular due in part to higher birth rates but also in part to continuing large numbers of immigrants (not only due to movements of refugees), largely influences this forecast. See also KMK (2018): Vorausberechnung der Schüler- und Absolventenzahlen 2016 bis 2030 (Documentation Nr. 213 of May 2018). Berlin: KMK. (kmk.org/fileadmin/Dateien/pdf/Statistik/Dokumentationen/Dok_213_ Vorausberechnung_der_Schueler-und_Absolventen.pdf).

shows that securing a future supply of skilled staff will remain a major challenge.

2.1.3 Current challenges

2.1.3.1 Securing a supply of skilled staff

Germany’s future success as a place to do business in depends heavily on the country’s ability to secure and enlarge its fundamental supply of skilled staff. Analyses of potential shortages of skilled staff carried out by the BA have not identified a current comprehensive shortage of skilled workers in Germany, although there are already significant shortages of skilled workers with certain qualifications and in specific regions and industries. Among the areas affected are some technical occupations, building trade occupations and the health care and nursing occupations.24

The results of the fifth “wave” of the Qualification Panel carried out by the BIBB and IAB in cooperation with the GWS provide an overview of forecast labour market developments until 2035. It found that the population will grow in the short term due to increased net migration. Although the supply of workers will expand, unemployment will not increase. Instead the labour market will be characterised by a shortage of workers. Demographic change will not only ensure stronger domestic demand for goods and services, but will also change structures of people employed in different occupations. In 2035, the healthcare sector will employ the most workers. At the same time, the health-care professions will experience the greatest shortages in absolute figures.25

24 More detailed explanations and a list of individual occupations that will experience shortages can be found in the BA statistics portal ( statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/Navigation/Statistik/Arbeitsmarktberichte/ Fachkraeftebedarf/Fachkraeftebedarf-Nav.htm).

25 See also Maier, Tobias; Zika, Gerd; Kalinowski, Michael; Mönning, Anke; Wolter, Marc Ingo; Schnemann, Christian (2018): Bevölkerungs wachstum bei geringer Erwerbslosigkeit. Ergebnisse der fünften Welle der BIBB-IAB-Qualifikations- und Berufsprojektionen bis zum Jahr 2035. BIBB Report 7/2018 (bibb.de/ veroeffentlichungen/de/ publication/show/9376). Detailed results for different occupations groups can be found on the project’s website (qube-data.de).

The fifth “wave” of the Qualification Panel also created a “digitalised world of work” scenario. Its results show that the digitalisation of society and the economy are intensifying structural change. Work in different occupations is changing because monotonous and

http://www.kmk.org/fileadmin/Dateien/pdf/Statistik/Dokumentationen/Dok_213_Vorausberechnung_der_Schueler-und_Absolventen.pdf

http://www.kmk.org/fileadmin/Dateien/pdf/Statistik/Dokumentationen/Dok_213_Vorausberechnung_der_Schueler-und_Absolventen.pdf

http://www.bibb.de/veroeffentlichungen/de/publication/show/9376


http://www.qube-data.de

https://www.bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/a11_beitrag_naa309-2018.pdf

https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/Navigation/Statistik/Arbeitsmarktberichte/Fachkraeftebedarf/Fachkraeftebedarf-Nav.htm


Cha

rt 3

: Dev

elop

men

t in

the

num

ber o

f sch

ool l

eave

rs le

avin

g ge

nera

l sch

ools

, 199

2 to

203

0

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2018

2006

2019

2007

2020

2008

2021

2009

2022

2010

2023

2011

2024

2012

2025

2013

2026

2014

2027

2015

2028

2017

2030

2016

2029

50,0

00 0

100,

000

150,

000

200,

000

250,

000

300,

000

350,

000

400,

000

450,

000

Seco

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y ge

nera

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ral

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Hig

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lifica

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Scho

ol le

avin

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ter y

ear 1

0

Sour

ce: S

tBA

(201

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duca

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choo

ls. S

choo

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r 201

7/20

18. W

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018)

: For

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ocum

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lin: K

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.


repetitive work in particular can be automated due to technological innovations, so there will be increasing amounts of work in the areas of IT and process harmonisation. The world of work will be characterised even more by a need for flexibility and spontaneity.

Digitalisation will result in some jobs being lost but new jobs will emerge. It has been predicted that more jobs that can be largely done by machines will be lost. Demography and society’s changing age structure will also transform the labour market. The growing number of older people will mean that the need for workers in the healthcare and social services will also grow. At the same time, due to a rising number of younger people, demand for education and teaching services will also grow. Here and in other sectors many new jobs will be created, especially in the area of information and communication technology. Current projections predict that there will be more new jobs than jobs lost. Massive job losses, often feared as a result of digitalisation, are not likely. The results should, however, not belie the fact that comprehensive efforts will be required to prepare people in Germany for new challenges. The changes that the digital world of work bring about will also make new demands on training and education content and training and teaching personnel. At the same time, the importance of continuing training for workers already in employment will further increase.

Companies are now already preparing their employees for the demands of the future world of work, organising internal training measures on a large scale.

The focus chapter of the Data Report accompanying the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training is on the topic of “Digitalisation”.26 It also reports on the results of the occupational field projections describ ed above, the results of an occupational screening on the influence of digitalisation on selected dual training occupations carried out by the BIBB and on other current results of the BIBB’s work around the issue of digitalisation.

26 See also the 2019 Data Report, Chapter C.

2.1.3.2 Making informed careers choices (careers orientation)

The transition from general school into vocational training or tertiary studies is a crucial event in a young person’s biography. The promotion of careers orienta-tion has for several years been regarded as an essential education and training policy task that can support this process. Good careers and tertiary studies orienta tion free of clichés is a prerequisite for an informed career choice beyond the limitations of restrictive ideas of gender and notions about specific occupations. It makes it possible for young people to develop achiev able and satisfying prospects for them selves and can help to prevent them from dropping out of training and tertiary studies.

Careers orientation for young people is now being provided under very different general social conditions from those that prevailed in earlier years. Demographic developments, the trend for young people to gain higher school leaving qualifications and their increasing tendency to start tertiary studies have resulted in the number of young people interested in dual vocational training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) falling between 2007 and 2018 by around 1,040,000 to just over 800,000. Many companies have difficulties in filling the training places they offer. These issues raise the question of how more young people can be made aware of the alternative possibilities and opportunities that dual vocational training offers.

As part of its research into careers choices, the BIBB is currently investigating the careers choice processes of school leavers. Their main goal is to identify factors that cause young people to consider or exclude training courses on offer. The results they have obtained so far have shown that interesting work is an important issue in choosing a career for almost all young people. Yet for most young people there is also more involved. They know that occupations play a role in determining their future potential earning opportunities, career prospects and social status. The image of occupations and the social status related with them are a central motif in young people’s career choices. Stereotypical ideas of gender roles also still play a part in young people’s careers decisions,27 a role that cliché-free

27 The results of the BIBB research project “Bildungsorientierungen und -entscheidungen Jugendlicher im Kontext konkurrierender Bildungsangebote” are published in the Data Report in Chapter C3.


careers orientation and counselling aims to counteract. Educational expectations and their parents’ family background also have a major influence on young people’s career choices.28

In the context of perceived social status, it seems to be especially important to young people to not seem “uneducated”. The results of research surveys carried out by the BIBB have found that this also means not work-ing in occupations in which a high proportion of young people with a secondary general school certificate work.

Measures designed to increase young people’s demand for training in certain occupations should there fore not only limit themselves to arousing interest in the occupation. The results that the BIBB’s research project has obtained so far show that it is just as impor-tant to illustrate the possibilities in terms of income, good labour market and promotion prospects, and social status that an occupation can open up, to diminish any reputed or actual competitive disadvantages compared with other occupations, and to make young people and their parents aware of the changes in these areas.

2.1.3.3 Young people in the transition system

Not all school leavers succeed in managing the transi-tion straight from a general school into training. As well as enabling young people to attain the maturity they need for training and occupying them during periods of unemployment, transition system measures offer them an opportunity to return to education to acquire a school leaving qualification or improve their previous school leaving results.

The results of the Interim Report of Integrated reporting on training (iABE) showed that numbers of new entries into the transition system in 2018, at 269,991, was lower than in 2017 (–13,147 or –4.6 %) (see Table 1).29

28 See also Mischler, Till; Ulrich, Joachim Gerd (2018): Was eine Berufs-ausbildung im Handwerk attraktiv macht. Ergebnisse einer Befragung von Jugendlichen. BIBB Report 5/2018 (bibb.de/veroeffentlichungen/de/publication/show/9349).

29 Due to revisions in the data there may be discrepancies with earlier representations.

After numbers of new entries into the transition system declined continuously (164,979 or 39.5 %) between 2005 and 2014, they rose again considerably for the first time in 2015 and 2016 (+50,211 or +19.9 %). According to the StBA this was due mainly to pro-grammes for teaching young refugees and migrants German.30 Since 2017 the number of young people in the transition system has again declined (–32,890 or –10.9 % between 2016 and 2018). One reason for this is that increasing numbers of young refugees and migrants are being placed in training.31

The number of young foreign nationals entering the transition system fell significantly between 2016 and 2018 (–17,810 or –16.2 %). Numbers of young foreign nationals starting a pre-vocational training year (“Berufsvorbereitungsjahr – BVJ”) declined more steeply over this period (–19,483 or –26.9 %). In previous years a large number of young refugees and migrants were placed in these training courses. In the “Vocational Training” sector in contrast, the number of young foreigners entering training rose between 2016 and 2018 by 18,021 or 26.2 %. A current article by the BIBB provides an overview of the data on refugees in the transition system and in training.32

In the context of the fall in the number of new entries into the transition system, it must be noted that Integrated reporting on training (iABE) does not report on many of the new measures developed to manage the recent influx of refugees and migrants. The 6,500 young people who began a BA measure such as “ KompAS” or “Perspektive für Flüchtlinge” in 2018 were not included in iABE. Many young refugees are also in various Länder or local government programmes that are also not inclu ded in iABE. These falling numbers must also be seen in the context of a training place market situation that has eased further from the point of view of young people due to demographic and economic developments.33

30 See also the StBA press release of 10 of March 2017 (destatis.de/DE/PresseService/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2017/03/PD17_087_212.html)

31 See Chapter 2.1.3.12.

32 See Dionisius, Regina; Matthes, Stephanie; Neises, Frank: Weniger Geflüchtete im Übergangsbereich, mehr in Berufsausbildung? Welche Hinweise liefern amtliche Statistiken? Bonn 2018 (bibb.de/de/87934.php).

33 See Chapter 2.2.1.


http://www.destatis.de/DE/PresseService/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2017/03/PD17_087_212.html

http://www.destatis.de/DE/PresseService/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2017/03/PD17_087_212.html

https://www.bibb.de/de/87934.php

31 THE TRAINING MARKET SITUATION 2018

Tabl

e 3:

Num

bers

of n

ew e

ntri

es in

to th

e tr

ansi

tion

sys

tem

, 200

5 to

201

8

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Sect

or: I

nteg

rati

on in

to tr

aini

ng (T

rans

itio

n sy

stem

)41

7,64

941

2,08

338

6,86

435

8,96

934

4,51

531

6,49

428

1,66

225

9,72

725

5,40

125

2,67

026

6,19

430

2,88

128

3,13

826

9,99

1

Gen

eral

pro

gram

mes

at f

ull-

time

voca

tiona

l sch

ools

(fu

lfilli

ng sc

hool

att

enda

nce

oblig

atio

ns a

nd g

aini

ng

low

er se

cond

ary

gene

ral q

ualifi

catio

ns)

68,0

9567

,949

63,9

7659

,940

59,8

1254

,180

49,1

8252

,086

49,3

9445

,069

22,5

5225

,919

20,1

0819

,964

Trai

ning

cou

rses

at f

ull-

time

voca

tiona

l sch

ools

that

off

er

basi

c vo

catio

nal t

rain

ing

that

can

be

accr

edite

d58

,706

59,3

4155

,548

51,7

7649

,821

47,4

7944

,051

35,7

0836

,119

35,5

8147

,355

47,0

1747

,889

48,3

52

Pre-

voca

tiona

l yea

r (fu

ll tim

e/sc

hool

-bas

ed)

48,5

8146

,446

44,3

3742

,688

32,4

7330

,620

28,1

4426

,938

27,3

2528

,408

6,28

55,

957

5,86

85,

695

Trai

ning

cou

rses

at v

ocat

iona

l sch

ools

that

off

er b

asic

vo

catio

nal t

rain

ing

with

out a

ccre

dita

tion

29,1

0627

,811

31,9

4729

,841

28,2

2624

,790

21,8

1617

,682

21,1

5321

,490

41,3

5541

,652

43,6

6343

,495

Pre-

voca

tiona

l yea

r inc

ludi

ng v

ocat

iona

l int

rodu

ctor

y cl

asse

s58

,432

55,3

3946

,841

42,5

7141

,973

40,6

6138

,479

41,0

6141

,340

45,2

0272

,450

108,

494

94,1

2384

,517

Trai

ning

cou

rses

at v

ocat

iona

l sch

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Chart 4: Schooling background of new entries into the transition system in 2017

No secondary general school certificateSecondary general school certificate

Intermediate school leaving certificate or equivalent certificateHigher education entrance qualification

Other previous education/no details

Sector: Integration into training (Transition sector)

General programmes at full-time vocational schools (fulfilling school attendance obligations and gaining lower secondary

general qualifications)

Training courses at vocational schools that offer basic vocational training that can be accredited

Prevocational year (full time/school based)

Training courses at vocational schools that offer basic vocational training without accreditation

Prevocational training year including one-year introductory vocational classes

Training courses at vocational schools for students with no vocational training contract who are employed or unemployed

Training courses at vocational schools for students with no vocational training contract who are studying for a general

education lower secondary general school leaving qualification

Obligatory traineeship before teacher training at a vocational school

Pre-vocational training measure (BA)

Introductory training (BA)

20 %10 % 40 % 60 % 80 %0 % 30 % 50 % 70 % 90 % 100 %

Fewer young women than young men, just 36.3 %, started a transition system measure in 2018. The proportion of women in obligatory practical trainee-ships preceding teacher training at vocational colleges was however disproportionately high (82.4 %). The basic vocational training year recorded the highest percent-age of young men (76.9 %), followed by BA introductory training measures (75.4 %).

The transition system offers young people an opportunity to improve their individual chances of gaining training, so it is not surprising that the majority of young people in the transition system have compara-tively low-level or no school leaving qualifica tions. According to Integrated Reporting on Training (iABE)

data for 2017,34 young people with a secondary general school certificate formed the majority in the transition system, with a figure of 38.4 %. 30.5 % had no secondary general school certificate and 20.6 % of young people in the transition system had an inter mediate school leaving certificate or equivalent school leaving qualifi-cation. The percentage of young people with a higher education entrance qualification in the transition system was extremely low, at just 1.5 % (see Chart 4).35

34 Differentiated data on their education background for 2018 is not yet available.

35 The high percentage of young people for whom no information on education background was available, mainly young foreign nationals, is notable. No information on education background was available for around 20 % of young foreigners in the transition system (figure for young Germans, 3 %). This figure has risen sharply since 2014. This data could, however, be regarded as a statistical indication that most of these young people are in fact refugees.

Source: Federal Statistical Office (StBA), Integrated Reporting on Training 2017


In 2018, the proportion of foreign nationals in the transition system was 34.2 % so it was marginally lower than the previous year’s figure (2017: 35.4 %).36 The percentage of foreign nationals among young men in transition system measures, 38.0 %, was higher than that of young foreign women in those measures (27.5 %). Young foreigners were most frequently among new entries into a pre-vocational training year includ-ing one-year careers entry classes (62.7 %). Foreign young people were also disproportionately often in BA introductory training measures (39.9 %) and in training courses at vocational colleges for students who are employed or unemployed, have no training contracts and who are studying for a general lower secondary school leaving qualification (36.0 %). It should be noted that this is also due to the different school leaving qualifications that young Germans and young foreign nationals achieve by the time they leave general education schools.37

2.1.3.4 Successful transitions into training

The BIBB has carried out an analysis of the ways in which young people who leave school after year nine transition into training. The researchers were interested in the factors that support this transition into training and used data from the National Education Panel Study (NEPS).38 Their analysis was based on the data of 1,605 young people who left the general school system in the summer of 2011 and it highlighted the great importance of practice-oriented careers orientation

36 As noted at the beginning of this chapter, many newly created measures for refugees are not recorded in Integrated Reporting on Training (iABE).


38 For more information on the NEPS please go to neps-data.de/de-de/startseite.aspx.

and personal networking resources in helping young people transition into training. The researchers also came to the conclusion that young people who had started training had undergone more extensive careers orientation at the beginning of their final year of school than those who were not placed in training.39

Young people who were placed in training after leaving school after year nine were satisfied with their situation and those who had begun a transition system measure also saw positive aspects in it. Over 85 % of them stated that the measure helped them to identify their interests and provided insights into a specific occupational area. More than three quarters of the young people assumed that they would be able to successfully complete the measure. Only 6 % said that they were considering dropping out of the measure.40

An analysis carried out by the WZB for 2018 that was also based on NEPS data41 showed that participation in a transition system measure improved the training prospects of young people with lower levels of educa tional achievements. How strong a measure’s positive effect is depends heavily on the young person’s previous school career. The prospects improved most significantly for those who had left school without a school leaving qualification, who had a 32 % greater chance of being placed in training after completing a measure. This group also includes former school students with special needs, for whom the prospects of gaining a training place increased by 50 %. The likelihood of being placed in training rose by 15 % for young people who had left school with a general secondary school certificate. A precise examination of individual measures showed, as expected, that returning to study to gain a school leaving qualification improved young people’s training prospects and opened up access to more attractive occupations. Measures in which companies were more closely involved also significantly improved young people’s overall training prospects, although they did not result in the young people gaining a training place in an occupation with a better “image” from their point of view.

39 See also the 2017 Report on Vocational Education and Training, Chapter 2.6.5.


41 The research was based on NEPS data that surveyed around 16,000 young people who had completed year 9. 3,400 of them were young people with a low-level educational qualification, of whom 1,300 were taking part in a transition measure.

Young people with a higher education entrance qualification were, however, to be found at above- average levels (8.3 %) in introductory training, a measure that ensures a high rate of integration into training. Those without a secondary general school certificate were especially often recorded in a pre- vocational training year that includes one-year careers entry classes (64.3 %) and in training courses at vocational schools for young students without a training contract who are studying for a general lower secondary school leaving qualification (30.8 %).

https://www.neps-data.de/


Measures improved the training prospects of young people who had left school with a qualifying or extended general secondary school certificate to a much lesser degree, and in some cases not at all, although their participation in a measure also did not impair their training prospects.42

2.1.3.5 The filling of training places

In 2018, the training market situation again improved further for young people looking for training places.43 Many companies have increasing difficulties in filling the training places they offer. One indication of this is the clear and constant rise in the number of unfilled vocational training places registered with the BA. This trend continued in 2018 with a new record high number for time series since 2009 of 57,656 unfilled training places.

Surveys of companies also show that enterprises are still finding it hard to find trainees. The 2018 BIBB Establishment Panel found that 47 % of the companies surveyed were partly or wholly unable to fill the train ing places they offered. This figure has however only slightly increased compared with the figures from earlier surveys.44 As in previous years, the smallest companies had more difficulties in filling their training places. The proportion of companies with unfilled voca-tional training places is in inverse proportion to their size in terms of employee numbers ( smallest companies with up to 19 employees: 53 %; small and larger medium-sized companies with up to 199 employees: 34 %; large companies with at least 200 employees: 24 %45). One possible explanation for this is that larger companies may be more attractive to young people as training providers and they have more fund available for recruiting measures. Companies that are repeatedly unable to fill the vocational training places they offer may, however, well become unwilling to offer any training at all.

42 See also the WZB press release of the 12 of December 2018 (wzb.eu/de/pressemitteilung/das-berufliche-uebergangs system-ist-besser-als-sein-ruf) and December issue of WZB Mitteilungen (bibliothek.wzb.eu/artikel/2018/f-21707.pdf).

43 Chapter 2.2.1 goes into more detail on current training market developments.

44 For details on the results of earlier BIBB Qualification Panels see also the 2017 Data Report, Chapter A7.3.

45 The limited sample of the BIBB Establishment Panel means that company size classes cannot be considered here as usual.

In their 2016 survey of applicants, the BIBB and BA asked about the significance of the company they were going to train with in their process of choosing a career. Their results showed that young people are prepared to make compromises when they like a company and that firms are especially attractive to young people when they offer a good working atmosphere, a secure job and solid prospects of permanent employment. Good pub-lic transport connections and financial support, in the form of a transport allowance for example, also play a role in young people’s decisions. Whether an enterprise offers material incentives such as a smartphone at the beginning of training or is active in social networks was less important for the young people surveyed.46

2.1.3.6 Matching supply and demand in the training place market

For some years the training place market situation has been characterised by two apparently contradictory developments. On the one hand, companies are having increasing difficulties filling the vocational training places they offer. On the other hand, too many young people still do not succeed in finding a training place quickly. Earlier reports on Vocational Education and Training have described the difficulties in matching the training places companies offer with young people’s demand for training as a central training market challenge.

The BIBB differentiates between three types of the training place market problems based on proportions of unfilled vocational training places and applicants still seeking training places: supply problems, problems filling training places and a combination of both. In some regions and occupations young people find it much harder to find a training place, while companies can usually fill the training places they offer. Here supply problems predominate. There are however other regions and occupations with a relatively large number of unfilled vocational training places where young people usually succeed in finding a training place. In these cases, problems filling training places are the central challenge for companies. Supply problems and problems filling training places occur simulta-neously when the ideas of companies and of young people on training conditions differ or those ideas

46 See also the 2017 Data Report, Chapter A8.1.3.

https://wzb.eu/de/pressemitteilung/das-berufliche-uebergangssystem-ist-besser-als-sein-ruf

https://wzb.eu/de/pressemitteilung/das-berufliche-uebergangssystem-ist-besser-als-sein-ruf

https://bibliothek.wzb.eu/artikel/2018/f-21707.pdf


Chart 5: Regional training market disparities

Supply problemsProportion of unmet demand for training places of total demand

Problems filling placesProportion of unfilled training places of the total number of places offered

by companies

Combined occurrence of supply problems and problems filling

training placesProduct of the proportion of unmet demand and unfilled training places

2016

2017

2018

under 5 % 5 % – u. 10 % 10 % – u. 15 % 15 % – u. 20 % over 20 %

under 5 % 5 % – u. 10 % 10 % – u. 15 % 15 % – u. 20 % over 20 %

under 50 % 5 % – u. 100 % 100 % – u. 150 % 150 % – u. 200 % over 200 %

Map presentation: © GeoBasis-DE/ BKG <2017> (data modified); Visualisation of Employment Agency districts: BIBB, AB 1.1.; data: BIBB, survey as of 30 September, Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics


Chart 6: Occupations with a high proportion of unfilled training places of all training places offered by companies, 2017 and 2018 (in %)

Salesperson specialising in foodstuffs

Plumber

Restaurant specialist

Butcher

Scaffolder

Professional caterer

Industrial cleaner

Concrete worker

Baker

Animal caretaker

40.6 %36.6 %

39.1 %33.9 %

36.9 %35.0 %

36.5 %33.5 %

31.9 %24.6 %

31.6 %33.7 %

28.2 %24.7 %

28.1 %24.2 %

26.7 %22.4 %

25.1 %19.1 %

20182017

0 % 5 % 10 % 15 % 20 % 25 % 30 % 35 % 40 % 45 %

Occupations with at least 400 company-based training places nationwide in 2018 were taken into account.

Source: BIBB, survey on the 30 September, BA statistics

do not fit in with actual circumstances (e. g. in terms of the occupations or regions that are on offer or in demand, or involving other features, such as when young people prefer to train in large companies but the training place is offered in a small company).

Here there are starting points for training policy activities for companies (e. g. providing adequate support for companies in filling training places) and for young people, with the goal of successfully placing them in training.

According to data from the BIBB survey of newly concluded training contracts on the 30 of September and BA training market statistics, the percentage of unfilled training places among all training places offered by companies has risen in recent years (2016: 8.0 %;

2017: 8.8 %, 2018: 10.0 %).47 The percentage of applicants still looking for a training place has fallen slightly in recent years (2016: 13.4 %; 2017: 13.3 %; 2018: 12.9 %). In absolute national figures, 78,619 applicants were still looking for a training place on the reporting date of the 30 of September 2018 (24,540 unplaced appli-cants and 54,079 applicants with an alternative on the 30 September who still wanted a training place).48

Regional differences Chart 5 shows the partly significant regional disparities and their development since 2016.

47 Since here by definition only those unfilled vocational training places that were registered with the BA are included in the calculation, the figures here are somewhat lower than those in surveys of companies.

48 For more details please see Chapter 2.2.1

Disparities in occupations There are considerable disparities not only between regions but between specific occupations.


Chart 7: Occupations with a high proportion of unsuccessful training place applicants, 2017 and 2018 (in %)49

49 It should be noted that the relative figures shown in Chart 6 and Chart 7 are based on different absolute numbers of unfilled training places and of applicants looking for a training place.

Animal keeper

Media designer for images and sound

Visual marketing designer

Business specialist, sports and fitness sector

Digital and print media designer

IT systems electronics technician

Photographer

Safety and security specialist

Tourism and leisure agent

Chemical laboratory technician

0 % 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 %

46.2 %46.3 %

45.1 %48.1%

43.6 %46.6 %

31.9 %32.1 %

31.0 %28.7 %

28.5 %29.3 %

26.0 %29.8 %

24.8 %24.1 %

23.9 %22.8 %

23.4 %25.4 %

20182017

Occupations with at least 400 company-based training places nationwide in 2018 were taken into account.

Source: BIBB, survey on the 30 September, BA statistics

Based on findings from the BIBB survey on the 30 of September and BA training market statistics, occupa tions in which the proportion of unfilled train-ing places of all training places offered by companies is particularly high can be identified (see Chart 6).

The findings and statistics also enable those occu-pations in which the proportion of unfilled training places of all training places offered by companies is particularly low to be identified. Chart 7 shows occu-pations with a high percentage of unsuccessful appli-cants for training places. As in earlier years, it is again mainly the same occupations with high proportions of unfilled training places and of unsuccessful training place applicants.

It should be noted that the relative figures shown in Chart 6 and Chart 7 are based on different absolute numbers of unfilled training places and of applicants looking for a training place. In the occupation of animal keeper for example, 117 (25.1 %) of 467 company- based training places remained unfilled. In the occu-pation of salesperson specialising in food stuffs 3,847 (40.6 %) of the 9,470 training places com panies offered remained unfilled. The latter occu pation therefore had the second-highest number of unfilled training places nationally in 2018.

The occupation of retail salesperson registered the most unfilled training places 4,698 (16.8 % of 28,043 company-based training places) although there were many applicants still looking for a training place in this occupation, at 4,940 (17.2 % of demand of 28,681), so in this occupation too, supply and demand were not matched and the occupation is directly affected by simultaneous supply problems and problems filling


Training has shown that the proportion of unfilled training places is greater in occupations in which higher percentages of young people with secondary general school certificates are engaged. This is due to far lower demand for training in these occupations. For every 100 training places offered in occupations with less than 10 % of young people with secondary general school certificates there was demand for a training place from 112 training place applicants on average. In occupations with 60 % and more of young people with secondary general school certificates there were just 91 applicants for every 100 training places offered on average (see Chart 8).

To reduce the problem of filling training places due to qualification requirements and improve the image of some occupations, the occupations and companies impacted must become increasingly attractive for trainees, including for training applicants with higher school leaving qualifications.50

50 See also Granato, Mona; Milde, Bettina; Ulrich, Joachim Gerd (2018). Passungsprobleme auf dem Ausbildungsstellenmarkt – eine vertiefen de Analyse für Nordrhein-Westfalen (FGW-Studie Vorbeugende Sozialpolitik 08). Düsseldorf: Forschungsinstitut für gesellschaftliche Weiterentwicklung (FGW) (fgw-nrw.de/fileadmin/user_upload/FGW-Studie-VSP-08-Ulrich-A1-komplett-web.pdf).

training places. Only the occupations of sales assistant for retail services (5,659 or 19.8 % of demand of 28,607) and office manager (6,094 or 17.9 % of demand of 34,007) recorded higher absolute numbers of applicants still seeking training places.

Of all the occupations shown in Chart 7, the occu-pation of tourism and leisure agent had the lowest absolute number of applicants still looking for a training place at 129 (23.9 % of demand of 539). The absolute number of applicants still seeking training to become a digital and print media designer was significantly higher, at 1,252 (28.5 % of demand of 4,394).

Unfilled vocational training places and schooling backgroundFederal Employment Agency (BA) statistics now also record the school leaving qualifications that companies expect of training place applicants so the (minimum) school leaving qualifications that companies expect from trainees can now be compared with applicants’ actual school leaving qualifications. A secondary general school certificate was expected from applicants for well over half (34,501 or 59.8 %) of the unfilled training places registered. For 5,396 training places (9.4 %) an entrance qualification for studies at a university of applied science or university entrance qualification was required. Most applicants still seeking a training place on the refer-ence date of the 30 September (29,176 or 37.1 %) had a school leaving certificate after year 10. 21,628 (27.5 %) had a higher education entrance qualifi cation. Only 22,412 (28.5 %) of applicants still looking for a training places had a secondary general school certificate. The schooling background of applicants thus considerably exceeds companies’ minimum expectations of trainees’ schooling backgrounds.

Companies doubtless have few reservations about training place applicants with higher school leaving qualifications. It is likely, however, that applicants with higher school leaving qualifications will have higher expectations of training occupations and the companies they train in. Mention has been made in Chapter 2.1.3.2 of the fact that it is important for young people in choos ing an occupation to not seem “uneducated” by working in the occupation. This attitude advers-ely impacts occupations in which large proportions of young people holding secondary general school certificates work. A special analysis carried out by the BIBB for the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and

2.1.3.7 Companies’ participation in training

The decline in the number of companies providing training recorded in recent years did not continue in 2017.51 For the first time since 2009, more companies across Germany again offered training, specifically 427,227 (+852 or +0.2 % over the 2016 figure, see Chart 9). The total number of companies rose over the previous year’s figure by 10,391 (+0.5 %) to 2.16 million and the rate at which companies provided training stabilised at 19.8 % (2016: 19,8 %).52 These are the conclusions reached by the BIBB based on data from Federal Employment Agency (BA) employment statistics.

51 In contrast to many details in this Report on Vocational Education and Training, figures on companies’ participation in training are available only up until 2017.

52 2009: 23.3 %; 2010: 22.4 %; 2011: 21.7 %; 2012: 21.2 %; 2013: 20.7 %; 2014: 20.3 %; 2015: 20.0 %; 2016: 19.8%.

The rise in the number of companies offering training was due to growth in eastern Länder. In 2017, 953 more companies in eastern Länder, or 60,339 (+1.6 %), provided training than in the previous year.

http://fgw-nrw.de/fileadmin/user_upload/FGW-Studie-VSP-27-Ulrich-2019_12_19.pdf


Chart 8: Proportion of unfilled training places and demand for training, based on the proportion of young people with a secondary general school certificate in the occupation

Demand for dual vocational training 2018 showing the percentage of holders of secondary general school

certificates in the occupation

Demand for dual vocational training 2018 showing the percentage of holders of secondary general school

certificates in the occupation

Trainees with a secondary general school certificate2) as maximum school certificate in the occupation

Trainees with a secondary general school certificate2) as maximum school certificate in the occupation

1) Unfilled training places per 100 company-based training places

2) Surveyed on 31.12.2016 (people with newly concluded training contracts)

201 occupations in which at least 100 training places were offered nationwide in 2018 were surveyed

1) Official demand for training places (expanded definition)2) Surveyed on 31.12.2016 (people with newly concluded

training contracts)

179 occupations in which at least 100 training places were offered nationwide in 2018 were surveyed

5.0

7.5

10.0

12.5

15.0

17.5

20.0

90

95

100

105

110

115

0 % to u. 10 %

10 % to u. 20 %

20 % to u. 30 %

30 % to u. 40 %

40 % to u. 50 %

50 % to u. 60 %

60 % and

more

0 % to u. 10 %

10 % to u. 20 %

20 % to u. 30 %

30 % to u. 40 %

40 % to u. 50 %

50 % to u. 60 %

60 % and

more

Percentage of unfilled company-based Percentage of unfilled company-based training places (%)training places (%)1)

Demand Demand 1)1) per 100 training per 100 training places offeredplaces offered

6.86.8

6.56.5

10.110.1

12.412.4

17.017.0

16.916.9

19.119.1

111.5111.5 111.3111.3

102.1102.1

99.299.2

95.295.2

96.696.6

91.391.3

Sources: BIBB survey of newly concluded training contracts; BA training market statistics, special analyses carried out in preparation for the Report on Vocational Education and Training; BIBB “Database of trainees” based on data from the vocational training statistics of the Federal Government and Länder statistics offices (survey on the 31 of December); calculations made by BIBB working group (Arbeitsbereich) 1.1

In western Länder the number of companies providing training stagnated at the previous year’s level (–102 or –0.0 % to 366,860). The rate at which companies provide training in western Länder (2016: 21.4 %; 2017: 21.3 %) was however still significantly higher than it was in eastern Länder (2016: 13.6 %; 2017: 13.8 %).

As in previous years, companies’ participation rates in training differed significantly in companies of differ ent sizes. In 2017, the number of the smallest companies (1 to 9 employees) offering training fell again, declining by 3,632 (–1.9 %) to 192,157. This development corresponded with the increasing

difficulties experienced by the smallest companies in filling training places described above. By definition the proportion of companies providing training is recorded as the number of companies with trainees of all companies with employee’s subject to social insurance contributions, so only those companies that succeeded in filling the training places they offered are counted as companies providing training.

More companies in all the other size classes provided training. 161,952 small companies (10 to 49 employees) provided training, 2,941 (+1.8 %) more than in the previous year, and the number of


Chart 9: Companies that do and do not provide training in Germany

Companies providing training Companies not providing training

1,724,641

426,375

1,607,784

464,448

1,639,741

453,554

1,660,141

446,797

1,673,245

437,721

1,582,573

481,135

0

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,500,000

500,000

2,000,000

1,691,681

431,121

1,712,210

427,496

2016 20172009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

1,734,180

427,227

Source: Federal Employment Agency (BA) employment statistics, reference date 31 of December

medium-sized companies providing training (50 to 249 employees) grew by 1,255 (+2.1 %) to 59,880. In 2017, 13,238 large companies (250 employees and more) provided training, 288 (+2.2 %) more than in 2016.

The total number of small, medium-sized and large companies grew more strongly than the number of companies providing training, so a rise in the rate at which companies provided training was recorded. When companies are classified by size, the rate at which companies provided training in 2017 was as follows: smallest companies 11.5 % (2016: 11.7 %), small companies 42.7 % (2016: 42.9 %), medium-sized companies 65.7 % (2016: 65.9 %) and large companies 80.7 % (2016: 81.0 %).

Reviewing developments by economic and indus-trial sector, a continuing negative trend was recorded in the economy’s primary sector, the manufacturing

sector and construction sector was relatively stable, there was a slight downward trend in the transport, commercial and accommodation sectors, a steeper decline in the corporate and business services sector, and a positive trend was observed in the personal services sector.53

It should be noted that not every company is able and authorised to provide training. According to data gained from the IAB Establishment Panel, more than half (54 %) of companies were authorised to provide training in 2017 (51 % of them provided training alone and 3 % did so in collaboration).54 The percentage of companies authorised to provide training increased

53 Detailed analyses of the development of the rate at which companies provide training and the overall training participation rate can be found in the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A7.1.

54 The characteristic “authorised to provide training” is surveyed here based on the companies’ own information.


with company size. While less than half of the smallest companies with fewer than ten employees were authorised to provide training (44 %, of which 41 % offered training alone and 3 % in collaboration), almost all large companies with more than 500 employees were. If only companies with at least ten employees are taken into account, 75 % of companies were authorised to provide training alone or in collaboration in 2017.

If only companies authorised to provide training are taken into account, the proportion of companies actively involved in training is much higher. According to Inte grated Reporting on Training (IAB) data, 54 % of companies authorised to provide training did so in 2017 (2016: 52 %). Companies with a greater number of employees also have higher rates of involvement in training activities. In 2017, 40 % of the smallest companies authorised to provide training did so (2016: 38 %), while this figure was 96 % (2016: 95 %) for large companies with 500 employees and more.55 Not all companies authorised to provide training do so con tinuously, especially the smallest companies. Fluctu ations in the need for skilled workers may be one reason why not all companies offer training every year. Given the further decline in the number of the smallest compa nies offering training over time and the particular difficulties that these companies have in filling the training places they offer, there is a need for education and training policy action in this area.

2.1.3.8 Premature termination of training contracts and courses

According to the vocational training statistical provided by the Federal Government and Länder statistics offices, 145,998 training contracts were prematurely terminated nationally in 2017, resulting in a premature termination rate of 25.7 %,56 which was again slightly above the usual

55 See also Dummert, Sandra (2018): Aktuelle Daten und Indikatoren: Betriebliche Ausbildungsbeteiligung 2006 bis 2017 – Ergebnisse aus dem IAB-Betriebspanel, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufs-forschung. Nürnberg doku.iab.de/arbeitsmarktdaten/ Ausbildungsbeteiligung_2006-2017.pdf.

56 The termination rate is the proportion of prematurely terminated contracts of all new training contracts. Since it cannot be known in the current reporting year how many trainees with newly concluded training contracts will prematurely terminate their contracts, a so- called “layer model” is used to calculate the training contract termination rate, approximately determining the training contract termination rate of the current group of trainees. With the conversion of the vocational education and training statistics provided by the statistical offices of the Federal Government and Länder to individual

fluctuation range that has prevailed since the early 1990s (20 % to 25 %). The premature termination rate was almost unchanged from the previous year’s figure.57 In recent years the rate of premature training contract terminations has developed as follows: 2010: 23.0 %; 2011: 24.4 %; 2012: 24.4 %; 2013: 25.0 %; 2014: 24.6 %; 2015: 24.9 %; 2016: 25.8 %.

Analyses carried out by the BIBB have revealed a link between developments in the premature training contract termination rate and the training market situation. In years with a higher training market supply and demand ratio (ANR), the premature termination rate tends to be closer to 25 %, while in years with a less favourable ANR from the point of view of trainees it is more likely to be around 20 %. One reason for this could be that young people may be more inclined to terminate a training contract and change training when there are more training places available to choose from.58

Vocational training statistics provide data on the extent of premature training contract terminations but do not yield any information on the reason for them or on the young people’s whereabouts. Various studies that have surveyed trainees and companies providing training on the reasons for premature training contract terminations have identified the following reasons: conflicts with trainers and supervisors, a lack of quality in training, adverse working conditions, personal and health reasons and the wrong choice of occupation. Companies tended to report mainly the inadequate performance of their trainees, their lack of motivation

data collection (see the 2010 Report on Vocational Education and Training, page 31) the training contract termination rate can be more precisely calculated because the month and year of central training- relevant events are now also recorded. Contract terminations can also be differentiated by the year in which the contract began and expressed as a percentage of all newly concluded contracts with a similar start date. (see www2.bibb.de/bibbtools/dokumente/pdf/a21_dazubi_ daten.pdf). Another new feature is that sets of data can be compiled for each cohort, making it possible to analyse the course of training until the training contract ends. Based on these data sets for each cohort, the proportion of prematurely terminated contracts can be calculated ex post without the need to resort to the relatively complex “layer model” calculation formula. The results show that the BIBB’s formula for calculating the premature contract termination rate based on the layer model provides a very good approximate figure.

57 In the 2016 reporting year, the premature contract termination rate was slightly above the usual fluctuation range for the first time since the early 1990s. The premature contract termination rate in 2016 rose in eastern and western Länder, in all groups of trainees differentiated in the vocational training statistics (women/men, Germans/foreign nationals, all school leaving qualifications), in all sectors and in a range of training occupations (see also the 2018 Data Report, Chapter A5.6).

58 See also the 2014 Data Report, Chapter A4.7.

http://doku.iab.de/arbeitsmarktdaten/Ausbildungsbeteiligung_2006-2017.pdf


https://www2.bibb.de/bibbtools/dokumente/pdf/a21_dazubi_daten.pdf

https://www2.bibb.de/bibbtools/dokumente/pdf/a21_dazubi_daten.pdf


or integration into the company and mistaken ideas about the occupation as reasons for premature terminations of training contracts. Training contracts may, however, also end early for various other reasons including a change of occupation by the trainee, a move from training outside a company to training in a company, or insolvency and closure of the training company, so not all contracts that end can be seen simply as terminations.59

In 2017, rates of premature training contract termi-nation varied significantly among the different training occupations. Premature training contract termination rates ranged from 4.1 % to 51.6 % in the 20 occupations with the highest and lowest termination rates60 and the figures changed little compared with the previous year.

The occupation of restaurant specialist (51.6 %) had the highest rate of premature training contract termi-nation in 2017 and other hotel and hospitality industry occupations were among those with very high contract termination rates, including the occupations of cook (48.2 %), professional caterer (44.0 %) and specialist in the hospitality services industry (42.6 %). The occupations of floor layer (48.9 %), scaffolder (48.8 %), beautician (48.3 %), hairdresser (48.2 %), driver (47.7 %), industrial cleaner (47.4 %) and safety and security specialist (46.9 %) all recorded contract termination rates above 45 %.

In 2017, the premature training contract termination rate was lowest among those training to be a clerk in public administration (4.1 %). The following occu pations also had very low contract termination rates under 8 %; media and information services specialist (4.7 %), forest manager (6.1 %), electronics technician for automation technology (6.5 %), labour promotion specialist (6.9 %), social insurance clerk (6.9 %), chemical technician (7.0 %), road maintenance worker (7.8 %), judicial clerk (7.9 %) and bank clerk (7.9 %).

The lower a trainee’s general school leaving certifi-cate was, the more likely they were to prematurely terminate their training contract (no secondary general

59 See also the 2017 Data Report, Chapter A5.6. It should be noted here that in comparison, the university dropout rate records the number of students who leave university without any qualification. The German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) estimated this figure at 29 % for the 2014 bachelors course graduate cohort.

60 State-recognised training occupations in the dual system in which at least 300 trainees began training were included in this figure.

school certificate: 38.1 %; secondary general school certificate holder: 37.9 %; intermediate school leaving certificate holder: 23.6 %; higher education entrance qualification holder: 15.2 %).

There are also differences in premature training contract termination rates between German trainees and foreign national trainees. On average, 34.0 % of the training contracts of foreign national trainees were terminated prematurely, while the premature termina-tion rate among trainees who are German nationals was just 24.9 %. Differences in premature training contract termination rates may also be due partly to the different highest general school leaving qualifications achieved by each of these groups.

This data must be interpreted carefully because the correlations are complex. Premature training contract termination rates may be higher for a specific group because they are more likely to be in training occu-pations, companies or regions with higher termination rates. Conversely, premature training termination rates may be higher in some occupations because more young people likely to terminate their training con-tracts prematurely are training in those occupations.

The premature termination rate of training contracts concluded with young women (26.0 %) was slightly higher than the rate for training contracts concluded with young men (25.6 %).61

Premature training contract termination results in uncertainty and a loss of time, energy and other resources for both parties involved (companies and young people). In the worst case, premature termina-tion may lead young people and companies to stop participating in training altogether. On the other hand, premature termination of a training contract can be positive if it results in funded regular training or a move into training in a company that the trainee really wants to train in.

61 For more detailed analyses see the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A 5.6.


for 25 to 34-year-olds (14.5 %). This is because younger people are more often in training.

The percentage of unskilled workers among young women aged between 20 and 34 was 13.3 %, so it was lower than the percentage for young men (15.1 %).

The percentage of unskilled workers varies greatly depending on the school leaving certificate that a young person achieves. People without a school leaving qualification are at particular risk of not gaining any vocational qualifications. In 2017, the percentage of unskilled 20 to 34-year-olds in this group was 68.8 %. The percentage of unskilled workers is lower among young people with school leaving qualifications ( secondary general school certificate: 32.3 %; intermediate school leaving certificate: 10.3 %; higher education entrance qualification: 5.5 %).

2.1.3.9 Young adults with no vocational qualifications

In 2017,62 according to data gained from the micro-census 14.2 % (or 2.12 million) young people aged between 20 and 34 in Germany had no vocational qualifications63 so they lacked the prerequisites for long-term qualified participation in working life.64 This has considerable negative consequences for those affected and for society as a whole. People without vocational qualifications have a higher risk of unemploy ment, especially long-term unemployment, and earn on average significantly less than employees who have vocational qualifications. Given ongoing demographic change, the labour market needs all young people to be gainfully employed as skilled workers.

Compared with the previous year, the percentage of unskilled workers and absolute number of young adults without vocational qualifications aged between 20 and 34 rose slightly65 (see Table 3).66

Differentiating the figures by age group, the percent age of unskilled workers among younger adults aged from 20 to 24, at 13.5 %, was lower than the rate

62 A change in the micro-census survey method has meant that from 2017 the results can only be provided based on the population in private households. Changes to the survey have resulted in certain features such as qualification level only being surveyed from the population in private households and no longer also among people in shared accommodation, as was previously the case. The results from the previous years have therefore been adjusted and differ from the results in earlier reports on Vocational Education and Training. Calculations carried out by the BIBB have found however, that the differences can be regarded as slight. According to these figures, the percentage of unskilled 20 to 34-year-olds, based on those in private households, was 14.0 % in 2016, while the percentage including people in shared accommodation was 14.3 % (for more details see the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A11.3).

63 People who have not yet ended their vocational training (school students, trainees and students) and those engaged in a voluntary service year are not counted as people with no vocational qualifications.

64 This group is very heterogeneous. It is made up mainly of less-qualified people who tend to have problems in the labour market as well as people who have not completed training/a course of studies. They are formally regarded as having low qualifications or as unqualified, but have fewer problems integrating into the labour market because they have already acquired qualifications and often only break off training or a course of studies when they have found prospective employment.

65 The rate rose by just 0.2 %. Since the 95 % confidence interval for the proportion of unskilled 20 to 34-year-olds was around ± 0.2, estimates carried out by the BIBB found that the rise was not statistically signifi-cant (see 2019 Data Report, Chapter A11.1).

66 There is probably a link between the substantial increase in the pro-portion of unskilled workers since 2016 and larger influx of refugees, but this must be discussed with caution based on micro-census data (for more details see the 2018 Data Report, Chapters A11.1 to A11.3).

Statements on young people who have no vocational qualifications can be made based on data from the National Education Panel Study (NEPS).67 Analyses carried out by the BIBB have shown that people with no vocational qualifications do regard advanced and further training as well worthwhile. They were per suaded that the acquisition of vocational qualifica-tions would offer them a higher income, greater job security and better opportunities in the labour market. Despite the expected positive effect, however, the proportion of those planning to gain a (further) qualification was lower among people with no voca-tional qualifications than it was among holders of vocational qualifications. The reasons most frequently given for this were costs that were too high and a lack of knowledge about the courses on offer, even though only about half of the people without vocational quali-fications regarded their prospects of success as “good”.68

67 The NEPS accompanied 14,000 people in the 1944 to 1986 cohorts on their education and training, work and life paths. The fourth “wave” of surveys, which was carried out from the autumn of 2011 to the spring of 2012, surveyed 3,172 people aged between 25 and 35, of whom 369 (11.6 %) were in the group of those who did not (yet) have a vocational qualification and at the time were also not in fully- qualifying school-based, vocational or academic education or training. Another 136 people were still training at the time of the survey, so the comparison group is made up of the remaining 2,667 people who already had formal vocational qualifications at the time of the survey.

68 For more details please see the 2018 Data Report, Chapter A11.4.


Table 4: Young adults with no vocational qualifications, 2014 to 2017

2.1.3.10 Inclusion and integration through and within vocational training

Vocational training for people with disabilitiesThe Vocational Training Act (BBiG – sec. 64) and Crafts Code (HwO – sec. 42k) stipulate that people with disabili-ties should be trained in recognised training occupations, taking the special needs of those with disabilities into consideration. These laws also state that people with dis-abilities should be provided with training in com panies or with training in which companies are as closely involved as possible, where this is feasible. This means that companies are called on to offer accessible forms of training that teach skills that trainees can take with them into other areas. For people whose degree and kind of disability makes vocational training in a recognised training occupation impossible, the relevant authorities (under sec. of the 66 BBiG/S. 42m of the HwO) should, at the request of the disabled person or their legal represen-tative, develop special training regulations based on the content of the recognised training occupa tions, so-called “specialist training”. To ensure transpa ren cy and consist-ency of these regulations across Germany, the legislation requires that these should be based on recommendations drawn up by the BIBB Board.

In 2018, 7,668 (2017: 7,913) new training contracts based on the regulations set out in Section 66 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and Section 42m of the Crafts Code (HwO) were concluded nationwide. The statistics do not, however, record all the training con-tracts of people with disabilities who opted for training in the dual system as defined in the BBiG and HwO because people with disabilities also conclude contracts in state-recognised training occupations. Because the

statistics (the BIBB survey on the 30 of September, vocational training statistics of the Federal Government and Länder statistics offices on the 31 of December) do not record personal characteristics such as disability, the statistics do not provide any information on people with disabilities.69

Integrating young people from migrant backgrounds into vocational training This section deals initially with people from migrant backgrounds in vocational training.70 A separate section deals with the integration of refugees into training because of the current importance education and training policy has in this area.

According to estimates based on data from the micro-census71 23.6 % of people living in Germany in 2017 came from a migrant background,72 so the

69 See also Gericke, Naomi; Flemming, Simone (2013): Menschen mit Behinderungen im Spiegel der Berufsbildungsstatistik. Grenzen und Möglichkeiten. Bonn (bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/ab21_dazubi_ Kurzpapier_Menschen_mit_Behinderung_in_der_ Berufsbildungsstatistik_201306.pdf) and the 2016 Data Report, Chapter A4.1.4.

70 The schools and vocational training statistics provided by the Federal Government and Länder statistics offices record not migrant back-ground, but nationality, so these statistics only cover some young people from migrant backgrounds. “Refugee” status is also not recorded. Here figures on nationals from relevant non- European countries from which many asylum seekers come, namely Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria, can be used.

71 Due to a change in survey methods, from 2017, results are based only on the population in private households (see also StBA 2018, Bevölkerung mit Migrationshintergrund – Ergebnisse des Mikrozensus 2017). Results for previous years have therefore been adjusted and diverge from those in previous Reports on Vocational Education and Training. The differences are however fairly slight.

72 Here “migrant background” is taken in the narrow sense because annual data on these people has only been available since 2005, so a comparison of figures over time can be made. People from migrant

year

20 to 24-year-olds 25 to 34-year-olds 20 to 34-year-olds 20 to 29-year-olds

Unskilled (in %) absolute figure(in millions) Unskilled (in %) absolute figure

(in millions) Unskilled (in %) absolute figure(in millions) Unskilled (in %) absolute figure

(in millions)

2014 11.9 0.53 13.6 1.35 13.0 1.88 12.5 1.18

2015 12.1 0.52 13.6 1.38 13.2 1.90 12.6 1.19

2016 13.3 0.58 14.3 1.50 14.0 2.08 13.6 1.32

2017 13.5 0.59 14.5 1.53 14.2 2.12 13.9 1.35

The figures are based on the population in private households and data from the 2011 census

Sources: Research data from the government statistical offices and the 2014 to 2017 micro-censuses, BIBB calculations.

https://www.bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/ab21_dazubi_Kurzpapier_Menschen_mit_Behinderung_in_der_Berufsbildungsstatistik_201306.pdf


The absolute number of foreign nationals entering training in the dual system grew continuously from 2011 to 2017, rising from 28,548 to 49,431 (+73.2 %). Compared with the previous year’s figure the number of foreign nationals entering training increased again significantly, by 9,954 or 25.2 % (2016: 39,477). The number of young Germans entering training in 2017 was somewhat lower (3,897 or 0.9 %) than in the previous year at 408,465 (2016: 412,362). This was a decline of 12.7 % compared with the 2011 figure.79

In 2017, foreign nationals entering training were also significantly older on average (21.9 years old) than young Germans entering training (19.3 years old), which may be due to the longer and more difficult transitions that many young people from a migrant background make into training.


percentage of people from a migrant background has been rising steadily (2011: 18.6 %; 2012: 19.2 %; 2013: 19.9 %; 2014: 20.4 %; 2015: 21.2 %; 2016: 22.6 %).73 30.8 % of young people aged from 15 to 19 came from a migrant background (2011: 25.8 %; 2012: 26.3 %; 2013: 27.2 %; 2014: 27.7 %; 2015: 28.5 %; 2016: 30.1 %).

Around a third of people from a migrant background were born in Germany, the rest immigrated. More than half the people from a migrant background had become German citizens. 11.5 % of the population in Germany are foreign nationals. In the age group of 15 to under-20-year-olds this percentage was 10.5 %.

Young foreign nationals left general schools without any school leaving qualifications more than twice as often as young Germans74 and the school leaving qualifications of young foreign nationals are generally lower than those of young German nationals.75

In 2017, the percentage of young foreign nationals starting training was 34.2 %, well below the figure for young Germans (55.7 %).76 The rate of new entries into training for young foreign men was 39.3 % (young German men: 67.1 %) while for young foreign women it was 26.9 % (young German women: 43.6 %).

After falling steadily from 2011 to 2015, the propor-tion of young foreign nationals starting training rose

backgrounds in the narrow sense are all those who have immigrated and foreign nationals born in Germany. People born in Germany who have been German nationals since birth but whose father or mother are from a migrant background can only be classified as from a migrant background in the narrow sense if they have at least one foreign national parent living in the same household and information on the parents is available. The number of people from a migrant background in the narrow sense is therefore smaller than the number of people from a migrant background in the broader sense.

73 The German micro-census sample is taken based on residential buildings and only surveys people living in them. People living in temporary accommodation not registered as residential buildings are not surveyed so most newly arrived refugees are not surveyed.

74 2011: 11.8 % to 5.0 %; 2012: 11.4 % to 4.9 %; 2013: 10.9 % to 4.6 %; 2014: 11.9 % to 4.9 %; 2015: 11.8 % to 5.0 %; 2016: 14.2 % to 4.9 %; 2017: 18.1 % to 5.2 %.

75 2017: Secondary general school certificate: 28.4 % foreign vs. 15.0 % German young people; intermediate school leaving certificate: 36.1 % foreign vs. 43.6 % German young people; higher education entrance qualification: 17.4 % foreign vs. 36.3 % German young people. The link between school leaving qualification and the socio-economic status of a student’s parents should be noted in this context.

76 Here the proportion of Germans and foreign nationals entering training is calculated separately for each population by means of the sum-quota process. To calculate it, subsets of people from each age cohort are calculated as a ratio of the population and added to produce the rate of people starting training. For more detailed information see the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A5.8.

again slightly in 2016 for the first time (+1.6 %).77 In 2017, the figure grew again markedly over the previous year’s figure (+6.6 %). This rise in this figure was especially high for young foreign men (+10.6 % in 2017 and +2.9 % in 2016). These figures indicate that refugees are now increasingly being placed in dual vocational training. Analyses on the nationality of trainees showed that the increase in the number of foreign national trainees in 2017 was especially steep among those who were nationals of countries from which most asylum seekers come.78

77 In evaluating the rate of new entries into training of young foreign nationals it must be noted that all people who do not have a German passport are counted in the census as being in the resident population, regardless of their residency status and whether they have lodged an application for asylum. This means that it includes people who cannot be expected to be immediately placed in training. The sharp rise in the number of refugees meant that the foreign resident population of an age to start training rose significantly. This resulted in the strikingly high fall in the rate of new entries into training in 2015 and 2016, especially among young foreign men (see also the 2018 Data Report, Chapter A5.8). This is however only a temporary phenomenon. The delayed rise in the number of foreign trainees meant that the rate of new entries into training also increased again substantially in 2017.

78 See also Kroll, Stephan and Uhly, Alexandra (2018): Ausländische Aus-zubildende in der dualen Berufsausbildung: Einmündung und Ausbil-dungserfolg. Eine Analyse der Berufsbildungsstatistik mit besonderer Betrachtung der Staatsangehörigkeiten der zugangsstärksten Asyl-herkunftsländer, (www2.bibb.de/bibbtools/dokumente/pdf/ dazubi_ analyse_auslaendische-azubis_asylherkunftslaender_2008-2017.pdf) and Uhly, Alexandra (2018): Ausländische Auszubildende in der dualen Berufsausbildung – nach einzelnen Nationalitäten, Deutsch-land 2008 bis 2017. Ergebnisse auf Basis der Berufsbildungsstatistik, (Datensystem Auszubildende [DAZUBI] Zusatztabellen) (www2.bibb.de/bibbtools/dokumente/xls/dazubi_zusatztabellen_auslaendische- azubis_einzelne-nationalitaeten_2008-2017.xls).

https://www.bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/dazubi_analyse_auslaendische-azubis_asylherkunftslaender_2008-2017.pdf



https://www2.bibb.de/bibbtools/dokumente/xls/dazubi_zusatztabellen_auslaendische-azubis_einzelne-nationalitaeten_2008-2017.xls




Table 5: Rates of entries into training for young German and foreign women and men

For many years, empirical surveys on the transition from school into vocational training (e. g. BIBB transition studies and BA/BIBB surveys of applicants80) have shown that young people from migrant back-grounds have worse prospects in training. The reason for this may be not only in their often lower-level school leaving qualifications. Even if they have the same school leaving qualifications and if many other contributing factors are taken into consideration, young migrants still experience disadvantages in accessing vocational training. The results have also shown that there are major differences among young migrants depending on their country of origin. It is much harder for young people of Turkish or Arab origins to find training places, for example.81

A changed sampling concept applied in the 2018 BA/BIBB survey of applicants and 2018 BA/BIBB forced migration study means that a distinction can now be made between applicants from a migrant back-

80 It should be noted that BIBB transition studies analyses do not distinguish between first, second and third-generation migrants. The BA/BIBB survey of applicants results differentiate between first and second-generation migrants as part of expanded analyses. The BA/BIBB survey of applicants cannot record information on applicants’ parents, so no further differentiation by generation (third generation) is possible.

81 The 2016 BA/BIBB survey of applicants differentiated them in four regions of origin: Eastern Europe and CIS states, southern European countries, Turkey and Arab states and other countries. The applicants surveyed are assigned to one of the four regions of origin based on their responses to questions about their nationality, the country they were born in and the first language they learnt as children. See also Beicht, Ursula (2017): Ausbildungschancen von Ausbildungsstellen-bewerber/Innen mit Migrationshintergrund. Aktuelle Situation 2016 und Entwicklung seit 2004. (bibb.de/veroeffentlichungen/de/ publication/show/8331).

ground and those from a forced migration background. According to initial analyses by the BIBB, far fewer applicants from a migrant background (and not a forced migration background) who were registered with the BA, specifically 32 %, were placed in a company-based train-ing place in 2018 (by way of comparison, the figure was 48 % for applicants not from a migrant background).82

Lower-level school leaving qualifications, different careers choices and other circumstances such as regional training market situations, insufficient German language skills, limited participation in internships in companies and companies’ selection processes in awarding training places have all been raised as possible reasons why young people from migrant backgrounds are less likely to be placed in training.

The longer ago the migration in the family was, the better the chances of young people from migrant back-grounds of being placed in company-based training are. Young people from migrant backgrounds who are third-generation83 migrants who leave a general school after year 9 or 10 and seek a vocational training place right away have just as much success in finding a training

82 The analyses identified a figure of 34 % for all applicants from a migrant background and forced migration background. Men (85 %) formed the majority in the group of applicants from a migrant back-ground and a forced migration background. The proportion of men among applicants not from a migrant background and applicants from a migrant background but not from a forced migration back-ground was 60 or 59 %. For more detailed information see the Data Report accompanying the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training, Chapter A 8.1.

83 Third-generation migrants are those born in Germany whose parents were also born in Germany and whose grandparents immigrated.

Year

new entries into training in %

TotalGermans foreign nationals

Total women men Total women men

2011 58.0 60.3 49.6 70.5 35.4 31.8 38.8

2012 56.5 59.0 48.6 68.9 33.7 30.9 36.3

2013 54.3 56.9 46.8 66.5 31.7 28.1 35.1

2014 53.4 56.3 46.0 66.0 31.1 28.8 33.2

2015 52.4 56.7 46.1 66.8 26.0 26.2 25.8

2016 51.7 55.8 44.9 66.2 27.6 26.3 28.7

2017 52.9 55.7 43.6 67.1 34.2 26.9 39.3

Sources: BIBB “Trainee Database” based on data from the vocational training statistics of the Federal Government and Länder statistical offices, (survey on the 31 of December), BIBB calculations




place as young people who are not from a migrant back-ground. They are placed just as often and just as quickly in either dual training or school-based vocational train-ing. Overall, young people from migrant backgrounds are, however, more rarely interested in start ing vocation-al training as soon as they leave school. This is also true of third-generation migrants, if to a much lesser extent. These findings were the results of a recent analysis carried out by the BIBB based on NEPS data.84

People from migrant backgrounds remain dispropor-tionately often without vocational qualifications. BIBB calculations based on the 2017 micro-census showed that 32.0 % of 20 to 34-year-old migrants with direct experience of migration were unskilled. This figure was particularly high among Turkish migrants with direct experience of migration (53.2 %). For people from migrant backgrounds who were born and grew up in Germany the figure was 18.5 % (by comparison it was 8.5 % for German nationals not from a migrant background).85

Refugees and vocational training According to the results of a recent special analysis carried out by the BIBB based on data from the vocational training statistics, the number of trainees with a newly concluded training contract who were nationals of a non-European country from which many asylum seekers come has risen sharply in recent years (2013: 1,569; 2014: 1,908; 2015: 2,925; 2016: 5,997; 2017: 15,402). The rise has been recorded mainly in the number of young men who are nationals of a non- European country from which many asylum seekers come (2013: 1,116; 2014: 1,386; 2015: 2,223; 2016: 5,046; 2017: 13,866) and was much smaller for young women from these countries (2013: 453; 2014: 522; 2015: 702; 2016: 951; 2017: 1,536).

Trainees who were foreign nationals of a country from which many asylum seekers come began training in a skilled trade disproportionately often (50.0 %) in 2017, with the Trade and Industry sector recording

84 The data was on 5,953 young people who left a mainstream school in 2011 and 2012 after completing year 9 or 10. See also Beicht, Ursula; Walden, Günter (2018): Übergang nicht studienberechtigter Schul-abgänger/-innen mit Migrationshintergrund in vollqualifizierende Ausbildung. Analysen auf Basis des Nationalen Bildungspanels unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Zuwanderungsgeneration und Schulabschlussniveau. BIBB Report 6/2018 (bibb.de/veroeffentlichungen/de/publication/show/9391).


a figure of 43.0 % of new trainees from this group. If figures are based on the ten training occupations with the highest number of trainees, those for trainees who are nationals of a country from which many asylum seekers come are not significantly different from those for other foreign national trainees or for German passport holders. Men in this group tend to be placed more often in occupations with more problems filling training places, such as cook or baker, so this group helps to reduce the high number of unfilled training places in these occupations.86

Unlike the vocational training statistics of the Federal Government and Länder statistics offices, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics have covered refugees and asylum seekers since 2016.87

The BA statistics provide detailed information on the participation of refugees in transition system measures. Between September 2017 and August 2018 an annual average of 17,264 refugees and asylum seekers took part in career start mentoring (2,477), Assisted Training (2,603), a pre-vocational training measure (930), intro-ductory training (5,644) or support for apprentices during training (5,611), so 10.6 % of participants in these standard instruments nationally were refugees and asylum seekers. The percentage of participants who were refugees and asylum seekers in introductory training was especially high, with around four out of ten participants (41.0 %) coming from a refugee and asylum seeker background.

The number of applicants for training places from a refugee and asylum seeker background registered with the BA has risen sharply in recent years (2016: 10,253; 2017: 26,428; 2018: 38,299). Last year 13,972 or 36.5 % of the 38,299 applicants from a refugee and asylum seeker background were placed in training.

86 See also the BIBB press release of 27.11.2018 (bibb.de/de/ pressemitteilung_88005.php) and Kroll, Stephan; Uhly, Alexandra (2018). Ausländische Auszubildende in der dualen Berufsausbildung: Einmündung und Ausbildungserfolg. Eine Analyse auf Basis der Berufsbildungsstatistik mit besonderer Betrachtung der Staats-angehörigkeiten der zugangsstärksten Asylherkunftsländer (www2.bibb.de/bibbtools/dokumente/pdf/dazubi_analyse_auslaendische- azubis_asylherkunftslaender_2008-2017.pdf).

87 People from a forced migration background are defined as third- country nationals living in Germany who have a residency permit, a residency permit for a refugee, or leave to remain. The BA statistics also record foreigners by nationality. Here too, only those who have been identified as mature enough to start training are granted applicant status.


http://www.bibb.de/de/pressemitteilung_88005.php

http://www.bibb.de/de/pressemitteilung_88005.php

https://www2.bibb.de/bibbtools/dokumente/pdf/dazubi_analyse_auslaendische-azubis_asylherkunftslaender_2008-2017.pdf

https://www2.bibb.de/bibbtools/dokumente/pdf/dazubi_analyse_auslaendische-azubis_asylherkunftslaender_2008-2017.pdf


16,838 or 44.0 % of these applicants had the status of “other former applicants”. 7,329 or 19.1 % of them remained in an alternative and gave up on further placement efforts.88 The whereabouts of another 9,509 (24.8 %) was unknown, so placement efforts for 30,810 or 80.4 % of applicants from a refugee and asylum seeker background ended at the end of the reporting year.

Placement efforts continued for 7,489 or 19.6 % of applicants from a refugee and asylum seeker back-ground, including 3,957 people (10.3 %) who remained in an alternative but still wanted to be placed in vocational training, and 3,532 (9.2 %) unplaced appli-cants. Applicants from a refugee and asylum seeker back ground were placed much more rarely in voca-tional training than applicants not from that kind of background (36.5 % vs. 49.7 %) and remained twice as often without any training at all (9.2 % vs. 4.2 %). Their whereabouts were also much more likely to be unknown (24.8 % vs. 16.0 %).

An analysis of the BA/BIBB migration study carried out in 2016 focused on the factors that lead to success ful placement in training. Its results showed that contact with companies in particular (e. g. during introductory training or through internships or a trial period of work) were decisive in helping young people to succeed in transitioning into company-based vocational training. Refugees also profit from individual support from mentors and sponsors. The analyses also found that the local training market situation had no effect on successful entry into training.

Education and training are the key to successfully integrating refugees and migrants into work and society. The 2019 UNESCO Global Education Monitor-ing Report published in November praised Germany for the many measures it is implementing to integrate refugees and migrants, although it also identified a need to improve equality of opportunity in the German education and training system.89

88 For more detailed information on the whereabouts of this group please see the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A12.2.

89 See also the joint press release issued by the BMZ, AA and German Comission for UNESCO on 20.11.2018 (bmz.de/de/presse/aktuelle Meldungen/2018/november/181120_UNESCO- Weltbildungs bericht-2019-zu-Flucht-und-Migration-in-Berlin-vorgestellt/index.html).

2.1.3.11 Flexible vocational training during particular life situations (child-rearing, care of relatives, etc.)

Since 2005, Section 8 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) has offered trainees the possibility of training part time. This gives young parents, in particular, as well as other people with a legitimate interest in it,90 the opportunity of flexibly adapting training times to fit in with their lives.91

In 2017, 56.0 % of all young mothers (around 101,000) and 45.3 % of all young fathers (around 20,000) aged between 16 and 24 had no vocational qualifications and were not attending school, or in vocational training or tertiary studies. The percentage of young mothers and young fathers in this position increased over the pre vious year’s figure (2016: young mothers: 52.8 %; young fathers: 44.1 %).92 A recognised vocatio nal quali-fication would ensure these young people’s economic security in the long term. In the context of the shortage of skilled workers, young adults with family respon-sibilities are an important target group for Federal Government activities in this area.

According to data drawn from the vocational train-ing statistics provided by the statistical offices of the Federal Government and Länder (vocational training statistics for the 31 of December), only 2,223 new contracts for part-time vocational training were concluded in 2017. They made up just 0.4 % of all new training contracts concluded in that reporting year, again a very small proportion (2016: 2,085 new part- time training contracts or also 0.4 %). As in previous years, more female trainees concluded new part-time training contracts (1.1 %) than male trainees did (0.1 %).

Part-time trainees are usually highly motivated and many companies are interested in offering part-time vocational training. A joint application can be lodged by the trainee and the company providing training to shorten training times for trainees with a legitimate interest in training part time. Working hours can be

90 “Legitimate interest” applies when a trainee is looking after their own child or children or a relative in need of care, or have similar pressing reasons for wanting to train part-time.

91 See also the recommendations of the BIBB Board on shortening and extending training times and on part-time training (bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/ha-empfehlung_129_ausbildungszeit.pdf).

92 Source: Special analysis of the 2017 and 2016 micro-census carried out by the StBA.

https://www.bmz.de/de/presse/aktuelleMeldungen/2018/november/181120_UNESCO-Weltbildungsbericht-2019-zu-Flucht-und-Migration-in-Berlin-vorgestellt/index.html



http://www.bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/ha-empfehlung_129_ausbildungszeit.pdf


reduced on a daily or a weekly basis. This instrument could be used to develop the potential of young mothers and fathers so the aim must be to increase the incidence of part-time vocational training.

2.1.3.12 Increasing trainees’ mobility

Germany’s economy needs young skilled professionals with international vocational skills to keep the country competitive on the global market. A period spent travelling and working abroad is a major experience in a young person’s life and can have an impact involving much more than even the acquisition of foreign language skills. The opportunity to spend time work-ing and living in another country during training, as students often do during tertiary studies, can increase the attractiveness of both vocational training and of the companies that offer their trainees this opportunity.

The results of a study carried out by the National Agency – Education for Europe and submitted to the BIBB93 show that in 2017 around 31,000 trainees, or 5.3 %, had spent time training in another country during their initial vocational training. The study found that there was potential for further development, especially in the area of encouraging mobility outside Europe. Although there are major markets for the German economy outside Europe, only 12 % of trainees who spend time training abroad currently have a non-EU country as their goal.

In Germany, greater mobility is regarded as a key factor in balancing the disparities in regional training markets and reducing matching problems in the training market.94 Statements on the regional mobility of training place applicants can be made based on data drawn from the BA/BIBB survey of applicants.

Initial analyses of the 2018 BA/BIBB survey of applicants indicate a limited level of mobility.95 8.6 % of the young people surveyed had applied for training to companies over 100 km away from their homes. Women (10.1 %) were somewhat more willing

93 See also na-bibb.de/mobilitaetsstudie and the Data Report, Chapter D3.

94 BIBB analyses show that the mobility of trainees is already contrib-uting to a balancing of regional training market conditions. Different regions are profiting however to varying extents (see also the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A 8.2.1.)

95 For more details see the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A 8.2.1

to be mobile than men (7.6 %) and the higher the school leaving qualification the greater the applicant’s mobility was (secondary general school certificate: 4.0 %; intermediate school leaving certificate: 6.4 %; higher education entrance qualification: 18.0 %). Here there is a link between the high figure and the fact that applicants with a higher education entrance qualifica-tion are generally older. The percentage of applicants who applied for training more than 100 km away from their home also increased with age (16 years old and younger: 2.2 %; those over 20: 16.0 %).

Better matching of training market supply and demand cannot be achieved by increasing regional mobility alone. The goal of all stakeholders must be to increase the attractiveness of those occupations that potential applicants perceive as less attractive.

2.2 Training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO)

2.2.1 The training market balance in 2018

The information in the following section is based on the results of the BIBB survey of newly concluded train ing contracts on the 30 of September and the BA training market statistics. Both sources provide central informa-tion on the training place market and are used in assess-ing the balance of supply and demand (sec. 86 of the Vocational Training Act – BBiG). Training market devel-opments are evaluated based on various indicators.96

2.2.1.1 Newly concluded training contracts

The results of the BIBB survey of the relevant authorities covering the period from the 1 of October 2017 to 30 of September 2018 recorded 531,413 new training place contracts concluded nationally. After falls in this figure between 2011 and 2016, a slight increase in numbers of

96 In 2011, the BIBB drew up a systematic description of the most important (vocational) training indicators. See also Schier, Friedel; Dionisius, Regina; Lissek, Nicole (2012): Beteiligung an beruflicher Bildung. Indikatoren und Quoten im Überblick (Wissenschaftliche Diskussionspapiere Heft-Nr. 133) (bibb.de/veroeffentlichungen/de/publication/show/id/6830).

http://www.na-bibb.de/mobilitaetsstudie

http://www.bibb.de/veroeffentlichungen/de/publication/show/id/6830

http://www.bibb.de/veroeffentlichungen/de/publication/show/id/6830


2.2.1.2 Unfilled vocational training places on the 30 September

The number of unfilled vocational training places also increased. According to the statistics for the reference date 30 of September 2018, 57,656 of the 565,342 training places registered nationally with the BA during the 2017/2018 training year remained unfilled, 8,672 (+17.7 %) more than in the previous year. Since 2009, (17,766 the number of unfilled vocational training places) has more than tripled and the number of unfilled vocational training places rose in both western and eastern Länder.

Table 7 shows information on developments in total numbers of registered vocational training places and training places in companies and on the number of registered company-based vocational training places unfilled on the reference date of the 30 of September. The table shows that the number of vocational training places registered with employment offices ( Agenturen für Arbeit) and job centres in 2018 increased over the pre-vious year’s figure for the fifth year in a row. From 2017 to 2018, an increase of 20,435 training places (+3.8 %) to 565,342 was registered. This record number of unfilled training places since 2009 also shows that it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to fill the training places they offer. The figures vary significantly in differ-ent regions, branches of industry and occupations.98

98 See also Chapter 2.1.3.6

newly concluded training place contracts was again registered for the first time in 2017 (+3,018 or +0.6 % to 523,290). In 2018, this increase was again higher with +8,123 training place contracts (+1.6 %).

This increase was recorded, in particular, in numbers of newly concluded company-based training contracts, which rose nationally by 9,118 (+1.8 %) to 516,529. In contrast, the number of newly concluded non- company-based training contracts fell by 995 (–6.3 %) to 14,884.97

The numbers of new training contracts rose in western and in eastern Länder. Table 6 shows developments in numbers of newly concluded training contracts and other central key training market data.

97 For more detailed information please see Chapter 2.2.2.2

To improve the transparency of training market developments, the BA has further developed its vocational training place statistics concept, which will result in qualitative improvements and expansions of the statistics’ content that more precisely portray the training place market. The concept was changed as of January 2018. In order to depict developments without distortion, including compared over time, all the data from 2009 was retroactively recalculated for the Report on Vocational Education and Training as part of a special analysis.99

Among the expansion of and improvements in the statistics on company-based vocational training places is also the recording of “expected school leaving qualification”. This attribute provides information about the (minimum) school leaving qualification that an employer requires from applicants for a specific vocational training place. For around half the registered training places this was a secondary general school certificate (275,993 training places or 50.5 %). For 197,956 training places (36.2 %) at least an intermediate

99 The BA explains this as follows: “Innovations in content as of January 2018: A training place not filled on 30.09 is now on 01.10 automatically counted as an unfilled training place in the new reporting year – analogous to the applicant position. Training places were previously only counted when they were selected by an agent, which resulted in slight under-reporting. Training places deleted in the specialist operative process now remain in the total statistical base population. Previously, deletion could result in the training place being lost to the statistics. A vocational training place is also included in stat-istics for a reporting year when the beginning of the training has been postponed to the following reporting year in accordance with the logic of total statistical base population: For the original reporting year there was at least one valid training place offer. Only those places counted in the reporting year in which the beginning of training was postponed are counted as an unfilled vocational training place. The reporting only records training places that begin in the current reporting year. Non-company training places are better recorded because the new method no longer takes into account cancelled non-company training places. The number of non- company vocatio nal training places will therefore in future more precisely report the extent to which the non-company training places offered in fact sustain the training market. For Germany as a whole there was a slight fall in the number of registered vocational training places compared with the result previously published of 4,878 or 0.9 % to 544,907 on the 30.09.2017, the end of the 2016/2017 reporting year. A rise of 5,600 or 1.1 % to 527,470 in the figure for company-based training places was recorded and a significant decrease of 10,478 or 37.5 % to 17,437 was recorded in the figure for non-company vocational training places. The number of vocational training places unfilled on 30.09 remains practically unchanged, with an increase of 47 or 0.1 % to 48,984. These content modifications are described in more detail in the methodology report “Weiterent wicklung der Berufsaus bildungsstellen-Statistik” (May 2017). More detailed information, also on regionalised effects of these modifications, can be found in the methodology report “Revision der Statistik über Berufsausbildungs stellen 2018”: statistik. arbeitsagentur.de/ Navigation/Statistik/Grundlagen/ Methodenberichte/ Ausbildungsstellenmarkt/Methodeberichte- Ausbildungsstellenmarkt-Nav.html.

https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/nn_598728/Statischer-Content/Grundlagen/Methodik-Qualitaet/Methodische-Hinweise/BB-MethHinweise/AusbM-meth-Hinweise.html





Table 6: Newly concluded training contracts, supply and demand, 1992 to 2018 (Part 1)

new training

contracts

Unfilled training places

Unplaced applicants

supply demandsupply and

demand ratio

Trend compared with the previous year

Contracts supply demand

absolute in % absolute in % absolute in %

National

1992 595,215 126,610 12,975 721,825 608,190 118.7

1993 570,120 85,737 17,759 655,857 587,879 111.6 –25,095 –4.2 –65,968 –9.1 –20,311 –3.3

1994 568,082 54,152 18,970 622,234 587,052 106.0 –2,038 –0.4 –33,623 –5.1 –827 –0.1

1995 572,774 44,214 24,962 616,988 597,736 103.2 4,692 0.8 –5,246 –0.8 10,684 1.8

1996 574,327 34,947 38,458 609,274 612,785 99.4 1,553 0.3 –7,714 –1.3 15,049 2.5

1997 587,517 25,864 47,421 613,381 634,938 96.6 13,190 2.3 4,107 0.7 22,153 3.6

1998 612,529 23,404 35,675 635,933 648,204 98.1 25,012 4.3 22,552 3.7 13,266 2.1

1999 631,015 23,439 29,365 654,454 660,380 99.1 18,486 3.0 18,521 2.9 12,176 1.9

2000 621,693 25,690 23,642 647,383 645,335 100.3 –9,322 –1.5 –7,071 –1.1 –15,045 –2.3

2001 614,236 24,535 20,462 638,771 634,698 100.6 –7,457 –1.2 –8,612 –1.3 –10,637 –1.6

2002 572,323 18,005 23,383 590,328 595,706 99.1 –41,913 –6.8 –48,443 –7.6 –38,992 –6.1

2003 557,634 14,840 35,015 572,474 592,649 96.6 –14,689 –2.6 –17,854 –3.0 –3,057 –0.5

2004 572,980 13,378 44,084 586,358 617,064 95.0 15,346 2.8 13,884 2.4 24,415 4.1

2005 550,180 12,636 40,504 562,816 590,684 95.3 –22,800 –4.0 –23,542 –4.0 –26,380 –4.3

2006 576,153 15,401 49,487 591,554 625,640 94.6 25,973 4.7 28,738 5.1 34,956 5.9

2007 625,885 18,357 32,661 644,242 658,546 97.8 49,732 8.6 52,688 8.9 32,906 5.3

2008 616,342 19,510 14,202 635,852 630,544 100.8 –9,543 –1.5 –8,390 –1.3 –28,002 –4.3

2009 564,307 17,255 9,603 581,562 573,910 101.3 –52,035 –8.4 –54,290 –8.5 –56,634 –9.0

New period series 1)

2009 564,307 17,766 15,510 582,073 579,817 100.4

2010 559,960 19,898 12,033 579,858 571,993 101.4 –4,347 –0.8 –2,215 –0.4 –7,824 –1.3

2011 569,380 30,487 11,366 599,867 580,746 103.3 9,420 1.7 20,009 3.5 8,753 1.5

2012 551,258 34,075 15,673 585,333 566,931 103.2 –18,122 –3.2 –14,534 –2.4 –13,815 –2.4

2013 529,542 34,720 21,087 564,262 550,629 102.5 –21,716 –3.9 –21,071 –3.6 –16,302 –2.9

2014 523,201 38,449 20,932 561,650 544,133 103.2 –6,341 –1.2 –2,612 –0.5 –6,496 –1.2

2015 522,161 41,678 20,782 563,839 542,943 103.8 –1,040 –0.2 2,189 0.4 –1,190 –0.2

2016 520,272 43,561 20,550 563,833 540,822 104.3 –1,889 –0.4 –6 0.0 –2,121 –0.4

2017 523,290 48,984 23,712 572,274 547,002 104.6 3,018 0.6 8,441 1.5 6,180 1.1

2018 531,413 57,656 24,540 589,069 555,953 106.0 8,123 1.6 16,795 2.9 8,951 1.6

Western Länder

1992 484,954 123,378 11,756 608,332 496,710 122.5

1993 456,959 83,655 14,841 540,614 471,800 114.6 –27,995 –5.8 –67,718 –11.1 –24,910 –5.0

1994 435,388 52,767 17,456 488,155 452,844 107.8 –21,571 –4.7 –52,459 –9.7 –18,956 –4.0

1995 436,082 43,231 19,396 479,313 455,478 105.2 694 0.2 –8,842 –1.8 2,634 0.6

1996 434,648 33,866 24,637 468,514 459,285 102.0 –1,434 –0.3 –10,799 –2.3 3,807 0.8

1997 448,323 25,217 32,190 473,540 480,513 98.5 13,675 3.1 5,026 1.1 21,228 4.6

1998 468,732 22,775 22,297 491,507 491,029 100.1 20,409 4.6 17,967 3.8 10,516 2.2

1999 482,213 22,657 18,517 504,870 500,730 100.8 13,481 2.9 13,363 2.7 9,701 2.0

2000 483,082 24,760 14,214 507,842 497,296 102.1 869 0.2 2,972 0.6 –3,434 –0.7


new training

contracts


Unplaced applicants


demand ratio




2001 480,183 23,618 11,962 503,801 492,145 102.4 –2,899 –0.6 –4,041 –0.8 –5,151 –1.0

2002 447,426 17,123 13,180 464,549 460,606 100.9 –32,757 –6.8 –39,252 –7.8 –31,539 –6.4

2003 434,747 13,994 22,267 448,741 457,014 98.2 –12,679 –2.8 –15,808 –3.4 –3,592 –0.8

2004 448,876 12,533 29,319 461,409 478,195 96.5 14,129 3.2 12,668 2.8 21,181 4.6

2005 434,162 11,786 29,334 445,948 463,496 96.2 –14,714 –3.3 –15,461 –3.4 –14,699 –3.1

2006 452,215 13,556 33,237 465,771 485,452 95.9 18,053 4.2 19,823 4.4 21,956 4.7

2007 500,787 15,943 23,078 516,730 523,865 98.6 48,572 10.7 50,959 10.9 38,413 7.9

2008 502,604 16,648 9,947 519,252 512,551 101.3 1,817 0.4 2,522 0.5 –11,314 –2.2

2009 465,309 14,500 6,903 479,809 472,212 101.6 –37,295 –7.4 –39,443 –7.6 –40,339 –7.9


2009 465,309 14,924 11,155 480,233 476,464 100.8

2010 468,297 16,058 8,357 484,355 476,654 101.6 2,988 0.6 4,122 0.9 190 0.0

2011 484,885 25,114 8,319 509,999 493,204 103.4 16,588 3.5 25,644 5.3 16,550 3.5

2012 472,354 27,704 10,605 500,058 482,959 103.5 –12,531 –2.6 –9,941 –1.9 –10,245 –2.1

2013 455,298 28,262 16,342 483,560 471,640 102.5 –17,056 –3.6 –16,498 –3.3 –11,319 –2.3

2014 448,908 31,490 16,623 480,398 465,531 103.2 –6,390 –1.4 –3,162 –0.7 –6,109 –1.3

2015 448,026 34,054 16,398 482,080 464,424 103.8 –882 –0.2 1,682 0.4 –1,107 –0.2

2016 446,284 35,594 16,245 481,878 462,529 104.2 –1,742 –0.4 –202 0.0 –1,895 –0.4

2017 448,664 40,713 18,365 489,377 467,029 104.8 2,380 0.5 7,499 1.6 4,500 1.0

2018 455,448 47,985 17,901 503,433 473,349 106.4 6,784 1.5 14,056 2.9 6,320 1.4

Eastern Länder

1992 110,261 3,232 1,219 113,493 111,480 101.8

1993 113,161 2,082 2,918 115,243 116,079 99.3 2,900 2.6 1,750 1.5 4,599 4.1

1994 132,694 1,385 1,514 134,079 134,208 99.9 19,533 17.3 18,836 16.3 18,129 15.6

1995 136,692 983 5,566 137,675 142,258 96.8 3,998 3.0 3,596 2.7 8,050 6.0

1996 139,679 1,081 13,821 140,760 153,500 91.7 2,987 2.2 3,085 2.2 11,242 7.9

1997 139,194 647 15,231 139,841 154,425 90.6 –485 –0.3 –919 –0.7 925 0.6

1998 143,797 629 13,378 144,426 157,175 91.9 4,603 3.3 4,585 3.3 2,750 1.8

1999 148,802 782 10,848 149,584 159,650 93.7 5,005 3.5 5,158 3.6 2,475 1.6

2000 138,611 930 9,428 139,541 148,039 94.3 –10,191 –6.8 –10,043 –6.7 –11,611 –7.3

2001 134,053 917 8,500 134,970 142,553 94.7 –4,558 –3.3 –4,571 –3.3 –5,486 –3.7

2002 124,897 882 10,203 125,779 135,100 93.1 –9,156 –6.8 –9,191 –6.8 –7,453 –5.2

2003 122,887 846 12,748 123,733 135,635 91.2 –2,010 –1.6 –2,046 –1.6 535 0.4

2004 124,104 845 14,742 124,949 138,846 90.0 1,217 1.0 1,216 1.0 3,211 2.4

2005 116,018 850 11,154 116,868 127,172 91.9 –8,086 –6.5 –8,081 –6.5 –11,674 –8.4

2006 123,938 1,835 16,240 125,773 140,178 89.7 7,920 6.8 8,905 7.6 13,006 10.2

2007 125,098 2,338 9,576 127,436 134,674 94.6 1,160 0.9 1,663 1.3 –5,504 –3.9

2008 113,738 2,769 4,252 116,507 117,990 98.7 –11,360 –9.1 –10,929 –8.6 –16,684 –12.4

2009 98,998 2,644 2,697 101,642 101,695 99.9 –14,740 –13.0 –14,865 –12.8 –16,295 –13.8



new training

contracts


Unplaced applicants


demand ratio





2009 98,998 2,712 4,352 101,710 103,350 98.4

2010 91,663 3,688 3,675 95,351 95,338 100.0 –7,335 –7.4 –6,359 –6.3 –8,012 –7.8

2011 84,495 5,232 3,043 89,727 87,538 102.5 –7,168 –7.8 –5,624 –5.9 –7,800 –8.2

2012 78,904 6,249 5,066 85,153 83,970 101.4 –5,591 –6.6 –4,574 –5.1 –3,568 –4.1

2013 74,244 6,344 4,533 80,588 78,777 102.3 –4,660 –5.9 –4,565 –5.4 –5,193 –6.2

2014 74,293 6,840 4,099 81,133 78,392 103.5 49 0.1 545 0.7 –385 –0.5

2015 74,135 7,555 4,354 81,690 78,489 104.1 –158 –0.2 557 0.7 97 0.1

2016 73,988 7,952 4,259 81,940 78,247 104.7 –147 –0.2 250 0.3 –242 –0.3

2017 74,626 8,229 5,328 82,855 79,954 103.6 638 0.9 915 1.1 1,707 2.2

2018 75,965 9,660 6,619 85,625 82,584 103.7 1,339 1.8 2,770 3.3 2,630 3.3


school leaving certificate was expected. At least an entrance qualifica tion for studies at a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) was required for 42,649 (7.8 %) of the registered training places, while a general higher education entrance qualification was the precondition specified for 7,094 (1.3 %) training places. For 572 (0.1 %) of the registered training places, the employer did not require a secondary general school certificate and for 22,312 (4.1 %) of the registered training places the expected school leaving qualification was either “not relevant” or “not specified”.100

2.2.1.3 Unplaced applicants and applicants with an alternative on the 30 September

In the 2017/2018 reporting year, 535,623 vocational training place applicants nationally had turned to

100 For a comparison of expected school leaving qualifications for training places that remained unfilled and the school leaving qualifications of registered applicants still seeking a training place please see Chapter 2.1.3.6.

employment offices and job centres in their search for a training place,101 12,201 (–2.2 %) fewer than in the year before. More detailed information (including time series) on the whereabouts of all applicants registered with the Federal Employment Agency (BA) can be found in Chapter 2.2.4.1. The following section focuses on unplaced applicants and applicants who had an alternative on the 30 of September but still wanted to be placed in training because these two factors, together with the number of newly concluded training contracts, are central to the calculation of supply and demand in the training place market.102

On the 30 of September 2018, 24,540 unplaced appli-cants were registered nationally as not being in train ing or an alternative measure, 828 (+3.5 %) more than in the

101 Only people who were registered in the reporting year, who wanted to be placed in training, and whose ability to start training has been established, are counted as applicants for vocational training places, so only young people mature enough to start training attain applicant status.


Discrepancies in the totals shown for “Western Länder” and “Eastern Länder” compared with national figures may be due to data that cannot be classified.Data may diverge from earlier representations due to subsequent revisions.1) Since 2009, the BA (Federal Employment Agency) statistics have also included information on applicants from licensed local authority agencies as a

standard detail. The total figure is made up of figures from employment offices ( Agenturen für Arbeit). jobcentres working jointly with employment offices, local authorities and jobcentres as licensed local authority agencies. Since the 2015/2016 reporting year, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) reporting has included special forms of training for Abitur (German university entrance qualification) holders. To present developments correctly, the period series from 2009 has been retroactively adjusted accordingly. Due to a statistical restructuring of the relevance of measures for the 2016/2017 reporting year, the comparison with the previous year’s unplaced applicant figures may be slightly overstated.

Sources: BIBB, survey on the 30 September, Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics, special evaluation in preparation for the Report on Vocational Education and Training (retroactive adjustment of the period series)

REPORT ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING 201954Ta

ble

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Cha

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from

201

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abso

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Nat

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previous year. The number of applicants who had begun an alternative to training (e. g. a pre- vocational training measure, internship or introductory training, etc.), but were still looking for a vocational train ing place and wanted to be placed in training by the employment of-fice (Agentur für Arbeit) or job centre fell by 2,430 (–4.3 %) to 54,079. On the reference date of 30 September 2018 78,619 applicants nationally still wanted to be placed in training, 1,602 (–2.0 %) fewer than in 2017.

These figures were different in western and eastern Länder.

In western Länder the number of registered applicants decreased by 12,521 (–2.7 %) to 445,201. Of these, 17,901 were unplaced on the reference date of the 30 of September (–464 or –2.5 %). The number of applicants with an alternative on the 30 of September fell by 2,510 (4.9 %) to 48,234, so there were fewer applicants in total looking for a training place on that date than on the same date in the previous year (–2,974 or –4.3 % to 66,135).

In eastern Länder the number of registered appli-cants was slightly higher than it was in the year before (+414 or +0.5 % to 90,144). More unplaced applicants were registered (+1,291 or +24.2 % to 6,619) and the number of registered applicants with an alternative was also greater than the previous year’s figure (+83 or +1.4 % to 5,824).

In eastern Länder a total of 12,443 applicants still wanted to be placed in training (+1,374 or +12.4 %).

2.2.1.4 Supply, demand and the supply and demand ratio (ANR)

As prescribed in Section 86 Paragraph 2 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG), the supply of vocational training places is recorded as the number of newly concluded training contracts calculated in the BIBB survey on the 30 of September plus training places that were registered with employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and still unfilled. In 2018, 589,069 vocational training places were registered nationally, so there were +16,795 (+2.9 %) more than in the previous year.

Demand for training places is calculated based on the number of newly concluded training contracts

and applicants registered with employment offices ( Agenturen für Arbeit) and jobcentres as still unplaced.103 According to this definition, demand for training places was at 555,953 (+8,951 or +1.6 %). After falls in this figure between 2011 and 2016, it was higher than the previous year’s figure for the second year in a row.104

The supply of people seeking training increased more sharply than demand, so ANR improved compared with the previous year (2017: 104.6; 2018: 106.0).

In western Länder the number of training places offered grew by 14,056 (+2.9 %) to 503,433 while the number of people seeking training places rose by 6,320 (+1.4 %) to 473,349 so ANR improved from 104.8 (2017) to 106.4 (2018). More training places were also offered than in the previous year in eastern Länder (+2,770 or +3.3 % to 85,625). An increase in demand was also recorded (+2,630 or +3.3 % to 82,584) so ANR was 103.7 (2017: 103.6).

2.2.1.5 The expanded supply and demand ratio (eANR)

The traditional definition of demand does not accurately represent the number of young people seeking training, so the Report on Vocational Training and National Education Report105 also makes use of an expanded def-inition of demand, which as well as trainees with newly concluded training contracts and unplaced applicants, also includes applicants with an alternative on the 30 of September who still wanted to be placed in training.

Demand according to the expanded definition also increased for the second year in a row again in 2018, rising to 610,032 (+6,521 or +1.1 %). This growth in demand is due to the fact that refugee applicants are increasingly being absorbed into the training market.106

103 Use of the services provided by the employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and jobcentres is voluntary for young people and compa-nies, so as well as the training places registered with them, there are other training places that are not registered and not all young people take advantage of employment office (Agenturen für Arbeit) consul-tancy and placement services.

104 For more background please see Chapter 2.1.3.12.

105 See also Autorengruppe Bildungsberichterstattung (2018): Bildung in Deutschland 2018. Ein indikatorengestützter Bericht mit einer Analyse zu Wirkungen und Erträgen von Bildung. Bielefeld.

106 See also the section on the situation of refugees in Chapter 2.1.3.12.


the national rate improved over the previous year’s figure (2017: 92.2; 2018 94.1). western Länder (2017: 92.3; 2018: 94.5) and eastern Länder (2017: 91.3; 2018: 91.9) recorded growth.

Chart 10 to Chart 12 present information on the development of the supply and demand ratio at the national level, in western Länder and in eastern Länder from 2009 to 2018.

Expanded ANR also improved nationally in 2018. Because growth on the supply side was higher than growth in demand (see above), expanded ANR also improved over the previous year’s figure, with a national rate of 96.6 in 2018 (2017: 94.8).

In western Länder demand according to the expanded definition rose by 3,810 (+0.7 %) to 521,583. The stronger growth in the number of training places on offer (see above) meant that expanded ANR improved compared with the previous year from the perspective of young people seeking training (2017: 94.5; 2018: 96.5). In eastern Länder demand (expanded definition) increased by 2,713 (+3.2 %) to 88,408 and expanded ANR was 96.9 (2017: 96.7).

2.2.1.6 The expanded supply and demand ratio based on in-company training places

Even when expanded ANR is calculated based exclusive ly on company-based training places,107

107 For more information see Chapter 2.2.2.3.

Chart 10: ANR, expanded ANR and expanded ANR based on companybased training places nationally, 2009 to 2018

90.592.0

94.894.896.696.6

70.0

75.0

95.0

100.0

105.0

110.0

90.0

80.0

85.0

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

82.184.1

88.788.7 89.2 88.588.5 89.5 90.3 90.992.2

94.194.1

100.4101.4

103.3103.3 103.2103.2

93.393.393.593.5 92.992.9 93.593.5 93.893.8

89.189.1

102.5102.5 103.2103.2 103.8103.8 104.3 104.6106.0

Expanded ANRANR Expanded ANR, company-based training

Sources: BIBB, survey on the 30 September; Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics, special analysis carried out in preparation for the Report on Vocational Education and Training

In addition to the differences between eastern and western Länder there were major regional disparities in ANR. ANR varied significantly in the different Länder, ranging from 91.2 (Berlin) to 115.7 (Bavaria), while Bavaria had the highest expanded ANR figure, at 109.5. Thuringia (105.1) and Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania (102.8), and Saarland (101.9) also all recorded figures over 100. Berlin (86.1) and Hamburg (89.7) had the lowest rates.108

108 Training market outcomes for 2018 differentiated by Länder, employment agency district and occupation can be found on the BIBB website. As well as a range of detailed tables, it also now offers interactive regional maps that visualise central benchmark data and training market indicators. Please go to bibb.de/naa309-2018.

http://www.bibb.de/naa309-2018


Chart 11: ANR, expanded ANR and expanded ANR based on companybased training places in western Länder, 2009 to 2018

70.0

75.0

95.0

100.0

105.0

110.0

90.0

80.0

85.0

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

84.285.6

89.5 89.788.6

89.6 90.4 90.892.392.3

94.594.5

88.488.489.8

92.992.9 93.093.091.4 92.3 92.992.9 93.393.3

94.594.596.596.5

100.8 101.6103.4103.4 103.5103.5

102.5 103.2103.2 103.8103.8 104.2 104.8106.4



2.2.1.7 The computed placement rate of young people interested in training ( EQI)

The computed placement rate of young people interested in training (Einmündungsquote der ausbil-dungsinteressierten Jugendlichen – EQI) calculates the proportion of young people registered with institutions as interested in training who were recruited into dual vocational training in a given reporting year. The figure is calculated by correlating the number of newly concluded training contracts on the 30 of September (2018: 531,413) with the number of all young people registered with institutions as interested in training (2018: 805,677).109 This number is made up of the total

109 The computed placement rate refers to all young people who reported an interest in training during the reporting year. By the reference date of the 30 of September some applicants who regis-tered for vocational training places during the year may no longer wish to be placed in training (e. g. because they have changed their minds during the reporting year and decided to start tertiary studies or school-based training) or their whereabouts may be unknown. This means that some applicants could be counted twice, because among those whose whereabouts are unknown there may be applicants who have in fact started training. Other applicants may also have applied for a training place, even though they already had a training place (see Chapter 2.2.4.1).

newly concluded training contracts (531,413) and applicants for training registered with employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and job centres (535,623) minus those registered applicants who were placed in training (261,359), because otherwise some applicants would be counted twice.

The national computed placement rate (EQI) was 66.0, so it was marginally better than the figure for the year before (2017: 64.9). Western Länder also recorded a slight rise in the rate (2017: 65.1; 2018: 66.4) while eastern Länder did not quite achieve the previous year’s figure (2017: 63.9; 2018: 63.5, see also Chart 13).

EQI varied considerably between the different Länder. Bavaria (74.9), Hamburg (72.2), Thuringia (72.1) and Baden-Württemberg (70.4) all reported rates over 70 % that were higher than average, while Berlin (53.6) and Brandenburg (59.6) had comparatively low EQI rates (under 60 %).


Chart 12: ANR, expanded ANR and expanded ANR based on companybased training places in eastern Länder, 2009 to 2018

70.0

75.0

95.0

100.0

105.0

110.0

90.0

80.0

85.0

71.876.076.0

83.983.985.9

87.987.989.089.0

90.191.3 91.3 91.992.792.7

94.496.6

95.2 96.097.0 97.0 97.4 96.7 96.9

98.498.4100.0

102.5102.5 101.4 102.3103.5103.5 104.1104.1 104.7

103.7103.7103.6103.6

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018



In summary, in 2018 the number of training places offered and of young people seeking training both increased and more training place contracts were concluded than in the previous year. In 2018, the number of training places offered rose more steeply than demand for training did, so national training place market conditions again improved for young people seeking training. There are however still major differences between various regions and occupations.

2.2.2 Newly concluded training contracts according to structural characteristics

2.2.2.1 Developments in training sectors

Categorising the results of the BIBB survey of newly concluded training contracts on the 30 of September by sector110 reveals that growth in numbers of newly

110 The BIBB survey on the 30 of September accounts for newly con-cluded training contracts not by sector but according to the entity regulating that training occupation. The following should therefore be noted: “What is decisive in the classification of training contracts by sector is usually the type of training occupation and not the training

concluded training place contracts was due largely to increases in this figure in the sectors of Trade and Industry, Skilled Trades, Professional Services and in the Public Sector.

In Trade and Industry, the largest sector, the number of newly concluded training contracts increased by 5,559 (+1.8 %) to 309,830. 58.3 % (2017: 58.1 %) of all new training contracts were concluded in this sector.

The second-largest sector in 2018 was the Skilled Trades in which 27.3 % (2017: 27.5 %) of all training contracts were concluded. It registered 145,308 new training contracts, 1,589 (+1.1 %) more than in 2017.

entity. The contracts of trainees who train in the public sector in commercial economy occupations, the Trade and Industry and Skilled Trades sectors (depending on the relevant entity). […] The classification therefore refers to ‘sectors’ and not ‘training sectors’ because the train ing actually provided in individual sectors does not necessarily corre spond with the results by sector. In some Länder for example, the IHK is also the entity in charge of the training sector of Housekeeping and for some Public Sector occupations so a clear division by training sector is not always possible.” (See also the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A1.2)


Chart 13: The computed placement rate of young people interested in training (EQI), 2009 to 2018

55.0

57.0

59.0

61.0

63.0

65.0

67.0

69.0

71.0

73.0

75.0

65.165.1 65.6

67.0

68.1

66.766.7

65.2 64.464.7

64.764.765.1

67.667.6

65.0

63.2 63.0

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 20182017

66.166.1

68.268.268.568.5

66.766.7

64.864.8

64.964.9

63.663.6 63.663.6

64.864.865.2

64.964.9

66.466.4

65.1

63.963.9

66.066.0

63.563.5

EQI nationally EQI eastern LänderEQI western Länder


The Professional Services sector also recorded growth in the number of newly concluded training contracts (+1,149 or +2.5 % to 46,244). The national percentage of new training contracts concluded in the Professional Services sector of all newly concluded training contracts was 8.7 % (2017: 8.6 %).

In the Public Sector 14,449 new training contracts were concluded nationally, 195 (+1.4 %) more than in 2017. The Agriculture sector reported 13,465 newly concluded training contracts, 237 (–1.7 %) fewer than in the year before. The Housekeeping and Shipping sectors also recorded falls in new training contract numbers. In the Housekeeping sector the number of newly concluded training contracts fell by 115 (–5.5 %) to 1,992, although this fall must be seen in the context of the deliberate downsizing of publicly funded (“non-company”) training, which plays a larger role in training in the Housekeeping sector than it does in other sectors. 125 new training contracts were concluded in the Shipping sector, 17 fewer (–12.0 %) than in the year before.

2.2.2.2 Contracts for training in and outside companies

Of the 531,413 new training contracts concluded nationally in 2018, 516,529 were concluded in companies (97.2 %) and 14,884 were non-company training places (2.8 %),111 so the number of new company- based training contracts rose by 9,118 (+1.8 %) over the previous year’s figure. The number of non- company training places fell by 995 (–6.3 %), so the relative proportion of company-based training places rose in both western and in eastern Länder (see Table 10).

111 It is financing form and not place of learning that is definitive for this classification, so “non-company training places” are those that are mainly publicly financed.

Table 8 depicts the number of newly concluded training contracts by sector and Länder for 2018. Table 9 shows the absolute and percentage changes in figures compared with the previous year.


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2.2.2.3 The trend in the number of company-based training places

In the light of the increasing difficulties that many companies are experiencing in filling the training places they offer,113 the trend in the number of newly concluded training contracts and proportion of all company-based training contracts is also of interest. As well as newly concluded company-based training contracts, unfilled vocational training places registered with the Federal Employment Agency (BA) are taken into account in tracking this trend.

Of the 589,069 vocational training places offered nationally in 2018, 574,185 were in companies, so the number of company-based training places grew by 17,790 (+3.2 %) over the previous year’s figure.

113 See also Chapter 2.1.3.5.

The percentage of non-company training contracts is still higher in eastern Länder than it is in western Länder. The higher proportion of non-company training places in eastern Länder on its own does not mean that the training market situation is still less favourable than it is in western Länder, as analyses of the training balance have demonstrated.112 In fact it is a result of a different way of dealing with un-successful training place applicants and a different funding policy. While qualifying course modules in the transition system are provided for young people in western Länder who were unable to find a training place, in eastern Länder, partly in reaction to a training market situation that was bad for many years, many more school-based or fully-qualifying non-company vocational training places are offered. In response to demographic change and the resulting fall in demand for training places, the number of non-company training places has been deliberately reduced in recent years. In 2009, all eastern Länder were still registering percentages of non-company training places in the double-figure range (with the highest figure in 2009 25.4 % in Brandenburg). In 2018, however, the numbers ranged from just 4.3 % (Berlin) and 6.4 % (Saxony- Anhalt and Thuringia), as Table 11 shows.

112 See also Chapter 2.2.1.

The biggest growth in company-based training place numbers was recorded in the Trade and Industry sector (+11,891 or +3.7 % to 336,107). In the Skilled Trades sector, the number of company-based training places offered rose by 4,115 (+2.7 %) to 157,353 while 49,241 more company-based training places were registered in the Professional Services sector, 1,650 (+3.5 %) more than in the year before. Table 12 shows the trend in company-based training place numbers by sector. It should be noted that only those unfilled vocational training places that were also registered with the BA are taken into account.

2.2.2.4 Gender-specific differentiation

Of the 531,413 new training contracts concluded in 2018, 195,890 (36.9 %) were concluded with young women and 335,523 (63.1 %) with young men (2017: 37.8 % or 62.2 %).

The Professional Services sector had the highest relative percentage of training contracts concluded with women of all of the seven training sectors, at 91.9 %, followed by Housekeeping (86.3 %) and the Public Sector (62.8 %). 35.4 % of the new contracts in the Trade and Industry were concluded with women while the proportion of young women was fairly low in the Agriculture (24.0 %), Skilled Trades (20.4 %) and Shipping sectors (9.6 %).

Women are not just under-represented in dual vocational training; they are also concentrated in fewer training occupations. In 2018, 73.6 % of all the young women starting training did so in just 25 occupations. By comparison, only 61.9 % of all men started training in the 25 occupations most often chosen by young males. Chart 14 and Chart 15 provide information on the 25 occupations most frequently chosen by young women and young men.

As in previous years, the number of training contracts concluded young women fell again to 195,890 (–1,752 or –0.9 %). In contrast, the number of training contracts concluded with young men rose by 9,875 (+3.0 %) to 335,523, continuing a trend that has been observed for some time. It is increasingly the case that fewer training contracts are being concluded with young women. Compared with 2009, the number of training contracts concluded with young women


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Table 10: Newly concluded training contracts by financing form, 2009 to 2018

has fallen by 46,130 (–19.1 %). Over the same period the number of new training contracts concluded with young men rose by 13,236 (+4.1 %) (see Chart 16).

One reason for this fall in numbers is the decline in demand for dual vocational training from young women. Since 2009, the number of female applicants for training places registered with the Federal Employment Agency (BA) has fallen by 53,985 (–20.5 %) to 208,739,

while the number of registered male applicants has risen considerably (+26,710 or +8.9 % to 326,862).114

114 Numbers of young women interested in training and seeking training have also declined markedly. See also Matthes, Stephanie; Ulrich, Joachim Gerd; Flemming, Simone; Granath, Ralf-Olaf; Milde, Bettina (2018): Deutlich mehr Ausbildungsangebote, jedoch erneut mehr unbesetzte Plätze. Die Entwicklung des Ausbildungsmarktes im Jahr 2018. (bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/a11_beitrag_naa309-2018.pdf).

Young women are still far more often in full-time school-based vocational training, especially for the

year newly concluded training contracts

national western länder eastern länder

absolute relative absolute relative absolute relative

2009

Total 564,307 100.0 % 465,309 100.0 % 98,998 100.0 %

Company-based 518,506 91.9 % 442,439 95.1 % 76,067 76.8 %

Non-company 45,801 8.1 % 22,870 4.9 % 22,931 23.2 %

2010

Total 559,960 100.0 % 468,297 100.0 % 91,663 100.0 %

Company-based 518,917 92.7 % 445,821 95.2 % 73,096 79.7 %

Non-company 41,043 7.3 % 22,476 4.8 % 18,567 20.3 %

2011

Total 569,380 100.0 % 484,885 100.0 % 84,495 100.0 %

Company-based 538,920 94.7 % 466,191 96.1 % 72,729 86.1 %

Non-company 30,460 5.3 % 18,694 3.9 % 11,766 13.9 %

2012

Total 551,258 100.0 % 472,354 100.0 % 78,904 100.0 %

Company-based 525,354 95.3 % 454,785 96.3 % 70,569 89.4 %

Non-company 25,904 4.7 % 17,569 3.7 % 8,335 10.6 %

2013

Total 529,542 100.0 % 455,298 100.0 % 74,244 100.0 %

Company-based 507,861 95.9 % 440,456 96.7 % 67,405 90.8 %

Non-company 21,681 4.1 % 14,842 3.3 % 6,839 9.2 %

2014

Total 523,201 100.0 % 448,908 100.0 % 74,293 100.0 %

Company-based 502,807 96.1 % 435,166 96.9 % 67,641 91.0 %

Non-company 20,394 3.9 % 13,742 3.1 % 6,652 9.0 %

2015

Total 522,161 100.0 % 448,026 100.0 % 74,135 100.0 %

Company-based 503,296 96.4 % 435,028 97.1 % 68,268 92.1 %

Non-company 18,865 3.6 % 12,998 2.9 % 5,867 7.9 %

2016

Total 520,272 100.0 % 446,284 100.0 % 73,988 100.0 %

Company-based 502,722 96.6 % 433,827 97.2 % 68,895 93.1 %

Non-company 17,550 3.4 % 12,457 2.8 % 5,093 6.9 %

2017

Total 523,290 100.0 % 448,664 100.0 % 74,626 100.0 %

Company-based 507,411 97.0 % 437,437 97.5 % 69,974 93.8 %

Non-company 15,879 3.0 % 11,227 2.5 % 4,652 6.2 %

2018

Total 531,413 100.0 % 455,448 100.0 % 75,965 100.0 %

Company-based 516,529 97.2 % 444,951 97.7 % 71,578 94.2 %

Non-company 14,884 2.8 % 10,497 2.3 % 4,387 5.8 %

Source: BIBB, survey on the 30 September


Table 11: Newly concluded training contracts by financing form and Länder, 2009 and 2016 to 2018 (Part 1)

land yearabsolute relative

Company-based non-company Total Company-based non-company Total

Baden- Württemberg

2009 72,156 2,654 74,810 96.5 3.5 100.0

…

2016 72,139 1,849 73,988 97.5 2.5 100.0

2017 72,949 1,707 74,656 97.7 2.3 100.0

2018 74,048 1,264 75,312 98.3 1.7 100.0

Bavaria

2009 90,097 3,467 93,564 96.3 3.7 100.0

…

2016 91,565 1,820 93,385 98.1 1.9 100.0

2017 91,052 1,476 92,528 98.4 1.6 100.0

2018 93,981 1,452 95,433 98.5 1.5 100.0

Berlin

2009 15,425 4,060 19,485 79.2 20.8 100.0

…

2016 15,646 801 16,447 95.1 4.9 100.0

2017 15,460 663 16,123 95.9 4.1 100.0

2018 15,643 711 16,354 95.7 4.3 100.0

Brandenburg

2009 11,233 3,832 15,065 74.6 25.4 100.0

…

2016 9,690 745 10,435 92.9 7.1 100.0

2017 9,760 671 10,431 93.6 6.4 100.0

2018 10,067 637 10,704 94.0 6.0 100.0

Bremen

2009 5,667 466 6,133 92.4 7.6 100.0

…

2016 5,634 328 5,962 94.5 5.5 100.0

2017 5,501 408 5,909 93.1 6.9 100.0

2018 5,472 388 5,860 93.4 6.6 100.0

Hamburg

2009 12,760 736 13,496 94.5 5.5 100.0

…

2016 12,838 481 13,319 96.4 3.6 100.0

2017 13,005 425 13,430 96.8 3.2 100.0

2018 12,942 448 13,390 96.7 3.3 100.0

Hesse

2009 36,183 3,270 39,453 91.7 8.3 100.0

…

2016 35,659 1,606 37,265 95.7 4.3 100.0

2017 36,207 1,519 37,726 96.0 4.0 100.0

2018 36,814 1,413 38,227 96.3 3.7 100.0

Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania

2009 8,918 2,907 11,825 75.4 24.6 100.0

…

2016 7,332 537 7,869 93.2 6.8 100.0

2017 7,464 507 7,971 93.6 6.4 100.0

2018 7,619 513 8,132 93.7 6.3 100.0


land yearabsolute relative

Company-based non-company Total Company-based non-company Total

Lower Saxony

2009 55,085 2,310 57,395 96.0 4.0 100.0

…

2016 53,056 1,606 54,662 97.1 2.9 100.0

2017 53,361 1,340 54,701 97.6 2.4 100.0

2018 54,075 1,565 55,640 97.2 2.8 100.0

North Rhine- Westphalia

2009 114,587 6,917 121,504 94.3 5.7 100.0

…

2016 111,774 2,941 114,715 97.4 2.6 100.0

2017 113,978 2,718 116,696 97.7 2.3 100.0

2018 115,915 2,366 118,281 98.0 2.0 100.0

Rhineland- Palatinate

2009 27,348 1,503 28,851 94.8 5.2 100.0

…

2016 24,937 915 25,852 96.5 3.5 100.0

2017 25,331 838 26,169 96.8 3.2 100.0

2018 25,448 778 26,226 97.0 3.0 100.0

Saarland

2009 8,180 609 8,789 93.1 6.9 100.0

…

2016 6,839 318 7,157 95.6 4.4 100.0

2017 6,463 282 6,745 95.8 4.2 100.0

2018 6,535 308 6,843 95.5 4.5 100.0

Saxony

2009 17,855 5,961 23,816 75.0 25.0 100.0

…

2016 16,978 1,469 18,447 92.0 8.0 100.0

2017 18,067 1,370 19,437 93.0 7.0 100.0

2018 18,524 1,177 19,701 94.0 6.0 100.0

Saxony-Anhalt

2009 11,399 3,538 14,937 76.3 23.7 100.0

…

2016 9,999 765 10,764 92.9 7.1 100.0

2017 9,586 724 10,310 93.0 7.0 100.0

2018 9,913 677 10,590 93.6 6.4 100.0

Schleswig- Holstein

2009 20,376 938 21,314 95.6 4.4 100.0

…

2016 19,386 593 19,979 97.0 3.0 100.0

2017 19,590 514 20,104 97.4 2.6 100.0

2018 19,721 515 20,236 97.5 2.5 100.0

Thuringia

2009 11,237 2,633 13,870 81.0 19.0 100.0

…

2016 9,250 776 10,026 92.3 7.7 100.0

2017 9,637 717 10,354 93.1 6.9 100.0

2018 9,812 672 10,484 93.6 6.4 100.0

Table 11: Newly concluded training contracts by financing form and Länder, 2009 and 2016 to 2018 (Part 2)


Details on figures for 2010 to 2015 can be found in the 2017 Report on Vocational Education and Training.


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Chart 14: The 25 occupations as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) most frequently chosen by young women in 2018

Office management clerk

Salesperson

Medical assistant

Industrial clerk

Retail salespersonDental nurse

Hotel business specialist

Clerk in public administration

Bank clerk

Wholesale and foreign trade clerk

Salesperson specialising in foodstuffsTax clerk

Paralegal

OpticianFreight forwarding and logistics agent

Veterinary assistant

Health services administrative assistant

Hairdresser

Car trade salesperson

CookDigital and print media designer

Insurance and financial services broker

Social insurance clerkTourism and leisure agent

Real estate agent

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000

Source: BIBB, survey on the 30 September 2018

healthcare, education and social services occupations. The Interim Report on Integrated Reporting on Training (iABE) recorded a 76.2 % proportion of women in school-based vocational training in the healthcare, education and social services occupations in 2018. Of the 178,718 people who began training in this area in 2018, 136,138 were women.

The Interim Report on Integrated Reporting on Training (iABE) also found that young women more frequently complete secondary school. In 2018, more young women, 256,578, were on track to gain a higher education entrance qualification than young men were (227,524).115 When figures over the longer term are reviewed (since 2005), it becomes apparent that first-year university student numbers have become more evenly balanced between the genders, with the more recent trend favouring young women. Although

115 Integrated Reporting on Training (iABE) divides the training activ-i ties of young people who have completed their lower secondary education into four overarching (training) sectors and sub-accounts (education and training programmes). See also Chapter 2.1.1.

more young women than young men gained a higher education entrance qualification in 2005, the number of male first-year university students in 2005, at 187,965, was still far higher than the number of female first- year university students, at 178,277. In 2014, there were more female first-year university students than male first-year university students for the first time. In 2018, the number of female first-year university students (263,711) was again higher than the number of male first-year university students (250,277). Young women’s declining interest in dual vocational training must therefore be seen in the context of their higher school leaving qualifications, increasing tendency to study in the tertiary sector and their greater interest in training in the social services, care and nursing and healthcare occupations. Table 1 in Chapter 2.1.1 depicts the trend in numbers of new entrants into training by gender.

A special analysis carried out by the BIBB in 2018 came to the conclusion that the following reasons in particular were responsible for the different develop-ments in the participation of men and women in


training for occupations as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO): firstly, demographic change has resulted in an overall decline in the number of young people of both genders. The recent compensatory effect achieved for men by the influx of male refugees was not achieved for women. Another reason is the higher levels of school leaving qualifications being achieved,116 which has resulted in different developments for each gender. Women are increasingly turning away from primary service occu-pations117 in favour of training courses outside the dual system that usually require a school leaving certificate after year ten. Men have also more frequently begun training in occupations outside the dual system in recent years. When they do have a higher education entrance qualification, however, they undergo training in occupations as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) more often than women do. The converse was the case at end of the


117 Such as salesperson specialising in foodstuffs or restaurant specialist, for example.

2000s. Among the possible reasons for this that have been given are that young men achieve on average lower grades in their Abitur (German university entrance qualification) or final year of schooling, drop out of tertiary studies more often and when that hap-pens are more often interested in manufacturing and production occupations.118 There has therefore been more success in interesting new groups of men in dual vocational training. The growth in numbers of young male foreign nationals starting training has benefited manufacturing and production occupations and secondary services occupations as well as the primary services occupations.

Earlier reports on Vocational Education and Training reported on women’s reduced chances of being placed in dual vocational training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO).

118 See also Dionisius, Regina; Kroll, Stephan; Ulrich, Joachim Gerd (2018): Wo bleiben die jungen Frauen? Ursachen für ihre sinkende Beteiligung an der dualen Berufsausbildung. BWP 6/2018 (bibb.de/veroeffentlichungen/de/bwp/show/9484).

Chart 15: The 25 occupations as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) most frequently chosen by young men in 2018

Freight forwarding and logistics services clerk

Motor vehicle mechatronics technician

Machine fitter

Electronics technician

Sales assistant for retail services Retail salesman

Plant mechanic for sanitary, heating and air-conditioning systems

Warehouse logistics operatorWholesale and foreign trade clerk

Mechatronics fitterOffice managerIndustrial clerk

JoinerElectronics technician for industrial engineering

Milling machine operator

Metal worker

Inventory clerk

Bank clerk

Information technology specialist

Cook

Painter and varnisher

Driver

Carpenter

GardenerMachine and plant operator

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000

Source: BIBB, survey on the 30 September 2018

http://www.bibb.de/veroeffentlichungen/de/bwp/show/9484


Chart 16: Developments in newly concluded training contracts by gender

170,000

190,000

210,000

230,000

250,000

270,000

290,000

310,000

330,000

350,000

234,865234,865 231,837231,837

214,311214,311209,734209,734 207,636207,636

197,642197,642 195,890195,890

325,095325,095

337,543337,543327,163327,163

315,231315,231 313,467313,467 314,525314,525 316,146316,146325,648325,648

335,523335,523

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 20182017

322,287322,287

242,020242,020

204,126204,126

224,095224,095

New training contracts with women New training contracts with men

Source: BIBB survey on the 30 September

Women’s narrower range of career choices, which results in more intense competition for training places in those occupa tions, was proposed as a possible reason for this. 119 Analyses carried out by the BIBB indicate, however, that women’s prospects of being placed in training in the dual system would also not improve if they were to apply for training in occupations that are less popular and in which men mainly work. For both young women and for young men, the chances of being placed in train ing are still best in those occupations in which their own gender make up the majority.120 A study carried out by the WZB found that in some occupations women’s applications for dual vocational training were on average more likely to be rated as inferior compared with those from men. This pheno-menon varies in different industries and occupations. Applications from female applicants for training in male-dominated occupations are also evaluated less


120 See also Beicht, Ursula; Walden, Günter (2014): Berufswahl junger Frauen und Männer: Übergangschancen in betriebliche Ausbildung und erreichtes Berufsprestige. BIBB Report 4/2014 (bibb.de/bibbreport-4-2014).

favourably. Conversely, men who want to pursue female-dominated occupations do not experience any disadvantage in doing so.121

2.2.2.5 Occupations requiring two years of training

In 2018, 45,570 new training contracts were concluded nationally in occupations requiring two years of regular training,122 1,046 (+2.3 %) more than in 2017 (see Chart 17). The proportion of training places in occupations requiring two years training of the total volume of training places also rose slightly (2017: 8.5 %; 2018: 8.6).123

121 See also Kübler, Dorothea; Schmid, Julia; Stüber, Robert (2017): Be a Man or Become a Nurse: Comparing Gender Discrimination by Employers across a Wide Variety of Professions. WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2017-201 (bibliothek.wzb.eu/pdf/2017/ii17-201.pdf).

122 Examples of occupations requiring two years of vocational training include retail sales assistant, hospitality services industry specialist, service specialist in dialogue marketing, skilled express and postal services employee, building construction worker, machine and plant operator, inventory clerk and metals technology specialist.

123 Over a longer period, the percentages have developed as follows: 2004: 6.3 %; 2005: 7.2 %; 2006: 8.1 %; 2007: 8.6 %; 2008: 8.6 %; 2009: 9.2 %; 2010: 9.5 %; 2011: 9.1 %; 2012: 9.0 %; 2013: 8.7 %; 2014: 8.6 %; 2015: 8.6 %; 2016: 8.4 %; 2017: 8.5 %; 2018: 8.6 %.

http://www.bibb.de/bibbreport-4-2014


Chart 17: Newly concluded training contracts in occupations requiring two years of vocational training, 2004 to 2018

Western LänderEastern Länder

0

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

14,158

21,890

15,360

24,384

17,297

29,228

16,684

37,346

14,497

38,579

13,265

38,476

12,496

40,503

10,399

41,578

9,236

40,538

8,143

38,069

8,120

37,073

8,000

36,697

7,739

36,221

8,220

36,304

8,616

36,954

2006 20092004 2008 2012 2015 20162014 2017 20182005 20132010 20112007

36,048

39,744

54,03052,011 51,977

46,21245,193

43,96045,57046,525

53,076 52,999

49,774

44,52444,697


In western Länder 36,954 contracts were concluded in occupations requiring two years’ training, an increase of 650 (+1,8 %). In eastern Länder the number of new contracts concluded for training in occupations requir-ing two years of training grew by 396 (+4.8 %) to 8,616.

The proportion of new contracts concluded in occupations requiring two years’ training was greater in eastern Länder again in 2018, at 11.3 %, than it was in western Länder with a figure of 8.1 %. The fact that comparatively more new contracts were concluded in occupations requiring two years of training in eastern Länder than in western Länder is a result of the higher share of non-company training offered in eastern Länder. Non-company training is often provided for occupations requiring two years of training, so in eastern Länder 13.1 % of newly concluded training contracts in occupations requiring two years’ training were conclu ded for mainly publicly financed (“non-company”) forms of training in 2018.

In earlier years this figure was substantially higher (2011: 37.1 %; 2012: 30.6 %; 2013: 27.3 %; 2014: 26.0 %; 2015: 22.3 %; 2016: 18.2 %; 2017: 15.4%)124 again reflecting the deliberate cutback in numbers of non-company training places.

The following individual occupations requiring two years of training recorded growth in numbers of newly concluded training contracts: hospitality services industry specialist (2016: 2,005; 2017: 2,193; 2018: 2,293), inventory clerk (2016: 5,623; 2017: 6,072; 2018: 6,228), civil engineering worker (2016: 1,372; 2017: 1,627; 2018: 1,889) and machine and plant oper-ator (2016: 3,855; 2017: 4,349; 2018: 4,759). The fact that the number of newly concluded training contracts in occupations requiring two years of training rose again for the second year in a row after declining figures in

124 By comparison: western Länder 2011: 10.9 %; 2012: 9.5 %; 2013: 8.9 %; 2014: 8.5 %; 2015: 7.9 %; 2016: 7.3 %; 2017: 6.5 %; 2018: 5.4 %.


previous years is due to the increased placement of refugees in training for these occupations.

2.2.3 Schooling background of trainees with newly concluded training contracts

Statements on the schooling background of trainees with newly concluded training contracts cannot be made based on data from the BIBB survey of newly con-cluded training contracts on the 30 September because the survey does not record schooling back ground. For this reason, the vocational training statis tics provided by the Federal Government and Länder statistics offices (vocational training statistics for the 31 of December) are drawn on as a source for the state ments below. The most current data available is that for 2017.

In 2017, 42.3 % of trainees with a new training contract had an intermediate school leaving certificate (women: 42.7 %; men: 42.1 %). 24.7 % had a secondary general school certificate (women: 19.3 %; men: 28.0 %) and 3.7 % had no secondary general school certificate (women: 2.5 %; men: 4.5 %). The percentage of young people with a higher education entrance qualification and a new training contract was 29.2 % (women: 35.5 %; men: 25.4 %) so compared with 2009 (20.4 %) the proportion of young people with a higher education entrance qualification among new trainees has risen substantially (see Chart 18). This is a result of the intro-duction of two-year final school classes and the trend towards higher school leaving qualifications. While the proportion of trainees with new training contracts and a secondary general school certificate has fallen, the share of those with an intermediate school leaving certificate has remained fairly stable. The percentage of trainees with newly concluded training contracts and no secondary general school certificate fluctuated minimally around the 3 % mark from 2009 to 2017.

The proportions of different school leaving qualifications held by young people with new training contracts in the various sectors125 again varied greatly from sector to sector.

125 No figures on trainees in the Shipping sector have been registered in the vocational training statistics since 2008, so no data is available on them.

In Trade and Industry young people with an inter-mediate school leaving certificate (41.4 %) formed the majority of trainees with newly concluded training contracts in 2017, followed by young people with a higher education entrance qualification (35.5 %) and those with a secondary general school certificate (19.6 %). 3.5 % of the new trainees had no secondary general school certificate.

In the Skilled Trades 41.4 % of trainees with newly concluded training contracts had an intermediate school leaving certificate, 39.8 % had a secondary general school certificate, 14.1 % had a higher education entrance qualification and 4.7 % had no secondary general school certificate.

In the Professional Services young people with an intermediate school leaving certificate formed the largest percentage of new trainees (54.7 %). 28.6 % had a higher education entrance qualification, 16.0 % had a secondary general school certificate and 0.7 % had left school without a secondary general school certificate.

More than half the new trainees in the Public Sector had a higher education entrance qualification (55.5 %). 40.9 % had an intermediate school leaving certificate, 3.4 % a secondary general school certificate and 0.2 % no secondary general school certificate.

In the Agriculture sector, trainees with a newly concluded training contract and an intermediate school leaving certificate were most strongly represented (39.1 %). 29.8 % had a secondary general school certifi cate and 23.4 % a higher education entrance qualification. A comparatively large proportion of young people with-out a secondary general school certificate (7.8 %) also concluded new training contracts in this sector.

In Housekeeping the percentage of young people with a secondary general school certificate was highest (50.7 %) and the number of new trainees with no second ary general school certificate was far higher than it was in other sectors (31.1 %). 14.9 % of the new trainees in this sector had an intermediate school leaving certificate and 3.4 % had a higher education entrance qualification.

Compared with the 2009 figures, the percentage of young people with a secondary general school


certificate has declined in almost all sectors126 while the proportion of those with a higher education entrance qualification has grown. This development must be seen in the context of falling numbers of school leavers leaving general schools with a secondary general school certificate and structural changes to the school system.127

2.2.4 Additional information on applicants represented in the BA statistics

2.2.4.1 The whereabouts of applicants registered with employment offices and job centres

As described above in Chapter 2.2.1.3, at the end of the vocational guidance year (2018) the Federal Employment Agency (BA) recorded 24,540 unplaced applicants and

126 The Professional Services sector is the exception. Here the proportion of new trainees with a secondary general school certificate has remained fairly constant (2009: 15.9 % compared with 16.0 % in 2017).

127 E. g. consolidation of the different forms of secondary general schools.

another 54,079 young people for whom placement efforts are also continuing (“applicants with an alter-native on the 30 September”). These young people had begun an alternative to training in the 2017/2018 training year but were still looking for a training place and wanted to be placed in training by the employment offices ( Agenturen für Arbeit) or job centres.

Since 2009, the number of applicants with an alternative on the 30 of September still looking for a training place has declined markedly and their proportion as a percentage of all registered applicants has decreased since 2009.128

As earlier Reports on Vocational Education and Training have observed, it must be kept in mind that the fundamental criterion underlying the expanded defini-tion of demand is the applicant’s continuing desire for a training place, so the definition takes on the perspective

128 2009: 13.0 %; 2010: 12.2 %; 2011: 11.2 %; 2012: 10.7 %; 2013: 11.1 %; 2014: 10.8 %; 2015: 10.9 %; 2016: 11.0 %; 2017: 10.3 %; 2018: 10.1 %.

Chart 18: Schooling background of trainees with newly concluded training contracts, 2009 to 2017

42.3 24.030.82.8

3.5 33.1 43.0 20.4

25.33.1 42.8 28.7

24.73.7 42.3 29.2

42.7 27.726.72.8

42.3 25.329.52.9

42.8 26.228.12.9

42.1 23.131.92.9

42.9 21.032.93.1

20 %10 % 40 % 60 % 80 %0 % 30 % 50 % 70 % 90 % 100 %

No secondary general school certificate

With secondary general school certificate

With intermediate school leaving certificate

With qualification to enter higher education

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2017

2016

Source: BIBB “Database of trainees” based on data from the vocational training statistics of the Federal Government and Länder statistics offices ( survey on the 31 of December)


The 78,619 applicants still looking for a training place on the 30 of September 2018 (24,540 unplaced applicants and 54,079 applicants with an alternative on the 30 of September) were by no means young people with low-level school leaving qualifications. As Chart 20 shows, 29.8 % of unplaced applicants and 26.5 % of applicants with an alternative on the 30 of September who still wanted a training place had a higher education entrance qualification. One possible reason for their lack of success in finding training places is the fairly narrow focus of holders of higher education entrance qualifications on a few occupations and the resulting tougher competitive situations in those occupations.130 It is also possible that current efforts to recruit university dropouts into dual vocational training has led them to register with the BA as training place applicants more often.


of young people seeking training. Yet not every applicant who still wants to be placed in training is without a fully-qualifying training place. Of the 54,079 applicants who had an alternative, 7,061 were continuing training they had already begun (1,421 unfunded, 5,640 funded) and another 1,367 were studying.129

Chart 19 offers a differentiated overview of the whereabouts of training place applicants registered with BA.

129 The fact that they had applied for training elsewhere shows, however, that the young person was dissatisfied with their situation at some point during the year and perhaps still is (so is at risk of dropping out) so including these young people in the statistics is entirely justifiable.

People whose whereabouts are unknownThe number of applicants in the Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics who were no longer seeking active help in their search for training, for whom no placement efforts were ongoing and about whose whereabouts no information was available (“other former applicants whose whereabouts are unknown”) was again relatively high, at 88,936. For more details see Chart 19. There is a risk of some of these young people dropping out of the education and training system “almost unnoticed” with the well-known negative consequences for their future employability and opportunities to participate in society. Their number fell by 5,371 (–5.7 %) compared with the previous year’s figure and their proportion of all registered applicants

also declined to 16.6 %.131 Since the 2016/2017 reporting year, the BA statistics have recorded information on the employment status of applicants whose whereabouts are unknown.132 20,591 or 23.2 % of those applicants, for whom no further placement efforts were ongoing and whose whereabouts was unknown, were registered as unemployed on the 30 of September 2018.

Information on the whereabouts of people whose whereabouts were unknown in the BA statistics is also provided by the BA/BIBB survey of applicants.133 It found that the proportion of applicants left outside the education and training system was much higher among those whose whereabouts were unknown. Earlier Reports on Vocational Education and Training have also noted that this group included higher proportions of people whose highest school leaving qualification is a secondary general school certificate and of people from a migrant background than the group of those whose whereabouts are known. The proportion of previously unsuccessful training applicants was also strikingly high among those whose whereabouts were unknown and shows that these young people are evidently repeatedly not succeeding in managing to transition into training or complete training.

2.2.4.2 Previously unsuccessful training applicants

Statements on previously unsuccessful training applicants can be made based on data from various sources and on a range of definitions. The development in numbers of these applicants compared with earlier reporting years is described below based on data derived from Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics. The results of the BA and BIBB survey of applications on previously unsuccessful training applicants are then presented.134

131 Since 2009, this figure has developed as follows: 2009: 18.3 %; 2010: 17.3 %; 2011: 15.9 %; 2012: 16.1 %; 2013: 17.0 %; 2014: 17.5 %; 2015: 17.1 %; 2016: 17.1 %; 2017: 17.2 %.

132 Information on applicants’ employment status without information about their whereabouts is derived from the labour market statistics for the reference date of the applicant statistics (see also the BA statistics, vocational training places and applicants, September 2017).

133 See also the Data Report accompanying the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training, Chapter A 8.1.2.

134 For details of developments in numbers of applicants who left school in years preceding the reporting year please see the Data Report accompanying the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training, Chapter A1.3.

REPORT ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING 201974C

hart

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Findings on unplaced applicants from earlier years from the BA/BIBB survey of applicantsThe BA/BIBB survey of applicants records young people as applicants from earlier years when they state that they have applied for a training place in the past, regard-less of whether they were registered with the Federal Employment Agency (BA) as training place applicants at that time. Using data from the BA/BIBB survey of applicants 2006 to 2016, the BIBB assessed the training opportunities of unplaced applicants from earlier years, comparing figures over that period.137 The BIBB found that the number of previously unsuccessful training applicants as a percentage of all registered applicants has fallen steeply in the past ten years (2006: 40 %; 2016: 27 %) and in 2018 this figure fell again. According


In 2018, the BA registered 189,234 people nationally who had applied for a training place in at least one of the past five reporting years, 5,507 (+3.0 %) more than in 2017. Table 13 shows the trend in numbers of appli-cants from earlier reporting years nationally and in western and eastern Länder.

The number of applicants from earlier reporting years as a percentage of all applicants rose nationally compared with 2017 (2014: 33.3 %; 2015: 33.7 %; 2016: 33.8 %; 2017: 33.5 %; 2018: 35.3 %).135 Western and eastern Länder both recorded growth in their numbers136

135 Reporting on applicants for training places registered with licensed local government authorities began in the 2008/2009 reporting year, so reporting on applicants from earlier reporting years only goes back to that year. A full range of figures is available from the 2013/2014 reporting year.

136 In interpreting the data, it should be taken into account that the BA classifies people in annual categories according to when they were last registered as applicants, so it is impossible to state whether someone who was last registered as an applicant before the reporting year had sought a training place with support from the BA in earlier years. The fact that a person was recorded as an applicant some time ago does not necessarily mean that they have been looking for a training place over the entire intervening period.

Chart 20: Schooling background of applicants registered with employment agencies (Agenturen für Arbeit) and job centres, 2018

No secondary general school certificate

With secondary general school certificate

Intermediate school certificate

Higher education entrance qualification

No information

Total applicants

Applicants

Other former applicants

Applicants with an alternative on 30.09

Unplaced applicants

0 % 10 % 60 % 70 %40 % 50 %20 % 30 % 80 % 90 % 100 %

39.6 27.126.71.7 4.9

45.4 22.226.21.6 4.6

32.8 33.526.81.6 5.4

39.4 26.528.61.9 3.7

32.1 29.828.32.6 7.1

Sources: Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics, BIBB calculations

( Western Länder: 2014: 33.4 %; 2015: 33.8 %; 2016: 34.0 %; 2017: 33.7 %; 2018: 35.5 %; eastern Länder: 2014 to 2016: 33.6 % each year; 2017: 32.9 %; 2018: 34.5 %).


to initial analyses based on data from the 2018 BA/ BIBB survey of applicants and BA/BIBB study of people from a forced migration background, the proportion of previously unsuccessful training applicants in 2018 was 25 %. More men (60 %) were among the previously unsuccessful training applicants in 2018 than women (40 %), which largely reflected the gender balance of first-time applicants for training (61 % to 39 %).

Previously unsuccessful training applicants form a very heterogeneous group, with partly good and partly very bad training prospects. The longer ago the applicant left school, and the lower the grades on their school leaving certificate are and the older the applicant is, the less likely they are to be placed in training in a company.

In 2018, previously unsuccessful training applicants who had applied for training for the first time the year before were placed in company-based training just as often as first-time applicants (a rate of 43 % each).138 Applicants who had first applied for training three years ago or more again had worse chances of gaining a company-based training place in 2018, with just 29 % placed in company-based training. If all fully- qualifying forms of training (dual training, school-based training, tertiary education) are considered together, 57 % of those applying for training for the first time were placed in each type of training, 59 % of previously unsuccessful training applicants from the year before and 46 % of previously unsuccessful training applicants who had first applied three years ago or more. Almost half of (48 %) previously unsuccessful training appli-cants who had applied for the first time three years ago or more were not in the training and education system at the end of the year.

2.2.4.3 Subsequent placement statistics

The placement activities of the employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and job centres do not end on the 30 of September, but continue in a “fifth quarter” (in a so-called “subsequent placement” phase).139

138 In 2016, the proportion of those placed in training who had first applied in the year before was 39 %.

139 There is a wide range of reasons why applicants may want to be placed in training so late in the year, including a lack of success in finding a training place or the desire to change out of a training placement already begun.

Subsequent placement is designed for all young people who want to begin training between the 1 of October and 31 of December in the current ongoing training year. This means that not only previously unsuccessful training applicants but also young people who were not formerly registered as applicants with employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and job centres register with them as seeking subsequent placement.

One of the innovations in Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics140 is that as of November 2018 they also record registered vocational training places in which training is to begin by the end of the year. This Report on Vocational Education and Training can, therefore, for the first time correlate training places that are still vacant and applicants still looking for train ing places, even though the training year has begun. Earlier Reports on Vocational Education and Training reported only on the whereabouts of appli-cants still looking for training places in this context.

For January 2019, Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics registered 71,544 vocational training places that should have been filled in 2018. The figure is made up of the 57,656 unfilled vocational training places reg-istered on the reference date of the 30 of September141 and another 13,888 training places that were only later registered with employment advisory and consultancy services.142 69,735 (97.5 %) of these registered training places were training places in companies.

For the 71,544 training places there were 66,717 applicants for whom placement efforts continued until the end of 2018, 50,029 of whom were registered as applicants in the previous reporting year of 2017/2018. This means that more training places than applicants were registered in the “fifth quarter”. This was not the case in the previous year, when there were 68,718 regis-tered applicants and 64,262 registered training places.

There are however still major regional differences (see Table 14).


141 See Chapter 2.2.1.3 and Chapter 2.2.4.1.

142 These may be training places for which the contract has been terminated prematurely during the trial period that the company wants to fill again swiftly.


Table 13: Applicants from earlier reporting years, 2012 to 2018

applicants

Totalwere applicants in 1 of the past 5 reporting years

were applicants 1 or 2 years before the reporting year

of whomwere applicants in 1 of the past

5 years before the reporting year compared with the previous year

were applicants 1 year before the

reporting year

were applicants 2 years before the

reporting yearabsolute Relative in %

National

2012 563,305 163,814 142,770 21,044

2013 562,841 166,070 145,971 20,099

2014 561,145 187,043 173,131 151,031 22,100

2015 550,910 185,485 171,186 148,745 22,441 –1,558 –0.8

2016 547,728 185,150 170,862 147,907 22,955 –335 –0.2

2017 547,824 183,727 169,875 147,664 22,211 –1,423 –0.8

2018 535,623 189,234 174,972 148,041 26,931 5,507 3.0

Western Länder

2012 469,899 137,859 120,789 17,070

2013 470,131 139,395 122,948 16,447

2014 467,645 156,373 145,899 127,878 18,021

2015 458,118 155,066 144,124 125,603 18,521 –1,307 –0.8

2016 454,688 154,607 143,509 124,497 19,012 –459 –0.3

2017 457,722 154,109 143,143 124,642 18,501 –498 –0.3

2018 445,201 158,095 146,832 124,549 22,283 3,986 2.6

Eastern Länder

2012 93,198 25,915 21,946 3,969

2013 91,395 26,632 22,982 3,650

2014 90,432 30,376 26,939 22,863 4,076

2015 89,540 30,103 26,749 22,839 3,910 –273 –0.9

2016 90,552 30,401 27,213 23,275 3,938 298 1.0

2017 89,730 29,513 26,637 22,929 3,708 –888 –2.9

2018 90,144 31,071 28,079 23,437 4,642 1,558 5.3

Source: Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics, special evaluation in preparation for the Report on Vocational Education and Training

Subsequent placement resulted in 6,500 (9.7 %) of the 66,717 applicants being placed in training; 27,342 appli-cants (41.0 %) remained unplaced. Efforts to place them and the 20,905 (31.3 %) applicants who had an alternative of training continued. The other 11,970 (17.9 %) applicants were elsewhere and had ended their search for training for various reasons. The whereabouts of 6,847 people in this latter group were unknown.

If only the two groups of applicants still looking for a training place on the reference date of 30 September (unplaced applicants and applicants with an alternative

on the 30 of September) are taken into consideration here, the results are as follows:

Subsequent placement further reduced the number of unplaced applicants. At the outset of the action 24,455143 applicants were unplaced (100 %) but

143 It should be noted that only those applicants from the previous report ing year who still wanted to be placed in training after the 30 of September are counted here so the figures diverge from those on unplaced applicants and applicants with an alternative on the 30 of September from the figures for the reference date of the 30 of September presented in Chapters 2.2.1.3 and 2.2.4.1. Since the train-ing year is almost over at this point, fewer people will be looking for


by January 2019 their number had decreased to just 14,073 (57.5 %). 1,823 (7.5 %) had been placed in training, 2,607 (10.7 %) were in an alternative but still wanted a training place and 5,952 (24.3 %) had an alternative but had put an end to training placement efforts or ended their search for training and their whereabouts were unknown.

Of the 13,161 applicants with an alternative on the 30 of September who still wanted a training place (100 %), 945 (7.2 %) were placed in training. Training placement efforts had ended for 1,834 (13.9 %) applicants with an alternative. 9,246 (70.3 %) of those still seeking a training place remained in an alternative to training, while 1,136 (8.6 %) were unplaced and also still wanted to be placed in training.

It should be noted that placing trainees in training several weeks or months after the new training year has started is a major challenge. Companies offering training generally focus their efforts on the start of the training year, so subsequent placement usually offers only training places that could not be filled during the year or have become vacant due to premature training contract termination.144

2.2.5 Success in examinations and the transition into employment

Analyses carried out by the BIBB based on data from the vocational training statistics provided by the statis-tical offices of the Federal Government and Länder for 2017 found that 392,685 people passed their final training examinations, completing their vocational training by gaining a formal vocational qualification. The success rate for all final examinations held (exam participation rate) was 90.3 % (2016: 90.0 %).

If the reference value used in this analysis is not the 435,042 final training examinations held (405,633 first-time examinations, 29,409 repeat examinations), but the 423,339 people who sat final examinations,145 the

a training place for the current year in the months from October to December. It can be assumed that most of these people will register as applicants again in the new reporting year.

144 For information on occupations with high rates of unfilled training places of all company-based training places see Chapter 2.1.3.6. For more details on contract termination rates see Chapter 2.1.3.8.

145 The number of people sitting exams is a person-related parameter in contrast to the number of exams sat, which is a case-related

success rate was even higher, at 92.8 % (2016: 92.6 %).

92.1 % of participants succeeded in gaining a formal vocational qualification at their first attempt.

Men (92.3 % of male participants) and women (93.4 % of female participants) had similarly high rates of success in the examinations, although men achieved their rate only by participating slightly more often in repeat examinations.

Statements on the transfer of trainees who have successfully completed training into employment can be made based on IAB Establishment Panel data. The transfer rate into employment measures the number of qualified trainees who were subsequently employed by the company they trained in. In 2017, the transfer rate into employment was 74 %, which was the highest figure registered since 2000. The larger the company, the more likely it is to employ its former trainees (1 to 9 employees: 60 %; 10 to 49 employees: 74 %; 50 to 499 employees: 74 %; 500 employees and more: 83 %). Over the longer term there has been a consider-able increase in trainees’ transfer into employment in companies in all size categories.146 In companies with at least ten employees, 76 % of trainees who successfully completed training were subsequently employed by the company. It should be noted that information on trainees who were employed in a company other than the one they trained in or who started tertiary studies or other vocational qualifications is not recorded here.

2.2.6 Prognoses for the development of training market supply and demand, 2019

In keeping with its remit under sec. 86 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG), the Report on Vocational Education and Training reviews the training market forecast for the calendar year past and makes a prognosis of the development of supply and demand in the training market for the 2019 calendar year in this section.

parameter. Every person who sat an exam during the reporting year is counted just once, regardless of how many exams they sat, so the number of people sitting exams is usually smaller than the number of exams sat in a calendar year. For further information on the various figures and findings on examination success rates see the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A5.7.

146 See also doku.iab.de/arbeitsmarktdaten/ Ausbildungsbeteiligung_ 2006-2017.pdf.




Table 14: Registered vocational training places and applicants who wanted to start training by the end of 2018

2.2.6.1 A look back at the prognosis for 2018

Based on the results of PROSIMA, the econometric prognosis and simulation model that the BIBB uses to forecast the training market situation, the prognosis in the 2018 Report on Vocational Education and Training predicted a slight increase in the number of training places to 573,800 (point estimate).147 In fact however, growth in the number of training places was much stronger (actual figure for 2018: 589,100).148 The number of newly concluded training contracts also exceeded the forecast figure (point estimate: 524,200), at 531,400,149

147 See also Chapter 2.5.2 of the 2018 Report on Vocational Education and Training and 2018 Data Report, Chapter A2.2.

148 Taking the usual margin of error into account, the upper limit of the confidence interval was 586,700. This figure was also exceeded by the actual figure for 2018.

149 Here the figure was within the confidence interval (lower limit: 513,400; upper limit: 535,000).

although more training places also remained unfilled.150

The model did slightly underestimate the development of demand.151

It should be noted that PROSIMA makes estimates based on past empirical values. How the training place market in fact develops depends on a wide range of factors (including cyclical economic and macro-economic developments, demographic trends, rising and falling interest in dual vocational training and rates of participation in tertiary education). Chapter A 2.1 of the 2019 Data Report contains more details on the background of discrepancies between the projected and actual figures.

150 The actual figure for 2018, 57,700, was within the confidence interval (lower limit: 39,200; upper limit: 60,000).

151 At 610,000 (expanded definition) the actual figure was slightly higher than forecast (lower limit of the confidence interval: 587,700; upper limit of the confidence interval: 609,700).

landRegistered vocational

training places

of which:

Registered applicants

Registered vocational training

places per 100 registered applicants in %

Registered applicants per 100 registered

vocational training places in %

Registered as unfilled on the 30 september

Baden-Württemberg 10,281 8,975 4,202 244.7 40.9

Bavaria 18,906 16,236 6,111 309.4 32.3

Berlin 2,697 1,711 6,012 44.9 222.9

Brandenburg 2,164 1,865 2,238 96.7 103.4

Bremen 469 352 811 57.8 172.9

Hamburg 936 642 1,488 62.9 159.0

Hesse 3,636 2,830 5,787 62.8 159.2

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 1,739 1,479 900 193.2 51.8

Lower Saxony 4,752 3,754 7,840 60.6 165.0

North Rhine-Westphalia 13,282 9,591 21,041 63.1 158.4

Rhineland-Palatinate 3,168 2,566 2,916 108.6 92.0

Saarland 1,256 975 792 158.6 63.1

Saxony 2,397 1,986 1,629 147.1 68.0

Saxony-Anhalt 1,293 1,086 842 153.6 65.1

Schleswig-Holstein 2,758 2,064 3,328 82.9 120.7

Thuringia 1,798 1,533 706 254.7 39.3

Western Länder 59,444 47,985 54,316 109.4 91.4

Eastern Länder 12,088 9,660 12,327 98.1 102.0

National 71,544 57,656 66,717 107.2 93.3

Source: Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics, BIBB calculations


2.2.6.2 Prognosis for 2019

Economic development in 2019 has been forecast as positive but weaker than it was in 2018,152 so PROSIMA predicted a fall in the number of training places offered from 589,100 to 586,100 (point estimate) for 2019.153 The model projected the number of newly concluded training contracts at 522,700 (point estimate),154 so it found that the number of newly concluded training contracts would decline in 2019 compared with the previous year’s figure (actual figure for 2018: 531,400).

PROSIMA also estimated that the number of unfilled training places would again be higher than it was in the previous year.155 This was because the model found that potential supply would decline only minimally, while potential demand, as a result of trends towards higher school leaving qualifications and increased numbers of school leavers starting tertiary education, would fall more steeply,156 so demand for training would decline accordingly. This would be the case for demand according to the traditional definition (point estimate: 546,700; actual figure in 2018: 556,000) and for demand according to the expanded definition (point estimate: 596,800; actual figure in 2018: 610,000).157

The forecasts for 2019 are subject to uncertainties beyond the limits of the econometric confidence inter-vals. PROSIMA does not distinguish between refugees and non-refugees, for example. Estimates in the 2017 Data Report forecast roughly the same number of refugees as in 2018 for 2019. Refugees are, however, not separately taken into account in the projections because it is assumed that they are now recorded in the various general statistics (e. g. as applicants and school leavers).

152 The annual report on the economy published by the BMWi has fore-cast 1 % growth in real gross domestic product compared with 2018.

153 Taking the usual margin of error into account, the lower limit of the confidence interval was 569,400, while the upper limit was 602,800.

154 Lower limit of the confidence interval: 509,400; upper limit of the confidence interval: 536,000.

155 Point estimate: 63,400. With a 5 % probability of error the confidence interval is between 49,300 and 77,500. By comparison, the actual figure for 2018 was 57,700.

156 Potential supply and demand are latent variables in the PROSIMA model that are estimated based on a statistical process. For more information see the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A2.2.

157 The confidence interval for demand according to the traditional definition was between 532,400 and 56,000 and for demand according to the expanded definition between 582,700 and 610,900.

Despite weaker economic growth, there may be growth in the number of training places offered in 2019. One prerequisite for increasing the number of new training contracts is that potential demand for dual vocational training does not further decline. Analyses carried out by the BIBB have found that the previous year’s figure of around 38,300 applicants from a migrant background would not be sufficient to compensate for the expected fall in overall applicant numbers.

2.3 Vocational training outside the dual system

These forms of vocational training are the second major pillar underpinning the German vocational education and training system, making up 35 % (2018) of all non-academic vocational training.

Vocational training outside the dual system, apart from training in the Public Sector, is usually school- based. In most cases this means that during the school-based part of training, no training allowance is paid and social security payments are not paid for the trainees.158 Trainees also usually have to pay tuition fees to independent schools. Geriatric care and nursing training is offered free of charge at public schools and colleges, but private schools in five Länder currently charge tuition fees. In three Länder the tuition fees are entirely or partly reimbursed and a sufficient number of training places are also provided at no cost. When the new care and nursing training courses are launched from 2020, tuition fees will be abolished on a large scale and an appropriate training allowance paid.159 The corresponding national legislation will ensure that a training allowance is paid to paramedic and midwifery trainees. In May 2018, the Conference of Ministers of the Länder for Youth and Family Affairs (Jugend- und

158 Exceptions: trainees training to be a registered general nurse, children’s nurse, geriatric nurse (and from 2020 a new training course: nursing specialist with the possibility of achieving a separate qualification as a geriatric and children’s nurse), paramedic, midwife/male midwife. The relevant federal laws provide for the payment of an appropriate training allowance for those training in these occupations.

159 In some Länder the introduction of training free of tuition fees for some other healthcare professions is being reviewed and in some cases wholly or partly implemented.


Familienministerkonferenz) formulated the goal of establishing nationwide paid training for trainee kindergarten teachers that includes practical experience and is free of tuition fees.

The German constitution prescribes that regulation of the healthcare professions is the responsibility of the Federal Government, while the other related occupa-tions are regulated by the Länder. These occupations are also state-recognised, but there are no consistent national training regulations.

Compared with training covered by the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) there are also significant structural differences for trainees in terms of remuneration, cost, status, social security provision and regulatory consistency.

Almost all of these occupations, for which training is school-based, are chosen mainly by women (with the exception of paramedic). The need for skilled staff is growing in many of the healthcare professions and social services occupations and meeting this need will be a major challenge.

2.3.1 Training in the healthcare occupations

Training in healthcare occupations, including geriatric care, is provided at healthcare vocational training schools and, due to the different structures that make up Germany’s federal school system, at vocational and trade and technical schools. According to data from subject matter series 11 series 2 of the Federal Statistical Office (StBA), 217,021 students were training in healthcare occupations in the 2017/2018 school year, 76.64 % of them women (0.76 % fewer than in the 2016/2017 school year). The total number of students rose by 417 or 0.2 % over the previous year’s figure.

Student numbers developed differently in the indivi-d ual occupations. There were 63,707 trainees training to be registered general nurses, so their number fell slightly compared with the previous year (64,258 or 0.86 %). The number of students training to be public health nurses rose by 4.56 % to 7,481. The proportion of male students training to be registered general nurses and public health nurses of all students remained fairly stable in the 2017/2018 school year compared with the previous year (18.39 % compared with 18.73 % in 2016/2017).

According to data from the schools’ statistics, the total number of students training to be geriatric nurses remained stable compared with the previous year’s figure, at 68,236 (0.04 %). The number of male students rose by 4.43 % to 16,633, while there was a slight decline in numbers of female trainees compared with the preceding year of 1.39 % down to 51,603, so the propor-tion of male students of all trainees in the 2017/2018 school year increased from 23.33 % in the previous year to 24.38 %.

In the 2017/2018 school year (moving annual total from August 2017 to July 2018), around 6,200 people started funded retraining in geriatric care (with 6,100 new entries into training in this area in the year before). Over this period, 2,700 of the 6,200 funded retraining measures (44 %) were shortened forms of training (less than three years) so the proportion of shortened retraining measures that were funded rose by 2 % over the previous year’s figure.

In the 2017/2018 school year, the total number of students training to be geriatric nursing assistants, general nursing assistants and nursing and care assist-ants, occupations that are regulated by Länder regula-tions, grew compared with the figure for the year before by 3.68 % to 16,447. 8,659 students (+267 or +3.18 %) were training to be geriatric nursing assistants, 4,899 students (+241 or +5.17 %) were training to be general nursing assistants and 2,889 students (+76 or +2.7 %) were train-ing to be nursing and care assistants. The percentage of male trainees of all care and nursing assistant trainees grew over the past year by 3.48 % compared with the previous year’s figure to 27.83 %. There was significant growth in the figure for men of 36.17 %, while a slight fall of 1.1 % was recorded for women.

The other healthcare professions showed varying trends. The number of students training to be mid-wives and male midwives increased considerably to 2,357 (+226 or +10.61 %). In the 2017/2018 school year, there were three male midwives.

The number of students training to be physio-therapists declined by 2.71 % or 592 to 21,220.

Numbers of trainees in the occupations of dietician, orthoptist, speech therapist and ergotherapist declined in the single-digit percentage range. In the 2017/2018 school year, 1,681 students were training


to be dieticians (2.78 % or 48), 125 were training to be orthoptists (2.34 % or 3) and 3,389 were training to be speech therapists (1.97 % or 68). The number of students in training to be ergotherapists also declined by 3.55 % (364) to 9,879.

There was a steep fall in numbers of students training to be podiatrists to 1,149 (18.68 % or 264).

Some auxiliary medical assistant occupations registered increases in trainee numbers. 428 students were training to be medical-technical functional diagnostics assistants (a rise of 2.64 % or +11). The number of male trainees in this area rose by 14.29 %, so the proportion of male students of all trainees grew in the 2017/2018 school year from the previous year’s figure of 21.82 % to 24.29 %.

A similar picture emerged with pharmaceutical- technical assistants, an occupation for which 7,706 people were training, a rise of 2.97 %. Numbers of male trainees rose even more markedly by 12.13 %. The percentage of male students of all trainees rose slightly

from 11.78 % in the previous year to 12.83 % in the 2017/2018 school year.

The number of trainee paramedic assistants fell substantially again (18.65 % to 301) due to the repeal of the law on paramedic assistants (Rettungsassistenten-gesetz) as of the 31 of December 2014. It was replaced by the law on emergency paramedics (Notfallsanitäter-gesetz). In the 2017/2018 school year, 5,258 students nationally completed training to be emergency para-medics, 3,484 of them men and 1,774 women, so the number of students increased by 24.98 % (or +1,051) compared with the previous year’s figure. This was again the biggest rise in training numbers among all the health care professions. The proportion of male trainees declined slightly in 2017/2018 compared with the preceding year’s figure of 70.72 %, falling to 66.26 %.

Chart 21: Top 10 healthcare, care and nursing and social services training occupations chosen by women

Kindergarten teacher

Geriatric nurse

Registered general nurse

Social assistant

Assistant youth, social and community worker/children’s nurse

Geriatric nursing assistant

Physiotherapist

Curative education therapist

Occupational therapist

Pharmaceutical-technical assistant

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000

Source: Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt), Series 11, series 2, school year 2017/2018, p. 86–88.

2.3.2 Training in the social services professions

While some social services professionals study for a degree before entering early childhood education,


Chart 22: Top 10 healthcare, care and nursing and social services training occupations chosen by men

Geriatric nurse

Kindergarten teacher

Registered general nurse

Social assistant

Physiotherapist

Geriatric nursing assistant

Assistant youth, social and community worker/children’s nurse

Curative education therapist

Medical orderly

Emergency paramedic

0 1,000 2,000 4,000 5,000 7,0006,0003,000

Source: Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt), series 11, series 2, school year 2017/2018, p. 86–88.

education and curative education occupations, most practitioners start working in this area after school- based training, usually training as a state-certified kindergarten teacher, social assistant, children’s nurse or in the area of curative education therapy. State- certified kindergarten teacher and curative education therapist qualifications correspond with bachelor-level academic education. They usually build on various forms of assistant and auxiliary staff training, although trainees who have completed initial training in other areas may also meet the entry requirements for training in this field. Special needs teacher is another upskilling qualification that builds on a curative education therapist qualification.

Kindergarten teacher training is differently regulated in each of the Länder. Half of the Länder have changed traditional training in this area, which was divided into a two-year theory phase and a one-year practical phase, and introduced a form that inte grates practice throughout the training. Given the great need for skilled staff in this field, the Länder are making efforts to make this training more attractive.

To this end, eight Länder offer paid training in this field, although this is often limited to paid trials in kindergartens.

In the 2017/2018 training year, 83,911 students in Germany were training to be kindergarten teachers, 68,393 (81.5 %) of them female and 15,518 (18,5 %) male, so there were 32 % more students than in the previous year. 32,262 students started this training in the 2017/2018 training year, 25,941 (80 %) of them female and 6,321 (20 %) male. The number of youth and community worker assistants and children’s nurse trainees in the 2017/2018 training year was 21,915, 18,174 (83 %) of them female and 3,741 (17 %) male. There were 12,553 students starting training (10,252 or 82 % female and 2,301 or 18 % male). 15,085 people were training in the 2017/2018 training year to be curative education therapists, 10,921 or 72 % female and 4,164 or 28 % male, so there were 53 % more students training in this field than there were in the 2016/2017 training year.160

160 StBA (2018): Education and culture – vocational schools. 2017/2018 school year. Subject series 11, series 2.


2.3.3 Training in public sector occupations

The German Federal Statistical Office (StBA) collects statistical data on public sector personnel162 annually on the reference date of the 30 of June.

Training in the public sector is provided not only in special public sector occupations, but also in occupa-tions registered with the IHK or HWK and healthcare professions. The Fede ral Statistical Office public sector personnel statis tics also cover the professions of civil servant in the sec ond, practical phase of teacher training, trainee official and trainee civil servant for personnel management.

According to these statistics, on the reference date of the 30 of June 2017 around 218,700 people (2016: 210,400) were in public sector training. 115,500 people (2016: 109,000) completed training in a civil service profession. 21,900 (2016: 20,700) completed training as part of tertiary studies or after tertiary studies without being employed in the civil service (e. g. junior lawyer). 81,400 (2017: 80,700) public sector trainees were regis-tered in the other training occupations, mainly in training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) and for healthcare professions and as kindergarten teachers.163

Female trainees made up the majority in the public sector, at 63.8% (2016: 63.6 %). This figure has risen by 2.9 % since 2007.

162 Federal, Länder and local governments, local authority associations, social security organisations, the BA and legally autonomous entities with a public sector legal form.

163 See also the 2018 and 2019 Data Reports (Chapter A 6.2).

2.4 Upgrading skills and qualifications through vocational training

At the national and international level Germany has well-qualified workers and high levels of education. Like academic education, vocational training offers attractive prospects for promotion and careers advance ment and paves the way for people to attain high-level skilled and managerial positions and entrepreneurial autonomy.

Graduates and holders of vocational qualifications are far more rarely unemployed than people with no vocational qualifications. In 2017, 17.9 % of Germans with no vocational qualifications were out of work (2016: 19.1 %). As in the previous year, the unemploy-ment rate for people with no academic education was 2.3 %. The employment situation for those who have completed training improved further in 2017164 and their unemployment rate was just 3.9 % (2016: 4.2 %).165

A separate review of the unemployment rate among people with further training qualifications has not been possible since 2006, so the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) records additional qualification- specific unemployment rates for this group.166 Their data shows that the unemployment rate for people who have completed secondary vocational education or Meister or technician’s training has been at a very low and falling level for years (recently in 2016: 1.7 % and in 2017: 1.5 %). The unemployment rate for this group is even lower than it is for graduates (2016: 2.4 %; 2017: 2.1 %).167

In discussing unemployment rates, it should be noted that these figures are average values that do not reflect significant differences between occupations and

164 Among these the IAB includes vocational training in companies and vocational colleges and continuing education and training at trade and technical schools, specialist technical colleges and Meister schools (not including colleges of public administration).

165 See also doku.iab.de/arbeitsmarktdaten/qualo_2018.pdf.

166 As an alternative to the BA statistics on the unemployed, these calculations were based on micro-census data on the jobless. The jobless are not directly comparable with the unemployed due to the disparate differentiation but they are defined by the same criteria: unemployed, available on the labour market and looking for work. See also doku.iab.de/kurzber/2015/kB1115.pdf.

167 For more information on qualification-specific unemployment rates in the group of 18 to 34-year-olds see the Data Report accompanying the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training, Chapter A 10.1.3.

Other qualifications can qualify people to work in early childhood education. Each of the Länder deter-mines which qualifications they recognise, but they can include qualifications in curative education therapy, public health nursing and primary school teaching. Additional qualification is required for the recognition of previous qualifications in some cases.

Demand for qualified workers will increase further in the education, care and nursing and curative education therapy occupations in coming years.161

161 See also the National Report on Education (2018), Chapter C – Perspectives.

http://doku.iab.de/arbeitsmarktdaten/qualo_2018.pdf

http://doku.iab.de/kurzber/2015/kb1115.pdf


Table 15: Training in the healthcare occupations

Training occupation

Total students nationally Changes in 2017/2018

compared with the previous

year in %

2016/2017 2017/2018

total female male total female male

Geriatric nurse 68,260 52,332 15,928 68,236 51,603 16,633 –0.04

Nursing and care assistance occupations1) 15,863 12,001 3,862 16,447 11,869 4,578 +3.68

Dietician 1,729 1,528 201 1,681 1,497 184 –2.78

Occupational therapist 10,256 9,074 1,182 9,879 8,758 1,121 –3.68

Registered general nurse 64,258 51,236 13,022 63,707 50,975 12,732 –0.86

Public health nurse 7,155 6,803 352 7,481 7,121 360 +4.56

Midwife 2,131 2,130 1 2,357 2,354 3 +10.61

Speech therapist 3,457 3,207 250 3,389 3,145 244 –1.97

Massage and medical hydrotherapist 1,522 833 689 1,415 730 685 –7.03

Medical-technical functional diagnostics assistant 417 326 91 428 324 104 +2.64

Medical-technical laboratory assistant 3,578 2,895 683 3,552 2,902 650 –0.73

Medical-technical radiology assistant 2,934 2,111 823 2,991 2,167 824 +1.94

Emergency paramedic 4,207 1,232 2,975 5,258 1,774 3,484 +24.98

Orthoptist 128 121 7 125 118 7 –2.34

Pharmaceutical-technical assistant 7,484 6,602 882 7,706 6,717 989 +2.97

Physiotherapist 21,812 8,083 13,729 21,220 7,962 13,258 –2.71

Podiatrist 1,413 1,262 151 1,149 1,013 136 –18.68

Total 216,604 49,182 167,422 217,021 50,696 166,325 +0.19

1) Registered general nursing assistant; geriatric nursing assistant; nursing assistant.Source: Federal Statistical Office (StBA) specialist series 11, series 2, table section 2.9, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 school years

among people in the same occupations. This is true of both academic education and vocational training and also of any direct comparisons between the two.

Not all employees in Germany work in jobs that fit in with their formal qualifications. A substantial proportion of workers are formally either overqualified or underqua-lified. An analysis carried out by the BIBB based on data from the BIBB/BAuA Survey of workers 2018168 looked at whether people who had completed dual vocational training were overqualified or under qualified for their jobs. It found that in 2018 three out of every four workers who had completed dual vocational training were in a job appropriate to their qualifications. 10.7 % were in jobs

168 The BIBB/BAuA Survey of workers 2018 was jointly developed by the BIBB and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin – BAuA). See also bibb.de/arbeit-im-wandel.

for which they were underqualified, i. e. they were doing a job which usually requires a further training qualification or university degree (without in fact having obtained this qualification or degree). Men were more often in jobs they were underqualified for than women and were more rarely in jobs for which they were overqualified.169

The BIBB has examined indicators for the profes-sional success of people with various qualification levels, again based on data from the BIBB/BAuA 2018 survey of workers.170 While their results on income again suggest that higher levels of qualifica tions

169 In 2018, 14.5 % of workers who were underqualified for their jobs, based on plausible self-assessment (men: 11.4 %; women: 19.1 %). For more information see the Data Report accompanying the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training, Chapter A 10.3.2.

170 For more details on the findings please see the 2019 Data Report, Chapter A 10.3.1.

http://www.bibb.de/arbeit-im-wandel


correspond with higher income, the survey results for other indicators show a more differentiated picture. Employees with further training qualifications more often have direct responsibility for staff (45 %) than those with academic degrees (bachelors/ tradi tional university of applied sciences qualification: 30 %; masters/traditional university degree: 34 %)171 and are also often in positions of responsibility172 (further training qualifications: 65 %, Bachelors/ traditional university of applied sciences qualification: 59 %; Masters/traditional university degree: 67 %).173 The majority (74 %) of employees with further training quali fications regard their professional trajectory so far as career advancement (Bachelors/traditional university of applied sciences qualification: 67 %; Masters/trad-itional university degree: 66 %).174

171 When the results are differentiated by gender the following picture emerged: 51 % of men with a further training qualification worked in a supervisory capacity (bachelors/traditional university of applied sciences qualification: 36 %; masters/traditional university degree: 40 %). The figures were far lower for women, at 32 % ( bachelors/traditional university of applied sciences qualification: 24 %; masters/traditional university degree: 28 %).

172 People in positions of professional responsibility as project, group or team leader or with autonomous responsibility for a budget.

173 71 % of men with a further training qualification vs. 53 % of women (bachelors/traditional university of applied sciences qualification: 65 % vs. 51 %; masters/traditional university degree: 73 % vs. 61 %).

174 75 % of men with a further training qualification vs. 71 % of women (bachelors/traditional university of applied sciences qualification: 70 % vs. 63 %; masters/traditional university degree: 74 % vs. 59 %).

The vocational training statistics of the Federal Government and Länder Statistical Offices gather data annually on participation in further training exami nations and on success rates in these examina-tions in accordance with the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO).175 In 2017, 94,212 participants successfully passed a further training examination. The number of examinations passed overall (96,117) fell slightly compared with the previ-ous year (1,905 or 2.0 %). In 2017, the success rate for people participating in further training examinations was 83.9 % (2016: 84.4 %).176 Since 2012, the number of people partici pating in further training examinations has declined.177

People with further vocational training qualifications are in demand in the labour market, as their low unemployment rates prove. It is therefore all the more important to raise awareness of the career paths they offer among young people and their parents. Vocational education and training does not begin and end with dual vocational training. It also offers young people attractive opportunities for occupational devel opment, whether or not they are then also qualified to enter higher education.

175 In 2018, there were 220 Federal Government legal ordinances and regulations on further training and 2,500 legal regulations of individual chambers on the 730 further training occupations they regulate. See also the 2019 Data Report; Chapter B 4.1.

176 For information on rates of examination success after training see Chapter 2.2.5.

177 2012: 118,497; 2013: 115,872; 2014: 115,182; 2015: 115,830; 2016: 113,916; 2017: 112,239. See also the 2019 Data Report; Chapter B4.4.

Table 16: Training in the education and curative education therapy professions

Training occupation

Total students nationally Changes in 2017/2018

compared with the previous

year in %

2016/2017 2017/2018

total female male total female male

Kindergarten teacher 63,401 51,687 11,714 83,911 68,393 15,518 +32.30

Social and educational assistant, children’s nurse 21,889 18,449 3,440 21,915 18,174 3,741 +0.12

Childcare and early childhood education occupations 13,587 11,411 2,176 13,755 11,426 2,329 +1.20

Curative education therapy assistant 2,017 1,394 623 1,699 541 1,158 –15.80

Curative education therapist 9,588 6,996 2,592 15,085 10,921 4,164 +57.30

Curative education therapist – Rehab 6,784 4,997 1,787 1,353 991 362 –80.10

Special needs teacher 2,419 2,104 315 2,132 1,864 268 –11.90

Source: Federal Statistical Office (StBA) specialist series 11, series 2, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 school years (as of 21.01.1019)

87THe fedeRal GoVeRnmenT’s CURRenT VoCaTIonal TRaInInG PolICy measURes and PRoGRammes

3 The Federal Government’s current vocational training policy measures and programmes

The following chapter depicts the new and continuing vocational training policy activities of the German Federal Government. It does not describe the activities of the Länder governments and other partners.

3.1 The Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training, 2015–2018

From 2015 to 2018, the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training, which comprises the Federal Government (lead-managed by the BMWi with other governmental partners including the BMAS, BMBF and integration commissioners), the Federal Employment Agency (BA), business and industry representatives, unions and Länder government bodies (KMK, ASMK, WMK) has implemented a diverse range of measures to strengthen dual vocational training and make it more attractive to young people and to companies offering training. These include in particular,

• a substantial expansion of the number of company- based training places registered with the BA,

• information events for young people and companies such as the BA’s “Training Week”,

• dialogue with industry and workshops on mobility and flexibility in dual training and on cooperation between vocational schools and companies as places of learning,

• a joint concept for the placement and subsequent placement of young people in training,

• the Assisted Training funding instrument that supports both disadvantaged young people and companies that provide training, including extension of the funding period until 2020,

• improved opportunities for accessing assistance during training and

• a pilot project trialing a low-barrier complaint management system for trainees.

One central initiative of the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training, the securing of the residency status of people with leave to remain in Germany during and immediately after the completion of dual vocational training (so-called “3+2 solution”), has been implemented with the passing of the Integration Act.

New orientation of the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training from 2019:The Coalition Agreement has made provision for further developing the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training so that all young people can be offered a high-quality training place. Other issues the “Alliance” has dealt with are the further development of Assisted Training and implementation of the 3+2 solution for refugees to help them to enter and complete training. Discussions on the new orientation of the Alliance started in the autumn of 2018, and a high-profile public signing by the Alliance partners is planned for the early summer of 2019.

The new Alliance aims to be a central political platform that will strengthen the attractiveness, quality and performance of dual training and further training and offer as many young people as possible the oppor-tunity to gain a vocational qualification. Its further areas of activity include ensuring the attractiveness and qual-ity of dual vocational training and providing ad vanced vocational training that upgrades participants’ skills.

3.2 The National Skills Strategy

The digital transformation of the wider economy is fundamentally changing the world of work. Occupational profiles and activities and qualification requirements are all being transformed.


The Federal Government is working together with the Social Partners and Länder to develop a National Skills Strategy to formulate a response to the digital transformation of the world of work.

Continuing training can and should enable indivi-duals to secure and improve their individual employ-ability in a highly dynamic world of work in which many people have non-linear employment biographies. Continuing training can create opportunities for workers out of the digital transformation of work.

As well as individuals, companies are central actors in workplace-related continuing training and the Social Partners play an active part in it because in the free collective bargaining process they can follow their own approach by means of collective bargaining regulations or workers’ council and company agreements specific to that enterprise. The government can provide support in areas in which companies cannot fulfil their respon sibility for the continuing training of their staff for various reasons, where employees do not have access to appropriate qualification opportunities or wherever people cannot manage the challenges that digital change entails alone. The particular focus here is on SMEs and the smallest companies, and at the individual level on people who need help to take advantage of their opportunities on the labour market.

The National Skills Strategy will address not only the provision of continuing training, it will also investigate ways of further developing demand for continuing training from companies and individuals and increasing its availability.

Continuing training should aim to do more than merely begin qualifying people facing immediate or impending unemployment; it should be preventative and offered in the early stages of working life.

A forward-looking and preventative continuing training policy that is oriented towards the needs of a world of work in transition is also an investment in social engagement, equality of opportunity and individual professional development opportunities. It must also take an industry-specific approach to make continuing training a bridge into a future that will be shaped by structural change.

On the 12 of November 2018 the BMAS and BMBF gave the go-ahead for a new group of experts who will develop the National Skills Strategy into a solid strategy by the summer of 2019. A report will be issued on the status of implementation in the spring of 2021.

3.3 The Vocational Education and Training Pact

The Vocational Education and Training Pact consoli-dates the BMBF’s diverse range of activities and initiatives for further developing vocational training into an overarching strategy. It is a comprehensive agenda for implementing ongoing and upcoming measures as well as those still to be developed, measures through which the BMBF has committed itself to furthering modern, attractive and dynamic vocational training throughout the 19th legislative period. The Vocational Education and Training Pact is a response to current and foreseeable challenges in the area of initial and continuing voca-tional training. The BMBF is working actively together with relevant partners in the field of vocational training to implement it. The Vocational Education and Training Pact is also networked with other Federal Government initiatives and other actors, such as those engaged in the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training and the National Skills Strategy.

Some of the central challenges that the Vocational Education and Training Pact will address include secur-ing a supply of skilled workers, matching problems in the training place market, young people’s changing preferences in choosing between vocational and aca-de mic education and training, meeting the demands of technological and digital change and the increasing heterogeneity of trainees. If vocational training’s success as a driver of integration in qualification and employ-ment is to be sustained in future it must be modernised and profiled as equivalent with academic education and qualification measures and be precisely adapted to meet the needs of a wide range of different target groups.

Focusing on seven main areas of activity, the Voca tional Education and Training Pact aims to,


1. modernise overall education and training conditions by making vocational training attractive, open to innovation and fit for digitalisation,

2. improve opportunities for transfer between sectors and transparency, by expanding careers orientation services, standardising qualification designations and facilitating opportunities for advancement,

3. modernise infrastructure, by upgrading the technological outfitting of vocational schools and inter- company training centres and making them easy to adapt to continuing development,

4. qualify personnel and better prepare teachers, trainers and examiners for the challenges posed by digitalisation and the heterogeneity of trainees,

5. maintain the training services provided by SMEs by supporting them through the process of offering training places and finding suitable applicants for training,

6. make use of all potential, by providing support for people whose efforts to gain education and training have not been successful and helping them to obtain vocational qualifications,

7. strengthen international perspectives by increasing the international mobility of trainees and their opportunities to gain and enhance intercultural, technical, social and foreign language skills.

The Vocational Education and Training Pact will make a major contribution to raising awareness among young people, their parents and the wider public of the opportunities that vocational training offers and improving social appreciation of these kinds of education and training paths. The effect can benefit individuals and the broader economy. Solid demand for training makes it easier for companies to secure the young skilled staff they need. Vocational training and subsequent further training offer individuals attractive careers and potential earnings that are equivalent to the opportunities offered by university studies. The Vocational Education and Training Pact will work together with the “Year of Vocational Training 2019” campaign to raise awareness of the attractiveness of vocational training and publicly present the outcomes of their cooperation over the course of the year.

3.4 Activities to secure a supply of skilled staff

3.4.1 Framework conditions

3.4.1.1 Validating and recognising vocational qualifications gained outside Germany

The process of recognising foreign vocational qualifica-tions is a proven instrument for delivering information on ways in which qualifications gained outside Germany may be equivalent to German qualifications. Recognition of professional qualifications is key to successfully inte-grating holders of foreign qualifications into the labour market and securing their prospects. People with foreign qualifications have a legal right to undergo the process, regardless of their national origins and residency status. A fee is usually charged for the process, although various funding and support schemes are also available.

The government is working together with the Länder governments to create the preconditions for making this process as fast and uncomplicated as possible. A contact person will also be appointed to advise people from outside Germany who are applying to have their qualifications recognised on their prospects of success and accompany them through the recognition process.

The validation and recognition of foreign voca-tional qualifications is a central element in expanding Germany’s fundamental supply of skilled workers. In 2017, more than 22,000 applications for the recognition of qualifications gained abroad in occupa-tions regulated by German federal law were adjudicated and 8,400 quali fications gained outside Germany in occupations regulated under Länder law (e. g. engineer) were recog nised. The evaluation of the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (Anerkennungsgesetz) published in 2017 demonstrated its positive effect on the labour market. People who have successfully completed the process of having their qualifications recognised are more likely to be in work for longer and in jobs more closely related to their qualifications than those whose qualifications have not been recognised. Their average income was 40 % higher and their gross monthly earnings grew by 1,000 euros on average after they had succeeded in getting their qualifications recognised.


3.4.1.2 Amendments to the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) in the area of further vocational training levels

The amendment of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) is designed to send a clear political and social signal about the equivalence of vocational and academic education and training, with three further vocational training levels directly anchored in the BBiG. The levels will be provided with consistent, discrete qualification titles that directly demonstrate their equivalence with university degrees. The prerequisites of the levels will also be compatible with the GQR (DQR) criteria for allocation to levels 5 to 7. The further vocational training levels will also form a basis for the subsequent amendment of the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (“ Aufstiegs-BAföG”). Tried-and-tested qualifications such as “Meister” will not be abolished but will be strengthened by the new qualification titles. The new qualification titles will also increase both the attractive-ness of vocational qualifica tions and their holders’ prospects in national and international labour markets.

3.4.1.3 The Federal Government’s Skilled Labour Strategy

Germany’s economy and labour market are doing very well but the country is entering a period of accelerated structural change. Global competition, increasingly noticeable demographic changes and the rapid progress of digitalisation are bringing far-reaching changes to the labour market and confronting both employers and employees with new and complex challenges.

The Federal Government has therefore developed a Skilled Labour Strategy to secure and expand the potential of domestic, European and international skilled workers across all industries.

Given the increasing disparity between supply and demand, the Skilled Labour Strategy will focus in particular on domestic potential. As well as securing integrated measures in the areas of training, the quality of work and reconciling of family and work, it will concentrate on qualifying and further training both employees in work and people seeking employment. Building on the multifaceted engagement of companies and the motivation of employees in undertaking further training, it will establish a new culture of

further training in Germany. It will specifically support every one in the workforce in gaining and adapting qualifications and skills in a changing world of work and ensure that the skilled workers needed to secure Germany’s strength as a place where business can thrive are available in the labour market of the digital future, working proactively to support both employees and companies and enterprises. A National Skills Strategy178 will be developed to work on all these goals by the summer of 2019.

Analytical support will be provided by the BA’s proven analysis of the current skills shortage situation and the new labour market projection made by the BIBB, IAB and GWS commissioned by the BMAS, which monitors developments involving skilled workers. Whether, when and how new technologies will become established in the future world of work cannot precisely be predicted, so it is all the more important to identify the range of possible consequences for employers and workers and discuss them together. This is the only way to find intelligent, effective and preventative answers to urgent skilled staff policy issues and needs for action.

3.4.1.4 The Skilled Immigration Act

Germany still needs qualified immigrants. Skilled workers from European countries, who can work in Germany due to the freedom of movement for workers in the EU, already make an important contrib-ution to keeping the German economy competitive. The BA is actively working with around 200 EURES advisors in the EURES network to promote voluntary international mobility within the EU and make sure that it stays that way in future. EURES advisors have specialist knowledge of European labour markets, qualifications and training systems, and their work, which focuses on providing information, counselling and placement, supports both people looking for work and training and companies. Recruiting qualified skilled workers from non-EU countries also plays an important role in preventing the shortage of skilled staff from becoming a brake on growth. The Skilled Immigration Act “ Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz” is designed to specifically pave the way for the residence and immigration of skilled workers from non-EU countries and make regulations in this area clearer and

178 See also Chapter 3.2.


more transparent. The most significant change in this context is the opening up of the labour market to skilled workers with foreign vocational qualifications. In future they will be able to work in all occupations and the previous restrictions on occupations experiencing shortages will be lifted.

Implementation of procedures for recognising and accrediting vocational training qualifications gained outside Germany will also be improved, administrative processes made more efficient, language training programmes in Germany and outside the country inten-sified, and a needs-oriented and targeted advertising strategy for recruiting skilled staff will be developed in cooperation with business and industry representatives. On the 6 of November the Federal Government’s website179 for skilled foreign workers was launched.

3.4.1.5 Modernising vocational training

In the 2018 reporting year, many training and further training occupations were re-regulated or modernised and one new occupation was created, that of “manage-ment assistant for e-commerce”. Eight training occupa-tions that had been modernised went into operation on the 1 of August 2018. Another 17 training occupations were modernised by means of amendment regulations. At the end of 2018, 13 training occupations were still undergoing modernization.

In 2018, eleven further training regulations were modernized or undergoing modernization at the end of the year.

During the modernization process the Social Partners and participating Federal Ministries held intensive discussions of specific occupational and technical issues involving each of the occupations. The following overarching topics were taken up with particular intensity during the reporting year:

• Digitalisation: In light of the growing digitalisation of work and production processes, the acquisition of digital skills is playing an increasingly important role in employ ment, especially in the four dual training occu-pations in the IT field. They were modernised with the inclusion of issues around data protection and data

179 make-it-in-germany.com

security and went into effect on the 1 of August 2018. A far-reaching structural modernising of IT occupations based on a preliminary survey currently being carried out by the BIBB is scheduled for the 1 of August 2020. In response to ongoing digitalisation of the world of work, amendments in eleven occupations in the indus-trial metalworking and electrical sectors also went into effect on the 1 of August 2018. The digitalisation of work, data protection and information security have now become an integral element of training. Additional qualifications also offer trainees an opportunity to gain skills and adapt to the changes that digitalisation entails.

• New media occupations: The media industry is largely shaped by digitalisation and networked production. Traditional production chains are breaking up and being replaced by variable production networks, while a diverse range of innovative products and new interfaces with related media sectors are emerging. Modernization of the further training regulations of “Certified industrial supervisor specializing in the digital and print media” and “Certified media specialist” in 2018 reflect these developments. During the procedure to develop new training regulations and modernize existing ones, the skills future managers will need were intensively discussed. The ability to think and work in various media, operate flexibly in different areas of the media industry and manage projects for specific clients and target groups are decisive.

• The increasing importance of online business: Increasing digitalisation is impacting business noticeably, both in the growing number of purely online businesses and in retail generally. At least a third of companies are not only in stationary trading, but are also trading online. The growing importance of e-commerce is resulting in the emergence of new areas of work, processes and business models, involving work formats and procedures that make new training content necessary (e. g. the operation and ongoing development of shop management systems or online shop manage-ment). Over the course of discussions with industry associations and Social Partners it became clear that these are not being addressed in existing training for commercial occupations, so in 2018 the new online trading training occupation of “management assistant for e-commerce” was launched.

https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/de/


• Making training for occupations requiring two years of training compatible with other forms: The Federal Government has been making efforts for some time to facilitate transitions from and into vocational training, to improve training and to make more effective use of time spent training. The issue of opportunities for transfer is a very important one within vocational training. There are currently 26 training occupations for which two years of training is a prerequisite. The train ing regulations for 21 of these occupations stipu-late that time spent in training can be accredited or transferred when vocational training is continued for an occupation requiring two or three and a half years of training. Since over 90 % of new training contracts are concluded in occupations requiring two years of training, almost all trainees train in occupations for which two years of training is required, for which the training regulation explicitly regulates accreditation or transfer of the training period. The Federal Govern-ment also plans to amend the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) to create new possibilities through the transfer of examination credits.

• Examination methods: For some years it has been possible in modernising or creating training occupa-tions to introduce an “extended final examination” (“Gestreckte Abschlussprüfung” – GAP) instead of the usual types of examination (intermediate and final exams). The extended examination tests vocational skills and competences as defined in the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) (“Skills, knowledge and abilities that are expected of a qualified worker at the end of vocational training”) in two parts at different times. Part 1 of GAP is therefore significantly different from the traditional intermediate examination, which only assesses the level completed half-way through training. The question of which examination method is more suitable in a particular training occupation is addressed at the beginning of every procedure to develop a new training regulation or modernise an existing one with all parties involved and is then set out in the joint parameters of the specific occupation.

3.4.1.6 The reform of training for care and nursing occupations

The training and occupational field of nursing and care is facing major challenges in finding young people to train and work in it. Demographic change in Germany

is impacting the care and nursing professions, and with these changes come changes to training in this area. The number of people needing care and nursing and the complexity of its provision is increasing. These developments mean that the need for qualified care and nursing staff will continue to grow while, at the same time, fewer and fewer school leavers are available for training in these occupations.

Measures are therefore required to make the care and nursing professions more attractive and improve the overall occupational conditions for people working in them, so a new care and nursing training will start on the 1 of January 2020. On the 13 of January 2016, the draft of a law to reform the care and nursing occupations was adopted in the federal cabinet and after the completion of the legislative process on the 24 of July 2017 the reform was announced in the Federal Law Gazette (BGBl). Training in geriatric care and nursing, registered general nursing and public health nursing has been regulated in a new law reform-ing the care and nursing professions and consolidated into a consistent, generalist care and nursing training. Trainees will also still be able to gain separate qualifica-tions in public health nursing and geriatric care and nursing. Those completing the new generalist care and nursing training will have more opportunities for professional development because they will be able to be more flexibly deployed in a wider range of different areas. Subsequent specialisation, further training and lifelong learning will continue to be integral elements of this occupational field in future.

Tuition fees for this training will be abolished. Hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient care and nursing services will be obliged to pay trainees an appro priate wage. In future the cost of training costs will be financed by compensation funds to be set up in each of the Länder. All hospitals and care and nursing facilities will pay into the funds. Länder governments will con trib ute to a lesser extent and social and private long-term care insurers will also play a part in financing the funds to ensure that companies providing training in this area do not experience any financial disadvantage.

On the 10 of October 2018, the care and nursing training and examinations regulation (Pflege berufe-Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung – PflAPrV) and care and nursing training financing regulation


(Pflegeberufe-Ausbildungsfinanzierungs verordnung – PflAFinV) were announced in the Federal Law Gazette (BGBl). These regulations regulate details for implement ing reform of the care and nursing occupa-tions. The PflAPrV regulates details on the structure and content of training, examinations and the recognition of foreign vocational qualifications in this area. The PflAFinV regulates details on the financing of the care and nursing training compensation funds to be set up at the Länder level.

Implementation of the new care and nursing laws will be accompanied by the “Care and nursing training campaign”, which started in 2019.180

3.4.1.7 Qualification Opportunities Act

At the end of November 2018, the Qualification Oppor tunities Act “Qualifizierungschancengesetz” was adopted as a first element in the National Skills Strategy by the German parliament (Bundestag) and largely came into force on the 1 of January 2019. The act will improve funding and support for further training for employees whose occupational activities could be replaced by technology, who are otherwise impacted by structural change or who want to undergo further vocational training in an occupation experi encing a shortage of workers. This funding and support is currently provided only to employees who have no vocational qualifications or employees in SMEs who are at risk of unemployment. The act will greatly expand access to funding and support for further training to all employees, regardless of their previous training, their age and the size of the company they work in, giving all workers more opportunities to stay in work and not become unemployed. Its core benefits are the complete or partial payment of training costs and wage subsidies (with amounts depending on company size and necessary co-financing by the employer) by employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and job centres. The act is bolstered by a much larger financial allocation to fund and support further training. Around 4 billion euros has been allocated to cover a wide range of affected groups for 2019.

180 See Chapter 3.4.2.1

Federal Employment Agency (BA) further training and qualification advisory services were further strengthened and people entitled to benefits under the German Social Code (SGB II) can take advantage of the counselling services offered by employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit).

3.4.2 Funding and support activities and programmes

3.4.2.1 The care and nursing training campaign as part of “Konzertierte Aktion Pflege”

On the 3 of July 2018, the Federal Government, working in cooperation with various ministries such as the BMFSFJ, BMG and BMAS, launched the “Concerted Action in Care and Nursing” (“Konzentrierte Aktion Pflege – KAP”) programme. It will work together with relevant actors in the care and nursing field to develop concrete measures to strengthen the care and nursing occupations.

One issue on which KAP will work is strengthening training in the care and nursing occupations because well-trained care and nursing staff is one of the most important prerequisites for ensuring high-quality nursing and care. As part of KAP, a care and nursing campaign (“Ausbildungsoffensive Pflege”) was also launched.

The core goals of the care and nursing campaign is successful implementation of reform of occupations in those fields and recruiting more people for careers in care and nursing. Training and qualification will also be strengthened. A wide range of concrete contributions and measures will be developed by all actors to achieve these goals. The care and nursing campaign (“ Ausbildungsoffensive Pflege”) will continue over a period of five years (2019 to 2023) so it will fully accom-pany the first annual cohort of those training under the new law to reform care and nursing starting in 2020.

The care and nursing campaign (“Ausbildungs-offensive Pflege”) will also be accompanied by monitoring and the results will be presented in a joint closing balance drawn up by all actors.


3.4.2.2 ASCOT+

The BMBF started the ASCOT+ funding initiative ( announcement of funding regulations: 2018, Project period: 2019 to 2022) in 2018 to further develop technol-ogy-supported methods of assessing the vocational skills of trainees and transfer results and findings into education and training practice. It develops new learn-ing and teaching media and IT- supported skills assess-ment instruments and investigates their potential for comprehensive use on a large scale. It also incorporates and continues the results and outcomes of the preceding ASCOT initiative (funding period 2011 to 2015).

The ASCOT+ initiative funds and supports projects covering commercial occupations, commercial- technical occupations and healthcare occupations. The proj ects’ results and findings will help to objectively assess the performance of trainees, and support actors engaged in regulatory work to further develop skills-oriented formulations of training regulations and examinations.

3.4.2.3 Federal-Länder government competition “Advancement through education: open universities”

The Federal-Länder government “ Advancement through education: open universities” competition ( period: 2011 to 2020; funding volume: 250 million euros) was established to create structures at universities, in networks of universities and among non- university partners to meet the growing need for scientific further training in the long term. The goals are to increase oppor tunities for training and education for all citizens, secure a supply of skilled workers in the long term, facilitate transfers between vocational and academic education and training, and integrate new knowledge into practice more quickly.

Through this competition the Federal Government and Länders are funding and supporting the develop-ment of concepts for study courses and modules (including dual courses with intensified practical stages and courses for people in work) and university-based certificate courses designed mainly for the following target groups: workers with vocational and university qualifications, people returning to work and those look-ing for work. Funding has been provided in two rounds of the competition, each lasting six years (2011 to 2017

and 2014 to 2020). Projects at 100 different German universities, four non- university research institutions and a range of other institutions were funded during the two rounds of the competition. Sixty-nine projects at sixty-one different German universities and one non-university research institution are currently receiving this funding.

To date the funded universities have developed more than two hundred and ninety continuing training courses ranging from certificate courses through to Bachelors and Masters courses and incorporated them into their standard operations. The projects have also (further) developed and trialed support measures ( counselling) and internal access and accreditation processes. The DZHW has been commissioned with the evaluation of the competition. Their final report will be submitted to the BMBF in November 2020.

3.4.2.4 Digital media in vocational training

Since 2012, the BMBF’s “Digital media in vocational training”181 programme, which is co-financed by the ESF, has been promoting and funding the use of digital media in initial and continuing vocational training. It improves the media skills of both trainers and trainees and helps participating companies to develop the structural preconditions and concrete potential applications for digital media in initial and continuing vocational training. From 2016, the results and findings gained through the programme have been transferred to a broader group of beneficiaries through workshops for trainers offered across Germany.

In 2018, the programme focused on education and training in the use of new media, on networking in transfer, especially for SMEs, and on issues around inclusion. Work on the use of virtual and augmented reality and digital media in training for the healthcare professions was another new element in 2018.

The programme was launched in 2012 and its last round of funding ends in 2023. Since 2012, the Federal Government has allocated 152 million euros to it, 28.4 million euros in 2018 alone. The programme is currently being evaluated and the evaluation results will be presented in June 2019.

181 qualifizierungdigital.de

http://qualifizierungdigital.de


3.4.2.5 The ESF-Federal Government “ Quereinstieg – Männer und Frauen in Kitas” model programme

This programme (period: 2014–2020)182 initiates and supports structural changes to increase the provision of paid training to be a state-certified early childhood educator (staatliche anerkannte Erzieher/in), training that is integrated into professional practice so as to

• make lifelong learning possible for people without them having to stop working and

• open up this understaffed occupation to a hitherto underutilised group of skilled workers who want to switch careers, especially men.

To achieve these goals, the programme trialed and optimised models of paid training to be a state-certified early childhood educator with the support of the rele-vant Länder authorities. Training is specially tailored to the target group of people who want to change careers and is appropriate for adults and gender-sensitive. The three-year training programme at a trade and technical school is integrated into full-time employment subject to social insurance contributions in a childcare facility.

The programme builds on the diverse range of experience gained from the ESF’s “MEHR Männer in Kitas” model programme. It showed that older men and women interested in changing careers to become early childhood educators in fact rarely re-qualified in this area because the three-year training course to be an early childhood educator is not usually paid, so it is hard to secure means of subsistence during training.

Twelve projects from six Länder participated in the programme, which provided training to three annual cohorts of trainees (funding volume: 17 million euros of ESF funding). 682 people underwent training. The trainees’ average age was 36 and around half of them were aged between 30 and 40. In 2018, the first cohort of 120 people successfully completed their training. At three project locations the model implemented in the programme was extended beyond the funding period with a further annual cohort of trainees, which was financed by local authorities, the kindergarten organisation or the state (Land).

182 chance-quereinstieg.de

3.4.2.6 The ESF “rückenwind+ – Für die Beschäftigten und Unternehmen in der Sozialwirtschaft” programme

The “rückenwind+” programme funds personnel and organisational development in the social economy and is developed and implemented by the BMAS working together with the Federal Association of Non- Statutory Social Welfare Organisations (Bundesarbeitsgemein-schaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege). The goal of the “rückenwind+” programme is to fund, support and maintain the employability of employees working in institutions and associations in the social economy. Since 2015, it has provided funding for integrated personnel development projects to improve workers’ ad-aptability and employability and organisational develop-ment projects to ensure that companies will be able to manage the challenges posed by demographic change.

The funding provided by the programme enables non-profit organisations to trial innovative personnel and organisational development projects and test prom-ising methods and tools in practice. In 2018, the fifth and final round of funding applications was launched. The first four rounds of funding applications supported 87 projects with around 24,000 planned participants.

3.4.2.7 The ESF programme: Securing a skilled labour base, continuing vocational education and training and promoting equality

The ESF programme: “Securing a skilled labour base, continuing vocational education and training and promoting equality” (Fachkräfte sichern: weiter bilden und Gleichstellung fördern) (Social Partner Directive) is a joint initiative of the BMAS, Confederation of German Employers’ Associations ( Bundesvereinigung der deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände) and German Trade Union Federation (DGB). Since 2015, this funding instrument has supported the efforts of the Social Partners to increase participation in continuing vocational training and promote equality between men and women in companies.

The establishing of sustainable continuing vocational training structures and improvement of women’s equal participation in the labour market is designed to reinforce companies’ efforts to secure a supply of skilled workers, helping them adapt

http://www.chance-quereinstieg.de


to demographic and technological change, and maintain and support the employability of employees. Measures are designed in particular to benefit SMEs and employees who have been under-represented in participation in qualification, such as older workers, women, semi- skilled and unskilled workers, skilled immigrants and people from a migrant background.

The programme’s main areas of action include the establishing of structures to promote personnel development and networking continuing vocational training structures in SMEs. It also initiates intra- industry dialogue, strengthens the skills of corporate actors in promoting equality of opportunity and develops working hours models designed to fit in with various phases of life and career path planning.

During the 4th round of funding, which focused on “Work 4.0 – securing a supply of skilled workers for the future world of work” (“Arbeit 4.0 – Fachkräfte-sicherung für die Arbeitswelt der Zukunft”), the ESF social partner directive was made more specifically applicable as an instrument for shaping and accompanying digital change. In 2018, 25 projects with this focus started work.

115 projects are currently receiving funding and 12,000 employees from more than 1,700 companies (1,200 of them SMEs) have already benefited from the programme. By the end of the programme period in 2022, 30,000 employees and 1,800 SMEs should have profited from the programme.

3.4.2.8 The national campaign to recruit kindergarten teachers

The coalition agreement stipulates that the Federal Government will support the Länder and local author-ity governments in further increasing the number of childcare places available and improving the quality of childcare facilities. From the autumn of 2019 the BMFSFJ will support the Länder and childcare providers to both meet the growing need for skilled staff in this area and to pursue a paid training policy through its national “Campaign to recruit kindergarten teachers”.

This programme aims to recruit more skilled workers into early childhood education and promote professional training in childcare facilities by

instruc tors into which practical phases are integrated by expanding paid, practice-based training. It is especially designed to address groups of people who have to date been under- represented among these employees, such as men, holders of higher education entrance qualifi cations and people changing careers. An upgrading bonus will reward continuing training and people taking on particular specialist responsibil-ity. The programme provides impetus for enabling specialist careers, upgrad ing the image of kindergarten teaching and engaging workers in this occupational field in the long term by providing opportunities for professional development.

3.4.2.9 Skills for the digitalised work of tomorrow

The goals of this initiative, which is run jointly by the BMBF and BIBB (period: 2016 to 2018, funding volume: 2.2 million euros) include,

• working with some selected dual training occupations to identify the quantitative and qualitative impact of digitalisation on qualification requirements at an early stage, estimate the future need for qualification and from these deriving appropriate recommendations for regulatory activities;

• identifying the importance of IT and media skills for trainees and trainers in successfully managing vocational training.

The initiative is divided into three pillars:

• Pillar 1 analyses occupations in which digitalised work steps are partly already established (careers screening),

• Pillar 2 deals with IT and media skills as key competencies required in vocational training for all occupa tions. What digital skills do trainees and trainers need to successfully begin and complete training?

• Pillar 3 builds on a monitoring and projection system to identify the qualifications needed for “ Vocational training 4.0”, making quantitative and qualitative analyses of the future development of those industries, occupations and areas of work that are being particularly affected by digitalisation from a labour market and qualification perspective.


At a conference in Bensberg near Cologne held on the 22 of November 2018, the central results and findings from this initiative, which was run jointly by the BMBF and BIBB, were presented and discussed with represen-tatives from the Social Partners, politics, business and the economy, and science and research. The results achieved in Pillar 1 will be incorporated into regulatory work and into follow-up activities in the areas of qualification and forecasts on skilled staff.

3.4.2.10 Innovation office for skilled staff for the region

The Federal Government is promoting exchanges of ideas and counselling on all issues around securing a supply of skilled staff through a range of different initiatives. To give consideration to differing regional needs for skilled workers, the BMAS initiated the “Innovation office for skilled staff for the region” (“Innovations büro Fachkräfte für die Region”) in 2011, which through comprehensive counselling, information services and events professionalises, coaches, advises and also categorises and qualifies regional networks working to secure a supply of skilled workers. Currently around 400 networks are listed with the “Innovation office”.

3.4.2.11 Innovation Competition: “Shaping the Future – Innovations for Excellent Vocational Education and Training” ( InnoVET)

The BMBF is working to increase the attractiveness, quality and equivalence of vocational training by devel-oping innovative initial and continuing vocational training concepts. In pursuit of this goal, the BMBF has initiated an innovation competition to develop and implement concepts that will make the vocational training system more attractive, qualitatively better and more equivalent to university education. Both young people and companies are very interested in efficient training that provides opportunities for transfer to other sectors and results in the high-quality qualifications that dual vocational training offers. The compe tition is also designed to initiate and establish sustainable structural change.

The innovation competition was launched with the publication of the call for proposals on the 17 of January 2019. It will be run in two phases. In the first phase (concept phase) ideas can be developed and the partners needed for the trial and implementation phase recruited. At the end of the concept phase on the 31 of January 2020, an application can be lodged to trial and implement the concept (trial and implementation phase) in the second phase. Funding for implementing the project concept in a trial and implementation phase lasting up to 48 months can be applied for. The competi tion will run from 2019 to 2024 and a minimum of 82 million euros has been allocated for it.

3.4.2.12 Integration through qualification (IQ)

The “Integration through qualification – IQ” funding programme works to improve the labour market prospects of people from migrant backgrounds.

The programme focuses on providing counselling on the recognition of academic degrees and vocational qualifications acquired outside Germany and on oppor tunities for qualification in the context of the Federal (BQFG) and Länder (L-BQFG) government laws assessing and recognising foreign qualifications. People seeking advice receive competent counselling on qualification measures that can adapt and supple-ment their pre-exist ing qualifications so that they can have these qualifica tions fully recognised, paving the way for them to work in jobs commensurate with their quali fications. The programme’s second priority is the design and provision of qualification measures for people with foreign qualifications to help them get their pre-existing qualifications fully recognised and successfully integrate them into the labour market. Building and further developing the inter cultural skills of labour market actors is the third prior ity. It addresses people working in job centres, employ ment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit), local government authorities and SMEs with the goal of raising awareness of issues specific to people from migrant backgrounds, opening up diversity-oriented, intercultural processes and reducing discrimination in those organisations.

After the success of the first round of funding from 2015 to 2018, the programme’s second funding round in the ESF funding period until 2022 began on the 1 of January 2019. In this round of funding the


programme is being expanded with the addition of a fourth priority: “A regional skilled staff platform – immigration”. This priority will support the Federal Government’s activities in the area of securing a supply of skilled staff through immigration. For the second funding round 198.1 million euros has been allocated, 50.1 million euros of it Federal Government funding.

3.4.2.13 Internationalising vocational training

This programme takes a comprehensive approach to international cooperation at the public and private level, resulting in a range of positive effects.

• Private and public vocational training service providers are supported in their efforts to initiate international business and open up foreign markets.

• Their activities outside Germany help to disseminate approaches to reform worldwide, to develop dual vocational training systems in partner countries working in cooperation with the BMBF, and to reinforce Germany’s good international image.

• It also supports German industry abroad because the export of many goods, such as those in the engineering and car industries, often relies on the existence of well-trained skilled workers in target markets.

All the goals and formats of this funding programme have been successful, including:

a. “Bilateral projects on preconditions for and issues involving vocational training cooperation”

b. “Measures for supporting and implementing bilateral vocational training cooperation”

c. “Demand-oriented development and exemplary implementation of initial and continuing training services for international markets”

The programme is flanked by an evaluation project and a funding directive to support research into the internationalising of vocational education and training.

3.4.2.14 JOBSTARTER plus – recruiting university dropouts into vocational training

Recruiting university dropouts into vocational training is the aim of the JOBSTARTER plus programme to improve training structures (period: 2015 to 2020, funding volume: 12 million euros).183 Given the growing lack of applicants in the training place market, university dropouts are a target group with attractive potential for SMEs.184

JOBSTARTER plus project staff demonstrate to university dropouts and those considering dropping out the diverse range of opportunities that vocational training can offer them.185 It also supports small and medium-sized enterprises in positioning themselves as attractive trainers for people who have discontinued tertiary studies and in filling training places with drop-outs. Project staff cooperate with tertiary institutions, employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and cham-bers of trade and industry to expand regional networks.

The programme can now demonstrate a range of results achieved through its project work:

• Results of the projects have made it clear that early warning systems that identify students at risk of discontinuing their studies make it easier to reach this target group.

• People discontinuing their studies and seeking advice often need several rounds of counselling as their problems and need for information are diverse and individual. Coordinated cooperation with network partners and counselling know-how is indispensable to this work.

• Around half of the students ending their studies who were counselled were aged 25 and over.

• More than half of companies provided with counselling by JOBSTARTER plus projects were small and medium- sized enterprises and the smallest companies. The services the projects provided often enabled them to

183 For more information on the JOBSTARTER plus programme to improve training structures see also jobstarter.de

184 For more information on the funding priority of recruiting university dropouts into training see also jobstarter.de/de/ ausbildungsmanagement.html#section1921

185 studienabbruch-und-dann.de

http://www.jobstarter.de

https://www.jobstarter.de/de/ausbildungsmanagement.html#section1921

https://www.jobstarter.de/de/ausbildungsmanagement.html#section1921

http://studienabbruch-und-dann.de


fill their vacant training places with people who had discontinued tertiary studies.

• People who discontinue tertiary studies often decide to train in a specific trade and industry sector based on an affinity between it and the studies they had been pursuing. JOBSTARTER plus staff were able to persuade one in three university dropouts of the advantages of training in a skilled trade.

3.4.2.15 Inter-company training centres in the skilled trades (ÜLU)

Inter-company training courses support dual voca-tional training in industry and the skilled trades, helping them to adapt vocational training to technical and economic developments, balance out regional differences in training and ensure consistently high standards of vocational training in companies. ÜLU funding and support is designed to increase the willingness of skilled trades companies, which often end up providing more training than they need, to provide training.

The BMWi allocated 49 million euros of funding for this programme in 2018 and the Länder and skilled trades companies each contributed another third of the overall funding amount.

Funding was provided for more than 49,000 train ing courses with around 426,000 participants. The pro-gramme is currently scheduled to run until the 31 of December 2020 but there are plans to extend its period.

3.4.2.16 Inter-company training centres (ÜBS)

I. Funding for intercompany training centres and their further development into competence centres

Funding and supporting inter-company training centres (ÜBS) is an essential element of the Federal Govern ment’s funding for vocational initial, continu-ing and further training infrastructure. Inter-compa-ny training centres support the training capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises and the smallest companies by providing dual training for specific training content that in-company training may not

be able to ensure. Supplementary training in inter- company training centres close these gaps.

Working in the area of continuing and further vocational training, inter-company training centres offer medium-sized companies modern, efficient training infrastructure, make a major contribution to training skilled staff in Germany and ensure that they receive continuing and further vocational training.

As a mainstay of business-oriented vocational training in Germany, inter-company training centres contribute sustainably to strengthening the performance and competitiveness of SMEs by ensuring ongoing higher qualification for their staff.

Funding is provided for the modernising and restructuring of inter-company training centres (in the areas of equipment and construction) and for further development of inter-company training centres into competence centres to secure a basis for comprehen-sive high quality in the initial, continuing and further training of skilled workers.

The BMWi started funding these centres in the 1960s and the BMBF took over funding and support for them in 1973. Since 2009, there has also been a joint directive with an unlimited period on funding for inter- company training centres. The budgets of the two ministries invest 71 million euros annually in the centres, with the BMBF providing 42 million euros and the BMWi 29 million euros (plus another 8 million euros from “Einzelplan 60”).

The Federal Government invests around 150 million euros in vocational training infrastructure annually, which makes an essential contribution to regularly upgrading inter-company training centre infrastruc-ture and helping it to adapt to education and training policy and social and technical change.


II. Funding and supporting inter company training centres and their further development into competence centres

Increasing digitalisation is making new demands on the vocational training of skilled workers and requires an appropriate adaptation of equipment and teaching and learning processes in inter-company training centres. Working through its special programme to digitalise inter-company training centres, the BMBF is speeding up the digitalisation of vocational training in the context of “Vocational training 4.0”. The special programme supplements existing funding and support for the modernising of inter-company training centres.

Funding and support has been provided for selected forms of digital equipment in inter-company training centres (Funding line 1) and for eight competence centre pilot projects (Funding line 2).

Since the programme started, 222 applications for funding for digital equipment in inter-company training centres and for eight competence centre pilot projects have been approved. The result is that more than 25,900 digital items are now in use in inter- company training centres.

The eight pilot projects in Funding line 2 used analyses of work processes as a basis for identifying the extent to which digital transformation processes in occupations they examined impact training in inter- company training centres, which has enabled the centres to adapt their qualification measures accordingly.

Funding started in 2016 and is scheduled to end on the 31 of December 2019. 30 million euros is currently available for this programme.

III. Funding for digital equipment in inter company training centres and competence centres

This funding and support programme aims to equip inter-company training centres with digital infrastruc-ture as quickly as possible and to upgrade the national network of training centres to meet the most modern technical standards. It addresses skilled workers, master tradespeople and management, and provides small and medium-sized companies with digital know-how. The BMWi is also specifically funding and supporting

digital equipment in inter-company training centres based on a list of relevant equipment.

By the end of 2018, twelve applications for funding had been submitted to the BAFA. Funding started on the 1 of September 2018 and is scheduled to end on the 31 of December 2021.

3.4.2.17 Validation of vocational competencies for people with no formal qualification and qualified lateral job market entrants: “ Verbundprojekte Valikom und Valikom- Transfer”

The “Validation of non-formally and informally acquired competences” (ValiKom) project was established to formally assess the equivalence of pre-existing competences, knowledge and skills in respect of a specific vocational qualification and open up new ways of raising the profile of vocational skills.

The validation process is designed for people who are at least 25 years old and have

• regardless of their current employment status,• in Germany and beyond,• acquired vocationally relevant skills, but• have no formal vocational qualification that proves

that they have these skills.

ValiKom-Transfer expands the developed and trialed validation processes to other Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK), Chambers of Skilled Trades (HWK) and for the first time also to Chambers of Agriculture (LwK) and related occupations. By the end of the project period, validation processes will be offered for around 30 occupations. The project is coordinated by the West German Chambers of Crafts and Skilled Trades Council (WHKT), and the German Federation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) and the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) are re-sponsible for its strategic policy steering. Based on the results and findings, the transfer initiative will review opportunities and various possibilities for anchoring the validation process in legislation. ValiKom is there-fore contributing to Germany’s implementation of the EU Council recommendations on “ Validating non- formal and informal learning” issued in December 2012.


Over the period of ValiKom until October 2018, more than 370 people were provided with counselling services, of whom 164 went on to lodge an application and undergo validation processes. Partial or complete equivalence with the reference occupation was certified in all but five cases.

3.4.2.18 Vocational training for sustainable development (BBNE) in the BNE global action programme

Promoting vocational training for sustainable develop-ment is part of Germany’s national implementation of activities and measures in the “Education for sustain-able development” (“Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung”) action programme, which is designed to achieve the social development goals set by the United Nations for 2030. It includes various target group- specific funding and support measures. The “ Vocational training for sustainable development (BBNE) 2015–2019” model trial funding priority ad dressed train ing person-nel and trainees in the dual training system. In two of the three lines of funding, concepts were developed to promote the skills relevant to sustain ability in training for commercial occupations in retail, wholesale and foreign trade, in shipping, forwarding and logistics and in selected food trade and industry occupations. Technological developments, the globalisation of markets and statutory reporting obligations require increasingly skilled workers with the ability to reflect on the social, economic and ecological aspects of their professional activities. Sustainable places of learning in companies and outside them offer spaces for training in this area, so a third funding line develops criteria for these learning venues and indicators that can be incor-porated into reporting systems such as the German Sustainability Code. The funding priority provides materials and initial and further training modules that can be used in sustainable activities in the occupa-tional fields in training. From the end of 2018, the “Nachhaltig Erfolgreich Führen” ( Successfully leading sustainably) project run by DIHK-Bildungs-GmbH, and “Nachhaltig keitsmanagement in Handwerksbetrieben stärken” (Improving sustainability management in skilled trades companies) project run by ZWH e. V., have been develop ing needs-based further training concepts around sustainable management practices to address the operative management level and multiplicators. The BIBB is also currently investigating “Kompetenz-

anforderungen zur Nachhaltigkeit in der beruflichen Bildung im Kontext der Digitalisierung” (Skills demands involving sustainability in vocational training in the context of digitalisation), researching issues around the sustainable management of digitalisation processes.

3.5 Careers orientation activities


3.5.1.1 Careers counselling and orientation provided by the BA

The Federal Employment Agency (BA) offers careers counselling to all young people and adults, including those with special needs due to disabilities, who are in work or want to be. It supports them through the process of preparing to choose a career through its careers orientation. The Federal Employment Agency provides gender-sensitive counselling and is working to expand the range of occupations typically chosen by women and men. The BA is also consistently continuing the more preventative approach that labour market policy has taken in recent years.

Building on experience gained from the “Weiter-bildungsberatung” (Continuing education counselling) pilot project (March 2015 to February 2016) and “ Lebensbegleitende Berufsberatung” (Lifelong careers counselling) (March 2017 and ongoing), the BA launched “Lebensbegleitende Berufsberatung vor dem Erwerbs leben” (Lifelong careers counselling before employment) from the 1 of January 2019 to be a first step. “Lebens begleitende Berufsberatung” offers preven-tative, individual and holistic counselling that is open to a range of important occupational points for people before and during working life. The careers orientation offered by BA careers counselling will begin on a large scale at general education schools from the 2019/2020 school year for students in the penultimate year of secondary school. Another focus will be on grammar schools with upper secondary classes.

The BA’s further training and qualification counsel-ling services were further strengthened with the coming into force of the Qualification Opportunities Act (“Quali-fizierungschancengesetz”) on the 1 of January 2019.


3.5.1.2 Careers counselling and orientation for people with disabilities

The Federal Government’s labour market policy seeks to promote the participation of people with disabilities in employment. Young people with disabilities often need special support and assistance in integrating into the world of work. The young person’s individual needs and potential must be identified as early as possible if their sustainable integration into the labour market as inclusively as possible is to succeed. The intention is that young people with disabilities should integrate into a company or into as similar a form of work as possible. One main basis for achieving this goal is the careers orientation that is provided by the BA, which must begin in good time before the young person completes their schooling. The goal is to identify vocational skills, foster individual strengths and point out potential employment possibilities in the general labour market. For people with disabilities who are on the verge of entering the general labour market in particular, assistance such as supported employment or employment in a company that offers inclusive employment offer an alternative to employment in a workshop for disabled people. These alternatives are essential to an inclusive labour market.

Young people with disabilities should be made aware of the various possibilities for their future careers through professional careers orientation while they are still at school.


3.5.2.1 Careers orientation measures

The BA’s careers orientation measures (Berufsorientie-rungsmaßnahmen – BOM) were established under sec. 48 of the German Social Code (SGB III) and offer intensive careers orientation and help students at general education schools to prepare to choose an occupation. BOM activities include the provision of comprehensive careers information, investigations of students’ interests, aptitude tests, strategies for choosing occupations and making decisions on them, the acquisition of practical experience and help for students in carrying out self-assessment. The particular requirements of students with special educational

needs and of severely disabled students are explicitly taken into account in designing measures.

3.5.2.2 Careers orientation for refugees (BOF)

The careers orientation for refugees ( Berufsorientierung für Flüchtlinge – BOF) programme provides young refugees who are no longer of school age with intensive language tuition, specialist careers orientation and practical preparation for training or introductory training for a skilled trade (period 2016 to 2019).

In these 13 to 26-week courses young refugees gain intensive insights into skilled trades occupations. They learn the relevant technical language, gain specialised knowledge of the occupation they are interested in working in and are individually supported by social and educational mentoring. BOF courses are held in the workshops at inter-company training centres or in those of cooperating partners or in skilled trades companies. Young refugees who are entitled to access the labour market and are no longer required to be in full-time compulsory education can take part in the measures.186

To date, 60 inter-company training centres have held BOF courses nationwide to support more than 2,000 refugees (for which 5 million euros was allocated in 2018). The national, regional and thematic networking of BOF course providers with other actors and initiatives for refugees works very well in practice and makes an essential contribution to ensuring the quality of integration processes.

3.5.2.3 The “Vocational orientation in inter- company training centres and comparable institutions programme” (BOP)

The provision of practice-based and systematic careers orientation in inter-company training centres at an early stage of education is designed to arouse interest in dual training in students at general education schools and offer them realistic insights into a typical day’s training.

186 For more information see also berufsorientierung-für-flüchtlinge.de.

https://www.berufsorientierungsprogramm.de/angebote-fuer-fluechtlinge.html


This knowledge should then facilitate the transition from school into vocational training, change gender- specific behaviours in choosing occupations and open student’s minds to a wider range of occupational fields.

Analyses of their potential also help students to identify their strengths and do not set young people in a particular occupational direction, but rather make them more aware of their individual interests and talents. Core elements of the analyses include practice-based individual or group tasks through which the young people are monitored and accompanied by trained educational experts.

The next step is workshops in which the young people try at least three different occupational fields. These are offered in accordance with the specialist focuses of the workshops and of regional industry. 18 occupational areas are available at the national level.187 They aim to make young people aware of the diversity of occupational fields, informing them and enabling them to trial and test and gain experience – those are the most important criteria for the workshops.

In 2018, the careers orientation programme celebra ted its tenth anniversary. Since this Federal Government programme began in 2008, 540 million euros in subsidies has been provided and more than 1.4 million students offered careers orientation. More than 300 training centres and over 3,000 schools across Germany cooperate in BOP as partners. In 2018, 77 million euros of funding was allocated for it.

Young people from a forced migration background at general education schools now also take part in careers orientation programmes as standard, participating in measures in their class groups. Around 5 % of participants in careers orientation programmes are young refugees.

From 2014 to 2017, the careers orientation programme was evaluated by an external consortium. The evaluation is one of the most comprehensive national studies on the topic of careers orientation. Among the central results that the evaluation identified were the following:

187 berufsorientierungsprogramm.de

• BOP has a pioneering role in early-stage careers orientation.

• The programme impact depends heavily on the young people’s individual prerequisites and goals.

• Young people interested in training and those from families that are hard to reach profit most from BOP.

• The results provide essential information for the pro-gramme’s further development because the type and quality of its implementation has a major influence on BOP’s effectiveness.

As part of the “Educational Chains” (Bildungsketten) initiative, further measures were agreed on with the Länder, through which the Federal Government will flank or renew Länder careers orientation measures. In 2018, the following new measures were initiated:

“2P plus” – practical careers orientation in RhinelandPalatinate2P plus is a programme for recent immigrant school students from year 8. It specifically supports schools’ work with recent immigrant students in final year and transition classes in the short term by providing careers orientation for this group for schools. With its concrete emphasis on action and regional focus, 2P plus is also an essential element of activities to integrate immi-grants at the local level.

Project workshops for students in the upper secondary level in North RhineWestphaliaThese project workshops are a careers orientation measure for students in the upper secondary level who are interested in a professional career in dual training and in taking on a managerial position in an SME, especially in a skilled trade. The goal of this practice-based project, which is also adapted for teaching, is to familiarise young people in an activity-oriented way with the technical and planning aspects of a managerial role in an SME in a specific specialist field and give them an opportunity to trial practical work in this kind of position.

Comprehensive introduction of profilAC and the introduction of modules for the upper secondary levelThe BMBF is supporting the Land of Lower Saxony in the comprehensive introduction of the profilAC poten-tial analysis process. The process, which was developed

www.berufsorientierungsprogramm.de


in Baden-Württemberg and is already comprehensively implemented there in upper secondary school classes, is to be implemented by trained educators and will gradually replace the potential analysis process currently provided by an external provider. In 2018, the existing process modules were added to with computer-based simulation game modules, which were developed for use at both the lower secondary and upper secondary education I in coopera tion with the Länder of Baden- Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Lower Saxony. The BMBF financed the develop-ment of these modules.

3.5.2.4 The Federal Government’s “Klischeefrei” initiative – a national cooperative project to free career and study course choices from gender clichés

The Federal Government’s “Klischeefrei” initiative, which is funded and supported by the BMBF and BMFSFJ, supports all actors in the careers orientation process, starting with early childhood educators and extending through schools, parents, tertiary institu-tions, companies and institutions right up to careers counsel lors, in providing young people with careers orientation that is free of gender clichés and role models. Young people still base their decisions on careers and study courses on outdated (role) models, which severely limits the range of occupations they choose. The “ Klischeefrei” initiative provides careers and study choice orientation that centres on individual strengths, thereby opening up the entire range of potential careers beyond obsolete gender clichés.

The initiative offers concrete support for everyone working in the area of careers orientation. Its website188

offers information and practical support in the form of examples of best practice, cliché-free materials and notifications of events. The “Klischeefrei” service office offers a wide range of counselling and support services to anyone interested in these issues.

As well as providing practice-based support services, the initiative aims to attract as many partner organisations as possible to get involved in dissemi-nating the idea of cliché-free careers orientation to as wide a public as possible. It is now successfully

188 klischee-frei.de

established, with around 150 organisations already joining the initiative as partners.

3.5.2.5 The ESF programme to promote vocational training for sustainable development: “ Berufsbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung befördern. Über grüne Schlüsselkompeten-zen zu klima- und ressourcenschonendem Handeln im Beruf”

People who want to work towards sustainable develop-ment in their everyday working lives need the appro-priate skills, abilities and knowledge to do so. The “ Berufsbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung befördern. Über grüne Schlüsselkompetenzen zu klima- und ressourcenschonendem Handeln im Beruf” (BBNE) programme raises awareness of the “greening” of occupations and the world of work. Funded by the ESF and BMU, the BBNE programme supports work camps that combine practically oriented careers orientation outside school with sustainability aspects. A second funding format supports training courses for trainees and training staff that build on closer cooperation among the various trades involved in the renovation of buildings to make them more energy-efficient.

This funding programme, which is in the BMU’s area of responsibility, focuses in particular on vocational training for sustainable development in connection with the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development global action programme.

14 projects were funded in the first round of funding from 2015–2018/2019 and in 2019 13 projects are launching the second funding round.

3.5.2.6 Initiative Inklusion

The BMAS has allocated 80 million euros from the rehabilitation funds to enable the Initiative Inklusion to establish and further develop structures and measures to improve careers orientation for severely disabled school students, especially those who need special educational support, from 2011 to 2018. This follow-up financing is designed to enable the Länder to create careers orientation structures all over Germany that they will be able to maintain with their own funding after financing ends from the 2017/2018

http://www.klischee-frei.de


school year. Since the BA and the Länder in charge of regulating schools are also jointly responsible for careers orientation, sec. 48 of the German Social Code (SGB III) allows for co-financing by the BA. These efforts are also being supported by the legal option that the Länder have with the ninth amendment to the German Social Code (SGB II) (in force since August 2016), which allows integration offices to use the funding from the rehabilitation funds available to them to support careers orientation for disabled young people that supplement the activities of the Länder departments of cultural affairs.189

The goal is to provide all school students with disabilities in special and mainstream schools with orientational information on their individual oppor-tunities for further occupational development in the medium term (working together with parents, educators and potential service providers).

These activities are flanked by the “Educational Chains” (“Bildungsketten”) initiative, through which the BMBF, BMAS and BA work together with the Länder to consolidate successful funding and support instruments into holistic and consistent funding and support for careers orientation and the transition system.

3.6 Activities to help young people succeed in transitioning into training


3.6.1.1 The amendment to the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) in the area of occupations requiring two years of training

Opportunities for transfer within vocational education have been improved by the simplified prerequisites of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) for accrediting periods of time spent training in stages, in which training for occupations requiring two years of training is continued in training for occupations that demand three or three and a half years of training, and the introduction of new possibilities for taking

189 sec. 185 Paragraph 3 Number 5 of the German Social Code (SGB IX).

examination results in training for occupations that builds on other training into account.

3.6.1.2 BA careers counselling and careers orientation

Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) careers counselling and orientation services make an essential contribution to ensuring that all young people succeed in transitioning into training, regardless of whether or not they have special needs or a disability. The Federal Employment Agency provides gender- sensitive counselling services free of clichés and is working in particular to expand the range of occupa-tions that women and men choose. Lower-achieving students are supported at an early stage with the help of career start mentoring.190


3.6.2.1 Career start mentoring

Career start mentoring as defined in sec. 49 of the German Social Code (SGB III) provides individual and continuous support for school students who need extra support (including those at special schools) usually from their penultimate year of schooling, into their first half year of vocational training or, if they do not immediately succeed in making this transition, for up to 24 months after they complete school and transition into vocational training.

3.6.2.2 The “JUGEND STÄRKEN” initiative

Programmes in the “Youth migration services” “ Jugendmigrationsdienste”, “JUGEND STÄRKEN im Quartier” and “JUGEND STÄRKEN: 1000 Chancen” initiatives support young people aged between 12 and 27 on their way into the world of work. In 2018, 55.1 million euros of Federal Government funding and 23.8 million euros of ESF funding was provided for the programmes.

The initiative focuses on young people with and with-out migrant backgrounds, who because of disad vant age,



need special social and educational support in managing the transition from school into employ ment (sec. 13 of the German Social Code (SGB VIII), youth social work), especially young people who are not, or no longer, reached by the regular services such as school, vocational training and the basic income and support services offered under the Social Code (SGB II and SGB III).

Over 460 youth migration services support young migrants, and, since 2017, also young refugees in their efforts to enter secondary school, training and employ-ment. The youth migration services work together with the young people to set goals and find services that fit in with the young people’s individual abilities. To build trust and cooperation, the services also offer various group activities, especially in sporting and cultural areas and many include conversation courses, job application training and courses on new media in the services they provide. In 2018, they provided counselling and support services to more than 123,000 young migrants, with 42 % of them supported in case management for more than two years on average.

The ESF “JUGEND STÄRKEN im Quartier” model programme also focuses on working with young people and on providing them with intensive social and educational support for the transition from school into work. 175 projects, lead-managed by local author-ities, were implemented nationwide from 2015 to 2018; 162 projects will be implemented in a second round of funding from 2019 to 2022. The projects in the first funding round from 2015 until the end of 2018 reached 56,500 young people and 59 % of them started school-based or general vocational training after participating in a project.

The projects help young people who are not attend-ing school or have dropped out of school to go back to school and also support young people who are hard to reach and have not established any occupational prospects after completing school. Projects focusing on specific social environments, so-called “micro-projects”, not only strengthen the young people’s personalities, they also add value to the urban environments the young people live in.

In the “JUGEND STÄRKEN: 1000 Chancen” project, run jointly by the BMFSFJ and Junior Chamber Inter-national Germany (Verein der Wirtschaftsjunioren Deutschlands), young entrepreneurs and business

leaders work on a voluntary basis together with social and educational experts to offer local, low-entry services to disadvantaged young people that provide them with practice-based insights into the world of work and impetus and prospects for their future careers. In 2018, the projects gave 2,076 young people an oppor-tunity to get to know young entrepreneurs and their companies and to profit from their experience as busi-ness leaders. Since the project started in early 2012 it has reached around 10,560 disadvantaged young people.

Programmes in the JUGEND STÄRKEN initiative provide support services to around 135,000 young people aged between 12 and 27 every year.

3.7 Activities to fill vacant training places


3.7.1.1 Placement in training

Placement in training is a standard benefit for pro-mo ting employment and a comprehensive service offered by employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and job centres that is available to all young people. The agencies also offer employers specific consultancy services and approach them to enquire about possible training places. Employers are free to register any training places they are offering.

3.7.1.2 Support for SMEs in filling training places and integrating foreign skilled staff: “ Passgenaue Besetzung”

The “Passgenaue Besetzung”191 programme (period: 2015 to 2020), which is financed jointly by the ESF and BMWi, works to counteract matching problems in the training place market. The programme provides funding for consultants to the Chambers of Skilled Trades (HWK) and German Chambers of Industry and Commerce

191 Programme directive “Unterstützung von kleinen und mittleren Unter-nehmen bei der passgenauen Besetzung von Ausbildungsplätzen sowie bei der Integration von ausländischen Fachkräften” (“Supporting small and medium sized enterprises in the targeted filling of training places and integration of foreign skilled workers”) of the 26 of January 2015.


Association (IHK), Chambers of Liberal Professions (Kammern der Freien Berufe) and other business and industry organisations who offer support to SMEs in the filling of their training places with suit able local and foreign young people (those who are not refugees). The consultants offer assistance at all stages, ranging from an analysis of the need for training in the company through to selection interviews and recruitment tests.

The consultants also cooperate with other agencies and institutions working in the area of vocational training (including part-time vocational schools and employment offices) by helping to preselect suitable training place applicants and proposing precisely matched applicants to companies. They also provide support to companies experiencing problems during training on a needs basis.

Consultants also help companies that need assistance in establishing and further developing a culture of welcome and integrating those foreign trainees and skilled workers who are not refugees in Germany.

In 2018, funding was provided for 168 positions for Pass genaue Besetzung consultants at 93 chambers and other business and industry organisations across Germany.

Since the preceding programme began in 2007 it has succeeded in filling 84,000 training places and 10,350 introductory training places. An annual funding volume of around 7 million euros has been allocated to it.

In 2018, the project resulted in the filling of 5,011 dual training places, 3,705 of them with male appli cants and 1,306 with female applicants. Another 661 applicants, 538 of them male and 123 female, were also placed in introductory training.

3.7.1.3 Welcome mentors

The “Welcome mentors” programme pursues the economic policy goal of supporting companies in securing a supply of skilled staff while also contributing to the wider social task of integrating refugees into the German labour market.

Funding for the welcome mentors started in March 2016 as part of the pre-existing “ Passgenaue

Besetzung” funding regulation. On the 28 of September 2017 a separate and specific funding regulation for welcome mentors was published in the Federal Gazette. Since then the support that the welcome mentors provide has been available to all companies (before then it was provided only to SMEs).

The range of consultancy and support services that welcome mentors provide for companies include the following:

1. Welcome mentors advise companies on ways in which training and employing refugees can help to secure a supply of skilled workers and inform enterprises about regional and national funding and support programmes.

2. They offer support to enterprises on all issues involving training and employing refugees, such as the necessary legal framework and administrative processes involved.

3. Welcome mentors support companies through the process of developing an open culture of welcome on a needs basis.

4. Welcome mentors also network with relevant local actors to leverage synergies, working especially in the areas of building up a pool of potential applicants and providing support for companies that have integrated refugees into training.

The BMWi provides 7 million euros annually to fund and support welcome mentors as part of its measures to integrate refugees into work and training that were agreed on in the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training (period: 2016 to 2019).

In 2018, funding was provided for 178 positions for specially trained welcome mentors at 114 chambers and other business and industry organisations throughout Germany.

Over the period from the programme start until the end of 2018, welcome mentors held over 17,000 individ ual counselling sessions with companies and more than 22,000 with refugees and had pla-ced over 21,000 refugees in training or employment (5,290 were placed directly in training, 2,392 in a job, 9,046 in internships, 1,136 in vocational observation visits and 3,323 in introductory training).


By 2018, 2,858 training places had been filled through the project, 2,736 of them with male applicants and 122 with female applicants. The programme had also resul ted in 1,395 applicants being placed in introductory training, 1,354 of them male and 41 of them female applicants.

3.8 Activities for unplaced applicants


3.8.1.1 Assisted Training

Assisted Training as defined in sec. 130 of the German Social Code (SGB III) can include a pre-vocational training phase, which is designed to help trainees start vocational training in a company by providing them with continuous support from the same provider throughout the process.192

3.8.1.2 Pre-vocational education and training measures

Pre-vocational education and training measures as defined under sec. 51 of the German Social Code (SGB III) prepare young people who need extra support for vocational training or, if they cannot yet start training for inherent personal reasons, for starting work in the mainstream labour market.

Pre-vocational education and training measures aim to give participants opportunities to assess their skills and abilities as part of the process of choosing a possible occupation and making a decision on one, and provides them with the capabilities and skills they need to start initial vocational training (supporting them in their pre-paration to acquire a secondary general school leaving certificate or equivalent school leaving qualification), or, if this is not or not yet possible, helps place participants in employment and sustainably integrate them into the training and/or labour market. A basic vocational training allowance193 is paid to participants in pre-voca-tional education and training measures.



Since the Integration Act came into force in August 2016, temporary residents with good prospects after three months in germany have been able to receive support through vocational training measures. Tolerated people, with six years of legal residence, are eligible to receive funding to participate in pre- vocational education and training. This regulation has been extended by one year until the end of 2019.

3.8.1.3 Introductory training

Introductory training (Einstiegsqualifizierung – EQ) offers young people whose prospects of being placed in training are limited due to individual reasons with an opportunity to acquire or improve their vocational skills and gives companies offering training the chance to get to know these young people.

Introductory training places are especially provided for disadvantaged young people (EQ-Plus) and those from a migrant background and aim to specifically recruit these groups into training in companies.

Young refugees can attend classes to learn German in parallel during introductory training. To make it easier for them to learn German during introductory training measures, the Administrative Board of the Federal Employment Agency (BA) amended the Intro-ductory Training Funding Regulation in 2016 so that with an appropriate tariff agreement, young refugees spending a total period in a company of at least 50 % are also eligible for support to take part in German language courses.

3.9 Activities to increase companies’ participation in training


A wide range of measures are provided to support young people in making a successful start to working life. These measures are also designed to increase the proportion of young people with vocational qualifications and in particular support young people with special needs and problems (e. g. due to language deficits, a difficult personal or cultural environment or


disability) and enable them to profit from the positive development that engagement in work and training can bring.


3.9.2.1 JOBSTARTER plus – training for the future

The BMBF funds and supports national projects in the JOBSTARTER plus programme with co-financing from the ESF to improve regional training market structures. The programme flexibly and actively responds to current developments in the training market and trials innovative approaches to solving problems through a range of variable funding priorities.194

These regional and specific industry support services are especially designed to recruit small and the smallest companies into the provision of training and to support companies through the process of offering young people with lower achievement levels opportunities to gain training.

JOBSTARTER plus projects make optimum use of regional support services by deploying external training management (Externes Ausbildungsmanage-ment – EXAM) for companies. EXAM is at the core of all JOBSTARTER plus projects and covers support services ranging from the starting of training, through training itself and on to completion. The projects work through regional support structures with employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit), chambers and many other actors in regional networks to develop ways to better match companies’ needs for trainees with the support services on offer.

Focuses in 2018:Twelve new projects started in 2018 and another 20 to 30 projects are scheduled to begin in 2019. The BMBF initiative for qualifying future trainers in small and the smallest companies (Qualifizierung zukünftiger Ausbilderinnen und Ausbilder in KKU) also started in 2018. This initiative provides funding and support for around 6,000 people working in the small and the smallest companies nationwide to enable them to take

194 For more information on the JOBSTARTER plus training market structural programme see jobstarter.de.

part in “Train the trainer” seminars that prepare them for the examination required by the Instructor Aptitude Ordinance and to provide and fill training places.

Initial and continuing training in “Economy 4.0” 195

Digitalisation will involve major changes to work and training for companies. The 20 current JOBSTARTER

plus projects offer information and support services to make SMEs aware of digitalisation issues in the context of the initial and continuing training they provide and help them manage the resulting change.

The JOBSTARTER plus “Training in small and the smallest companies” (Ausbildung in Klein- und Kleinstunternehmen) funding priority (2017 to 2021) has a funding volume of 27.8 million euros while the “Initial and continuing training in ‘Economy 4.0’ ” (Aus- und Weiterbildung in der ‘Wirtschaft 4.0’ ) funding priority (2017 to 2020) has a funding volume of 12.9 mil-lion euros.

Successful EXAM activities in increasing the willing-ness of small and the smallest companies to provide training have included:

• The provision of support services to more than 1,000 small and the smallest companies and increasing their willingness to offer training.

• Most of the training places that were filled in small and the smallest companies were in the Trade and Industry and Skilled Trades sectors.

• Internships in companies were provided before training in some cases to help to recruit suitable trainees.

Initial results and findings on Economy 4.0:

• Economy 4.0 is a change process that will require indivi dual solutions tailored to specific companies. Most companies fail to consider the social and cultural dimensions of this change adequately, even though initial and continuing training will be key to digitalisation. The process of adapting to these changes in the area of vocational training will be very complex, so there is a need for consultancy services for SMEs.

• Most SMEs are aware of the importance of digitalisation issues and companies are expecting it to change training

195 For more information on external training management see jobstarter.de/de/externes-ausbildungsmanagement-26.php.

http://www.jobstarter.de

http://www.jobstarter.de/de/externes-ausbildungsmanagement-26.php


requirements for their employees. To date however, digitalisation is having only a marginal impact on initial and continuing training in SMEs. The main reasons for this are a lack of time, a shortage of personnel resources and the absence of technical infrastructure.

• Most SMEs have a broad need for further training, organi sational consultancy and services to help them devel op digitalisation strategies and training marketing. JOBSTARTER plus projects are helping to meet these needs in concrete ways.

3.9.2.2 JOBSTARTER plus – training for the future; The Koordinierungsstelle Ausbildung und Migration – KAUSA funding priority

The KAUSA coordination office for training and migra-tion has been a funding priority in the JOBSTARTER/JOBSTARTER plus training market structural programme since 2006.196 Its goals include motivating SMEs run by migrants as well as those not headed by migrants to take on young people from migrant and forced migration backgrounds as trainees. KAUSA service centres, succes-sively established from 2013 to 2022 (and from 2019 with a changed focus), provide counselling services for young people from migrant and forced migration back-grounds and their parents on all issues involving dual training and refer them to competent local partners.197

KAUSA service centres have so far provided coun-selling services to 5,000 entrepreneurs with and without a migrant background and their information events have reached 8,900 companies.

3.9.2.3 Support for SMEs in filling training places and integrating foreign skilled staff

The “Passgenaue Besetzung” 198 programme, which is jointly financed by the ESF and BMWi, provides funding for consultants to the Chambers of Skilled Trades (HWK) and German Chambers of Industry and Commerce Association (IHK), Chambers of Liberal Professions (Kammern der Freien Berufe) and other business and

196 For more information on JOBSTARTER plus see jobstarter.de.

197 For more information on the KAUSA funding priority see kausa- servicestellen.de.

198 See also Chapter 3.7.1.2 and Chapter 4 for an overview.

industry organisations who offer support to SMEs in the filling of their training places with suitable local and foreign young people (not including refugees). The consultants offer assistance at all stages, ranging from an analysis of the need for training in the company through to selection interviews and recruitment tests.

Consultants also cooperate with other agencies and institutions working in the area of vocational training (including part-time vocational schools and employ-ment offices) by helping to preselect suitable training place applicants and proposing precisely matched applicants to companies, which in turn increases companies’ willingness to offer training.

3.9.2.4 Inter-company vocational training in the skilled trades (ÜLU)

The qualification of workers is of vital importance in the skilled trades, so companies and employees working in this area are very interested in keeping their occupa-tional skills and abilities up to date and adapting them to the newest economic and technical developments.

The BMWi provides funding and support for ÜLU training courses in for the 2nd–4th years of training. This is just one way in which the Federal Government is ensuring that young workers in the skilled trades are provided with holistic training of the highest standard.

The Federal Government’s funding and support relieves skilled trades companies of part of the burden of providing training and recognises the huge contribu-tion to providing skilled trades training that they make.

In 2018, the BMWi provided 49 million euros in funding to offer more than 49,000 training courses for around 426,000 participants.

http://www.kausa-servicestellen.de


3.10 Activities to prevent premature training contract termination and training dropouts



The phase of Assisted Training that accompanies training makes an important contribution to making training possible for a broader group of young people. It aims to enable young people who need extra support to manage the transition into company-based vocatio nal training, to successfully complete training and to be sustainably inte-grated into the mainstream labour market. It does this by means of specialist theoretical and practical re medial teaching and instruction and social and educational sup-port services that stabilise the training relationship for both the trainees and the companies training them.199

3.10.1.2 Support for apprentices during training

Support for apprentices during training helps to ensure that trainees succeed in training or introductory train-ing and prevent them from dropping out of training. Sup port services in the form of remedial teaching and instruc tion, social and educational support, and assis-tance in abolishing language and educational deficits can be provided on a needs basis to help people to start, continue and successfully complete training at any time during vocational training or introductory training.

Since 2016, people with leave to remain in Germany and good prospects of being able to stay in the country, usually after three months of residency, have been eli-gible to receive support for apprentices during train ing. Those with temporary leave to remain can receive sup-port after twelve months of residency. This access regu la-tion has been extended by one year until the end of 2019.

3.10.1.3 The basic vocational training allowance

The basic vocational training allowance (Berufsaus-bildungsbeihilfe – BAB) is a form of financial assistance


provided under the German Social Code (SGB III) to help recipients overcome financial difficulties during vocational training or a pre-vocational training measure that might otherwise stand in the way of the acquisition of an appropriate vocational qualification. The basic vocational training allowance contributes to the balancing of the training market and to ensuring and improving vocational mobility.

Since the Integration Act came into force in August 2016, people with leave to remain in Germany and good prospects of being able to stay can receive a basic vocational training allowance for a limited period at an early stage, usually after 15 months of residency. This regulation has been extended until the end of 2019. Until the 15th month of residency people with leave to remain in Germany can receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act (Asylbewerberleistungs gesetz), including during vocational training in a company.

The planned draft of legislation to adapt the basic vocational training allowance and training stipend includes a simplification of legislation and procedures involving the basic vocational training allowance and training stipend and will increase entitlement and permissible deductions for the basic vocational training allowance and training stipend in several steps, and so correspond and harmonise with changes to entitlement requirements and permissible deduc-tions in BAföG, which will be implemented with the 26th Amendment to the Training Assistance Act (BAföG-Änderungsgesetz). The proposed changes will simplify both legislation (reducing the number of entitlement requirements and make application of the training stipend more consistent for participants in introductory procedures and the vocational area) and administrative processes in this area. Increasing entitlement and permissible deductions for the basic vocational training allowance and training stipend is in line with the changes to Federal Government support and funding for education and training resulting from the 26th Amendment to the Training Assistance Act (BAföG-Änderungsgesetz) and will ensure that funding and support for training and education is equally available to all people in schools, tertiary studies and vocational training. The cabinet resolution was passed on the 13 of March 2019.


3.10.1.4 The iniviative to prevent training dropouts “Verhinderung von Ausbildungsabbrüchen” (VerA)

The national VerA (“Verhinderung von Ausbildungs-abbrüchen”) initiative provides trainees with mentor-ing by volunteer training mentors from the Senior Expert Service. Since 2008, this coaching service, which is based on volunteer contributions and helping people to help themselves, has offered young people support in the process of starting out in working life. To date more than 13,000 young people have been mentored.

3.10.1.5 Stabilising training in companies for people with disabilities

People with disabilities should be able to train in a company or in a setting as similar to a company as possible so that they can be sustainably and inclusively integrated into the labour market.

The Federal Employment Agency’s (BA) diverse range of support measures (such as mentoring for trainees training in companies and individual training participation support) must be deployed in a targeted manner to accommodate the trainee’s type and degree of disability and individual needs.

The overall intention is to enable young people with disabilities to train in companies, provide them with needs-based support to ensure that they successfully complete training and can manage the transition into work subject to social insurance contributions. The companies that provide them with training also receive needs-based support during their training, to help them to establish the necessary preconditions for training these young people, for example.

3.11 Activities to help young adults gain qualifications


3.11.1.1 Funding and support for measures for adapting to climate change

The BMU’s “Funding for measures to adapt to climate change” (“Förderung für Maßnahmen zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel”) and “German strategy for adapting to climate change” (Deutsche Anpassungsstrategie an den Klimawandel – DAS) programmes aims to enable actors at the regional and local level to act to manage the consequences of climate change. The 2nd funding priority of the DAS funding programme provides funding and support for the development of education and training measures and piloting of their implemen-tation in initial and continuing vocational training.

Since this funding programme began in 2011 the vocational training funding priority has funded 60 individual projects with a total amount of over 7.4 million euros. In each call for proposals around a third of the programme funding is allocated for projects involving vocational training. Project funding of 2 to 3 million euros is provided annually for this purpose.

3.11.1.2 Employable Skills Modules

Employable skills modules (Teilqualifikationen – TQ) enable trainees to gain full vocational training in clearly structured steps. For young adults with low-level quali-fications in particular, TQ offer a path to qualification that opens up realistic prospects of (subsequent) acquisi-tion of a vocational qualification or transferrable skills that will lead to qualification. This form of qualifi cation supplements vocational training for certain target groups without challenging the fundamental vocational training policy preference for dual vocational training.

In 2018 the BMBF supported the DIHK project “CHANCEN NUTZEN! Mit Teilqualifikationen Richtung Berufsabschluss” (Taking opportunities – with qualifica-tion modules towards vocational qualification) (funing period October 2017 to September 2020), which was set up to create standard ised framework conditions for


employable skills modules for young adults. It will also establish and further develop employable skills and train ing modules to provide consistent national content in modules, resource-efficient structures and a sustain-able employable skills modules programme. The “Taking opportunities” (“Chancen Nutzen!”) programme is being supplemented by a quality assur ance project carried out by the BIBB (“ Securing the quality of, and further developing, training modules” (“Qualitätsprüfung und Weiterentwicklung von Ausbildungsbausteinen”).

This project funding secures the necessary consul-tancy and support services in Chambers of Trade and Industry (IHKs). In 2018, 55 % of IHKs were active in the area of the certification of employable skills modules and another 22 % were planning services in this area. Employable skills modules have been completed for trainees training in the occupations of skilled metal-worker, industrial electronics technician and skilled express and postal services employee.

The “Taking opportunities” (“Chancen Nutzen!”) project is also being supplemented by a quality assur-ance project carried out by the Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (“Securing the quality of, and further developing, training modules” – “Qualitätsprüfung und Weiterentwicklung von Ausbildungsbausteinen”). Employable skills modules for training in the hospital-ity industry occupations of office manager, cook, restaurant specialist and hotel business specialist have been submitted to the BIBB for external validation.

3.11.1.3 The “Zukunftsstarter” initiative

The BMAS and BA joint initiative to provide initial vocational training for young adults (“AusBILDUNG wird was – Spätstarter gesucht”) started in 2013 and was initially scheduled to continue for three years before being further developed from the 1 of August 2016 and con tinued under the name of “Zukunftsstarter”. Based on the expanded funding and support options offered by the law to strengthen vocational training and employment insurance coverage (AWStG) it will recruit 120,000 participants in the 25 to under 35 age group who are eligible for support under the German Social Code (SGB II and SGB III) into training that offers a qualification by the end of 2020. The initiative is showing solid substan tial results. Over the period from the initiative’s beginning to October 2018, 86,000 young

adults who are gener ally eligible for support (not includ-ing support from licensed local authority agencies) took advantage of this assistance to set themselves the goal of gaining a vocational qualification.

3.12 Activities to increase the power of vocational training to promote integration



The instrument of Assisted Training was established to help more disadvantaged young people to successfully complete company-based vocational training in the dual system and prepare them for the transition into employment subject to social insurance contributions. This funding regulation has been extended for another two years to cover measures that begin by the 30 of September 2020.

Assisted Training supports young people who need extra support and the companies training them through the process of company-based training. A pre-vocatio nal preparatory phase can precede training in a company to open up the possibility of continuing company-based vocational training with support from the same training provider.

People with leave to remain in Germany and good prospects of being able to stay have been eligible to receive Assisted Training support since 2016. Those with leave to remain can receive Assisted Training support to accompany training after twelve months of residency and pre-vocational preparatory Assisted Training support after 15 months. In 2018, this regulation was extended for a year.

3.12.1.2 Support for apprentices during training

Support for apprentices during training helps to ensure that trainees succeed in training or introductory training and to prevent them from dropping out of training. Support services in the form of remedial teaching and


instruction, social and educational support, and assis-tance in abolishing language and educational deficits can be provided on a needs basis to help people to start, continue and successfully complete training at any time during vocational or introductory training.

3.12.1.3 Vocational German language training under S. 45a of the German Residency Act ( AufenthG)

The Vocational German language tuition regulation (Deutschsprachförderverordnung – DeuFöV), which came into force on the 1 of July 2016, established the provision of vocational language courses to improve the prospects of participants in the training and employ ment market for the first time in standard support structures in Germany.

Vocational German language courses are open to foreigners and to German nationals from a migrant background who need to improve their work- related language skills and to people looking for work or training, the unemployed and people who need to achieve a specific level of German to have their professional qualifications recognised, and to trainees, participants in introductory training and employees.

Vocational German language courses usually follow on from the general language tuition offered in inte gration courses. Language skills at the B 1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Langua ges is the usual prerequisite and the courses offer the acquisition of language skills with a vocational and employment focus up to C 1 level. Special voca tional language courses are also offered ( including subject- specific tuition for certain occupatio nal groups or classes as part of the professional qualifications recog-nition process). Cooperative measures are also offered together with the Federal Employment Agency (BA) to provide combined measures that teach vocational language skills and provide vocational training either simultaneously or in separate successive courses.

3.12.1.4 Career start mentoring

Career start mentoring is provided under the German Social Code (sec. 49 SGB III) to offer individual long-term support to students at general schools (including

special schools) who need extra support in completing school, transitioning into training and in the first year of their training.

3.12.1.5 Pre-vocational training measures

Pre-vocational training measures provided under the provisions of the German Social Code (SGB III) prepare young people who need extra support for vocational training or, if they cannot start vocational training due to inherent personal reasons, for integration into the mainstream labour market.

The aim of pre-vocational training measures is to offer participants opportunities to evaluate their skills and abilities as part of the process of choosing a possible occupation and making a decision on one and provides them with the capabilities and skills they need to start initial vocational training (supporting them in their preparation to acquire a secondary general school leaving certificate or equivalent school leaving qualifi-cation) or, if this is not or not yet possible, helps place participants in employment and sustainably integrate them into the training and/or labour market. A basic vocational training allowance200 is paid to participants during pre-vocational training measures.

Since the Integration Act came into force in August 2016, people with leave to remain in Germany and good prospects of being able to stay have become eligible for support through pre-vocational training measures, usually after three months of residency. Those with leave to remain can receive support through pre-vocational training measures after six years of legal residency. The regulation has been extended for one year until the end of 2019.

3.12.1.6 The Federal Government’s “RESPEKT” pilot programme for young people who are hard to reach

Since 2015, support for a benefit provided under sec. 16h of the German Social Code (SGB II) was provided with largely identical content through the Federal Govern-ment’s “RESPEKT – BMAS pilot programme for young people who are hard to reach”. The programme was

200 See Chapter 3.10.1.3


initially scheduled to continue until the 31 of December 2017 but its period was extended by a year until the end of 2018 so that ongoing projects could be monitored over a longer period and the results and findings gained from them be used to implement the objectives set out in sec. 16h of the German Social Code (SGB II). On this basis, 17 of the 18 projects originally funded were continued in 2018. 40 million euros in funding (10 million euros per fiscal year) was allocated for these projects from 2015 to 2018. This Federal Government programme concluded at the end of 2018 and is undergoing evaluation.

By the time it ended in 2018, the programme had reached more than 4,000 young people.

3.12.1.7 Digital media in vocational education and training

Through its “Inclusion through digital media in voca-tional education and training” programme, which was announced on the 13 of February 2017, the BMBF is contributing to supporting the efforts of people with disabilities to access initial and continuing vocational training. Targeted use of digital media can help people to compensate for limitations. The findings and develop-ments resulting from this funding programme can help companies to overcome doubts about training people with disabilities as skilled workers or continuing to employ them when they have acquired an impairment.

Funding and support was provided for 74 projects in 18 project networks, and in 2018 3.2 million euros of Federal Government funding was allocated for them. By the time the last project ends in the autumn of 2021, 9.6 million euros in funding will have been provided.

The first projects started in the autumn of 2017 and most of the other projects began work in 2018, so no results or findings are available yet. Evaluation of the projects will begin in 2021, when most of the projects will have ended.

3.12.1.8 The ESF and Federal Government Integration Directive

I. Integration through exchange and integration instead of exclusion

Projects in these two action priorities were funded through the ESF and German Federal Government Integration Directive. The overarching goal of all three action priorities (Integration through exchange ( Integration durch Austausch – IdA), Integration instead of exclusion (Integration statt Ausgrenzung – IsA), and Integration of asylum seekers and refugees (Integration von Asylbewerberinnen, Asylbewerbern und Flücht-lingen – IvAF)201 is to progressively and sustainably integrate mainly disadvantaged young people in work, training or school-based training. They do this by work-ing in cooperative projects with the active involvement of companies, public administration agencies and job centres and employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit).

The success of these projects and continuing need for support in this area has led the ESF and Federal Government to increase the Integration Directive budget (which includes funding from the ESF, German government and participants’ own contributions) by 77.98 million euros to 295.6 million euros for all three action priorities, so the project period has been extended into 2020.

The IdA action priority implements transnational measures, sending unemployed young adults aged from 18 to 35 who have particular difficulties in accessing work and training for two to six months of company-based training in a European country. It also engages in intensive preparation and follow-up work.

Over the programme period, from its beginning un-til September 2018, around 1,950 participants had spent time working or training in a European country. The projects also hosted young people from European mem-ber states and regions that implement programmes like IdA. The increased exchanges with young people from European countries and cooper ation at the European level added value for Europe as a whole. In exchange, German IdA projects hosted 340 participants from Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and the Czech Republic. IdA’s transnational exchange of participants is a unique

201 See Chapter 3.12.1.8 II.


feature of the project. Despite the partly very difficult target group they were working with, including people with mental impairments, the projects succeeded in securing a high rate of integration into the labour market among these young people of around 50 %.

In the IsA action priority, standard support services are combined with project modules with the involve-ment of regional labour administration agencies.

One focus of their work is the provision of oppor-tunities for unemployed young migrants to gain quali-fications in close cooperation with companies. 22 of the 55 IsA projects funded also work to integrate EU citizens who have immigrated to Germany into the labour mar-ket in local areas. By the end of December 2018, around 11,229 people had taken part in projects, 60 % of them aged under 27. The focused collaboration of job centres and companies in cooperative projects achieved an integration rate of 40 % in the two target areas, despite the very difficult target group they were working with.

II. The integration of asylum seekers and refugees action priority (IvAF)

41 IvAF action priority networks were funded and supported in the context of the ESF and German Federal Government Integration Directive. The IvAF action priority works with the target group of asylum applicants and refugees without age limits to improve their access to work, education and training through individual and structural improvements.

Measures offered in the IvAF networks are diverse and tailored to meet the needs of the target group of asylum applicants and refugees. They include labour market-related counselling services that take the par-ticular life situation of this target group into account, such as support in accessing regular assistance benefits, individual qualification measures, placement in work or training, coaching during the first weeks of work and training and mentoring during school and vocational training, etc.

IvAF also aims to improve the structural access of asylum seekers and refugees to work and training, by engaging companies, public administration agencies and other relevant actors (e. g. refugee assistance organisations, welfare agencies, education institutions

and local government authorities) in the work of the projects. IvAF networks also offer training on issues involving legal residency and the employment of foreign nationals for staff at employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and job centres. All the training of multiplicators, volunteers, companies and vocational schools and colleges offered in this area is also provided by the IvAF networks.

The services offered by the 41 project networks and their 300 sub-projects were very well received by the target group. From 2015 until December 2018, the projects provided around 45,785 refugees with individual counselling services and supported them on their way into work, training and education.

3.12.1.9 Evaluation of the harmonised general training plan (hBRP) in vocational training in workshops

This research project (period: January 2018 to February 2020) will accompany and evaluate the harmonised general training plan ( harmonisierte Bildungs rahmen pläne – hBRP), which imparts vocational skills to participants to prepare them for advanced training, the labour market or a labour market-related activity. Three central aspects are being scientifically evaluated:

• The specific learning and support needs of people with disabilities training in the vocational training sector of workshops for people with disabilities202

• The quality of training course structures and processes based on the harmonised general training plan (hBRP)

• The quality of results and outcomes, based on individual training biographies

Harmonised general training plans, the use of which was initiated by the German Federal Association of Sheltered Workshops (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Werkstätten für behinderte Menschen e. V.), have al ready been implemented in some Länder, so the evalu ation will examine the experience and outcomes that they have gained. The results of the evaluation will be incorporated into a wider process to establish harmonised general training plans.

202 See also sec. 19 of the German Social Code (SGB III).


This project will bring significantly more trans-parency to issues around training for people with disabilities. The evaluation of harmonised general training plans in vocational training will also provide the scientific feedback required to increase the use of harmonised general training plans in workshops.

In 2018, 330,000 euros of funding was provided for this programme (grant with 50 % funding: 165,000 euro).

3.12.1.10 Funding and support for young people who are hard to reach – sec. 16h of the German Social Code (SGB II)

The statutory regulations in sec. 16h of the German Social Code (SGB II) supplement the other benefits designed to integrate young people into employment (sec. 16 to 16g of the Social Code – SGB II) at the inter-face to youth welfare services and provide for low entry-level psycho- social and outreach counselling and support services for young people aged between 15 and 25 who are not, or no longer, supported by standard social wel fare system benefits. The primary goal here is less the immediate integration of the young people into training or work and more an effort to return them to standard social welfare benefits, especially (regular) services to help them reintegrate into employment.

Young people whose individual situation means that they have difficulties in attaining or completing school-based education, training, a vocational qualifi-cation or work placement, and who are not reached by other social support benefits or do not accept them, are entitled to receive these benefits. Additional social sup-port services can also be provided to help young people overcome these kinds of difficulties, providing them with basic income benefits for jobseekers to secure their living and housing situations, helping them to start necessary therapeutic treatment and securing the aid of standard support programmes under the German Social Code (SGB II) that are designed to activate and stabilise these young people and provide them with intensive careers orientation support at an early stage. These benefits are subsidiary to similar services offered by public-sector youth welfare organi sations so they require intensive coordination with youth welfare services organisations. By October 2018, 2,614 participants had taken part in measures under sec. 16h of the Social Code (SGB II). In 2018, 39.1 % of these participants were female.

3.12.1.11 Integration through qualification (IQ)

The “Integration through qualification – IQ” funding and support programme works to improve the labour market prospects of people from a migrant background.

The programme focuses on providing counselling services on the recognition of academic degrees and vocational qualifications gained outside Germany and on qualifications in the context of the Federal (BQFG) and Länder (L-BQFG) government foreign professional qualifications recognition laws. It provides people seek-ing advice with professional counselling on updating qualifications and compensatory measures that can enable them to have their qualifications fully recognised and then to gain employment that is commensurate with their qualifications.

Following the successful first round of funding until 2018, the second funding round in the ESF funding period, which will continue until the end of 2022, began on the 1 of January 2019.203

3.12.1.12 JOBSTARTER plus – training for the future – “Koordinierungsstelle Ausbildung und Migration – KAUSA”

KAUSA training and migration coordination offices have been a focal area of JOBSTARTER/ JOBSTARTER plus training market structural programme activities since 2006.204 One goal of the KAUSA service centres, which have been successively established over the decade from 2013 to 2022 (and from 2019 with a changed focus), is to provide young people from a migrant background and their parents and young refugees with counselling on dual training and refer them to compe-tent local partners. Further goals include strengthening existing networks and, together with representatives from politics, business and industry associations, vocational training institutions, migrant organisations and parents’ groups, to develop strategies and anchor structures that sustainably secure participation in vocational training for everyone.205


204 For more information on JOBSTARTER plus see jobstarter.de

205 For more information on KAUSA see kausa-servicestellen.de


https://www.jobstarter.de/


KAUSA service centres have provided 6,200 young people from a migrant background and over 13,600 young refugees with counselling services. More than 950 young people from a migrant background were placed directly in training after receiving coun-selling and support from KAUSA service centres, while 240 started introductory training and internships. Another 850 young people from a migrant background who had received counselling were placed in pre-vocational training measures, internships or in training after referral to other institutions and projects or through their own initiative.

More than 650 young refugees were placed directly into training with support from KAUSA service centres and over 1,100 were placed in pre-vocational training measures. Another 960 were placed into pre- vocational training measures, internships or in training after referral to other institutions and projects or through their own initiative.

Around 22,600 young people from a migrant back ground, 27,100 young refugees and more than 8,000 parents of these young people were reached and provided with information at KAUSA events.

3.12.1.13 Welcome mentors

The “Welcome mentors” programme pursues the economic policy goal of supporting companies in their efforts to secure a supply of skilled staff and the objective of contributing to the wider social goal of inte grating refugees into the German labour market.206

3.12.1.14 Zukunftsstarter initiative

Young refugees who do not have a vocational qualifi-cation or a recognised vocational qualification can obtain support through this initiative when they fulfil the access and support prerequisites set out in the German Social Code (SGB II and SGB III) (especially recognised asylum applicants).207

206 See also Chapter 3.7.1.3 and Chapter 4 for a general overview


3.13 Activities to improve the compatibility of training with particular life situations


3.13.1.1 Amendment of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) in the area of part-time vocational training

The option of part-time vocational training introduced with the amendment to the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) in 2005 is being reinforced with a separate regu-lation that will also make it far more flexible. The new regulation will also expand the group of people covered to include all trainees. The precondition that the trainer and trainee agree on training times has been retained. As well as people with childcare commitments or those caring for a relative, people with a disability or learning difficulties and refugees in particular will also be able to profit from part-time vocational training in future.

3.13.1.2 Amendment of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) to include a minimum training allowance

The Vocational Training Act (BBiG) was amended to include a national minimum training allowance for trainees.

3.13.1.3 Careers orientation for people with disabilities

The professional careers orientation offered by the Federal Employment Agency (BA) forms an essential basis for a successful transition from school into work.208



3.13.2 Funding activities and programmes

3.13.2.1 Initiative Inklusion

Impetus for careers orientation measures for severely disabled school students is provided through the Initiative Inklusion.209

3.13.2.2 Seminars on interculturally sensitive careers orientation

Since 2016, the BMBF has provided funding and support for seminars on interculturally sensitive careers orienta-tion for training and education personnel working in careers orientation. Interactive audio-visual presenta-tions on difficult training situations illustrate various alternatives for action in education and training. The seminars focus on practical examples and concrete situations in the carrying out of potential analyses and workshop days as part of the careers orientation programme (Berufsorientierungsprogramm – BOP).210

3.13.2.3 Social skills in dual training, especially in the integration of refugees

This BMWi funding regulation supports innovative approaches to strengthen the social skills of trainees and trainers, qualities such as the ability to cooperate, motivation and conflict management. It also aims to make all actors involved in dual training aware of the special situation of refugees and promote mutual cultural understanding.

45 projects in three rounds of funding develop and trial practical and creative concepts such as integration tandems, online learning platforms and smartphone apps that help young people train and practise concrete social skills. Information on these new approaches to learning and products for teaching social skills in dual training was published in the spring and summer of 2019 in an image brochure and on the BMWi website to enable interested training companies and trainees all over Germany to profit from the experience and findings the projects are yielding.



From 2016 to 2019, this funding regulation financed projects that usually ran for a year with a total funding volume of 18.75 million euros. New projects from the third and final call for proposals that ended in June 2018 were scheduled to start in 2019.

3.13.2.4 “Zukunftsstarter” initiative

The goals of the “Initial training for young adults” (“Erstausbildung junger Erwachsener” – Zukunftsstarter) initiative are to mobilise the existing potential for training skilled staff in the group of those aged from 25 to under 35 covered by statutory regulations in the German Social Code (SGB II and SGB III) and integrate them into the labour market by offering them quali-fication measures or training. The initiative aims to recruit 120,000 young adults without vocational qualifications into qualification or training measures by the end of 2020.211

3.14 Activities to strengthen vocational training to upgrade skills


3.14.1.1 Career in occupation: New qualification paths in vocational training

During the reporting year the BMBF prepared another programme initiative to increase opportunities for transfer and links between vocational and academic education and training and make a contribution in this context, independent of the current Federal Govern-ment and Länder “Advancement through education: open universities” competition. Its goal is to develop precisely-matched qualification courses to improve the transition of university dropouts and graduates into upgrading training and conversely from upgrading training into tertiary institutions. For both directions the programme is designed to develop and trial hybrid training formats that combine practical vocational and theoretical-scientific training content, advanced training and tertiary institutions. In 2018, a preliminary



study was carried out that identified potential focuses for Federal Government funding in this area and will serve as a basis for the programme initiative in 2019.

3.14.1.2 The EuroSkills and WorldSkills international occupational skills championships

Vocational training is becoming increasingly important at the international level. To promote vocational training and establish international training standards, international vocational training competitions have been held for more than 60 years. European and inter-national occupational skills championships (EuroSkills and WorldSkills) are held every two years. Young skilled workers from all over Europe and from countries on every continent compete to win medals in around 40 occupational skills competitions.

The 6th European vocational training champion ships (EuroSkills) were held in the HUNGEXPO Fair Center Budapest from the 26 to the 28 of September 2018.

The German team went to Budapest with 23 young talents from the skilled trades, industry and services professions. The young skilled workers competed against 530 participants from 28 European countries for three days in front of an audience of more than 100,000 attendees.

The German national team won three gold medals in competitions in the occupations of healthcare and social services and bricklaying and plastering, three silver medals in electronics, mechatronics engineering for refrigeration technology and plant mechanics for sanitary, heating and air-conditioning systems and two bronze medals in tile and mosaic laying and concreting. Another seven German participants were awarded medals of excellence for their outstanding achievements.

With 17 awards overall, Germany was again in the Top 5 in Europe.

The next EuroSkills will be held in 2020 from the 16 to the 20 of September in Graz (Austria) and in 2022 in St. Petersburg (Russia).

WorldSkills 2019 will be held in Kazan (Russia) from the 22 to the 27 of August. The BMBF is funding and supporting the German team’s preparation and participation.

3.14.1.3 The continuing education bonus “ Bildungsprämie”

Through its continuing education bonus programme212 (period: December 2008 to December 2020) the Federal Government is mobilising more people to take part in individual vocational continuing education and training. The bonus is designed mainly for workers on low incomes, who usually find it harder to access company-based continuing training. These employees also generally lack the financial means that would allow them to take part in individual continuing vocational training courses. The continuing education bonus therefore consists of two financing instruments, a bonus voucher and a training savings plan, both of which can be used cumulatively.

Since the programme began in the autumn of 2008, around 340,000 continuing training bonus vouchers have been issued. In the third round of funding its funding volume was 85 million euros (July 2014 to December 2020; continuing training bonus vouchers are financed by the ESF).

3.15 Activities to promote trainees’ mobility


3.15.1.1 The basic training allowance

The basic vocational training allowance is a form of financial assistance provided under the German Social Code (SGB III) to help recipients overcome financial difficulties during vocational training or a pre- vocational training measure that might otherwise stand in the way of acquisition of an appropriate vocational qualification. Trainees are entitled to receive a basic vocational training allowance while they are

212 bildungspraemie.info

https://www.bildungspraemie.info/


training in a company if the financial means available to them are not adequate to cover necessary accommo-dation expenses and especially the cost of living.


3.15.2.1 “AusbildungWeltweit”

The “AusbildungWeltweit” funding and support programme gives trainees an opportunity to gain voca tional skills in an international context. It supports companies in Germany that want to increase the fitness of their young technical and managerial specialists and training personnel to compete in global markets. It’s a programme with a global reach, apart from the 33 European countries covered by Erasmus+. It is designed to be a secondment programme and can be underpinned by bilateral agreements.

• Trips abroad for learning purposes for trainees in initial training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) or another form of vocational training as defined under federal law for a period of between three weeks and three months. The time spent abroad is an integral element of training and designed to expand the knowledge, skills and abilities of trainees

• Trips abroad for trainers and vocational training staff for periods of between two days and two weeks to provide this target group with advanced training and to develop vocational training in the partner organisation

• Preparatory visits of up to one week to prepare for trainees’ trips abroad

The goals and results of “AusbildungWeltweit” have included:

• Three rounds of applications were held from September 2017 to September 2018. 85 applications were approved, involving around 500 participants in 25 countries.

• A kick-off event was held on the 26 of November 2018, launching the promotion of the programme.

• By the end of the 19th legislative period the programme will be expanded to become a complete mobility programme with a “lighthouse” function.

• The aim is to increase mobility rates by 1 %.

• An interdepartmental “Alliance for mobility in vocatio nal training” network will develop new instruments to eliminate obstacles to mobility.

• The programme is positioned as an essential building block in a vocational training pact.

3.15.2.2 Erasmus+

Erasmus+ (period 2014 to 2020) is the European programme for general and vocational education and training, youth and sport and has a total budget of 14.8 billion euros. Erasmus+ is also designed to contribute to the Europe 2020 strategy for growth, employ ment, social justice and inclusion and to achieving the goals of ET2020,213 the EU’s strategic general and vocational education and training framework. The target groups of the Erasmus+ programme are young students and trainees and personnel from areas covered by the programme.

Erasmus+ enables students and trainees and edu-cation and training personnel to spend time abroad to improve their key competencies and intensifies cooperation between the worlds of work and education and training. Strategic partnerships (such as those in the Euroguidance network) between organisations, institu-tions and initiatives promote transnational cooperation and exchanges of examples of good practice and improve quality, innovation and internationalisation in education and training organisations. Erasmus+ also promotes political cooperation to complement political reforms at the national level and support the process of modernising education and training systems.

In 2018, around 28,200 trips abroad were approved for students and trainees and education and training personnel in vocational training in Germany. 56 strategic vocational training partnerships also started under the auspices of Erasmus+ in 2018.

213 ET 2020 – strategic framework for European cooperation in the area of general and vocational education and training

http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm

https://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/european-policy-cooperation/et2020-framework_en


3.15.2.3 International mobility service points ( IBS)

In the context of increasingly international labour markets, it is essential to gain and expand international vocational skills in every phase of vocational education and training. International mobility service points ( Informations- und Beratungsstelle für Auslands-aufenthalte in der beruflichen Bildung – IBS) are central points of contact for people seeking advice and those interested in education and training and help these people to take advantage of opportunities abroad. The IBS hotline offers initial personal coun selling, referring interested parties to regional counselling offices or bringing them into direct contact with programme and scholarship providers. IBS flank the work of a national group of multi pliers and stakeholders through expert and strategic exchanges of ideas and experience and shared network ing and promotional events and ongoing recrui ting of new communities, programmes and forms of finan cial assistance relevant to increasing vocational education and training mobility. IBS also offer an essen-tial prerequisite for the qualitative further development, differentiation and quality assurance of vocational education and training qualification programmes.

Since they were established in 2013, IBS have achieved a high profile for the IBS brand, with clear unique benefits for vocational training. Their high quantitative annual figures in the areas of counselling and Internet (website, Youtube, etc.), database and press activities demonstrate their success and will continue to increase. The qualitative networking and positioning goals they have achieved through participation in conferences and thematic workshops will also be intensively continued.

3.15.2.4 Vocational training without borders

Through the “Vocational training without borders”214 programme the BMWi, the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) and German Federation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) work together to fund and support “mobility consultants” at Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( period: 2016–2019, funding volume: 8 million euros). The consultants help SMEs, in particular, and their trainees and young skilled workers to prepare for and spend

214 berufsbildung-ohne-grenzen.de

time working and training abroad. The programme establishes a national network of consult ants across all Chambers of Commerce and Industry (especially at Chambers of Industry and Trade (IHK) and Skilled Trades (HWK)). This BMWi programme is making a major contribution to increasing the attractiveness of dual training and estab lishing the equivalence of vocational and academic education and training.

In 2018, the mobility consultants held more than 7,000 counselling sessions (mainly by mail and phone) and 715 information events nationally. The support they offered through their mobility consultancy resulted in 2,570 people from all over Germany working in intern-ships abroad (1,664 sent abroad and 906 hosted). In 2018, most of the trainees and young skilled workers went to England, Italy and France, while most participants arriving in Germany came from France, Poland and Norway. The foodstuffs, trade and plastics industries recorded the highest numbers of trainees and young skilled workers sent abroad for work and training.

3.15.2.5 The special programme to promote the professional mobility of young people with an interest in a training place and unemployed young skilled workers from Europe (MobiPro-EU)

The special programme providing “Funding to promote the professional mobility of young people with an interest in a training place and unemployed young skilled workers from Europe” (MobiPro-EU) develops measures and instruments that promote transnational mobility for trainees in the EU. German language tuition, social and vocational training mentoring, and financial support to facilitate mobility and secure living costs help young people interested in training and young adults from the EU to successfully complete vocational training in a company in Germany.

Around 1,300 participants in the annual cohorts funded were provided with support in 259 projects (as of February 2019). Most participants came from Spain (55.6 %), followed by Poland (14.3 %), Italy (13.3 %), Bulgaria (12.5 %) and Croatia (7.0 %). Many of the parti-cipants received funding to work and train in the hotel and hospitality industry training occupations of restau-rant specialist and cook, which are regarded as training occupations with considerable shortages of skilled staff

https://www.berufsbildung-ohne-grenzen.de/


and trainees. The next-highest participation rates were in training occupations in the areas of machine and plant engineering, in metal working and in geriatric care and nursing.

1,362 of the participants who received individual funding (starting in 2013) successfully passed their final examinations. A survey of those who completed the programme found that around 60 % of them were subsequently employed as skilled staff in the company they trained with, while another 25 % found work with another employer in Germany.

These results and findings from the scientific evaluation carried out until the spring of 2019 were described in summary in the “Transnational Mobility in Vocational Training” practical handbook.

3.16 International vocational training cooperation

3.16.1 Vocational training in international relations and development cooperation

Vocational training is a central focus of German development policy. High-quality labour market- oriented and inclusive initial and continuing vocational education and training improves people’s employment prospects and with them their opportunities to secure employment and income and to participate fully in society. Vocational training is an essential precondition for sustainable economic growth and stability. Between 2013 and 2018, the amount allocated by the BMZ to fund vocational training funding more than doubled, growing from 97 million euros in 2013 to around 255 million euros in 2018.

In 2018, Germany paid out more than 231 million euros in ODA for vocational education and training, with the BMZ providing the largest sum of 222 million euros. This makes Germany by far the world’s most important donor in funding and support-ing vocational education and training and making a vital contribution to implementing Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Vocational training has an essential role in the achieving of all sustainable development goals.

The BMZ’s engagement in helping to establish and strengthen vocational training systems focuses in par-ticular on qualification in the context of forced migra-tion and migration and fragile statehood, in informal economies, in new worlds of work the area of digitalisa-tion, in agricultural areas, in promoting gender equali ty and in financing education and training systems.

In the context of forced migration and migration, vocational training can offer people prospects where they live and help to alleviate the causes of crises and circumvent irregular and forced migration. For this reason, vocational training is a central element of the BMZ special initiatives on “Stabilisation and development in North Africa and the Middle East” (“Stabili sierung und Entwicklung in Nordafrika und Nahost”), “A world without hunger” (“Eine Welt ohne Hunger”), in the “Combat the causes of flight – reintegrate refugees” (“Fluchtursachen bekämpfen – Flüchtlinge reintegrieren”) initiative and an even more targeted focus in the new “Training and employment” (“ Ausbildung und Beschäftigung”) special initiative (see below).

Equal access to high-quality education and training for women and girls is an essential element of econo-mic empowerment and has a positive effect on overall socio economic development, so the German govern-ment campaigns among international donors to increase the economic power of women and girls through vocational training. The goal agreed on in June 2015 during Germany’s G7 presidency, of offering opportunities to gain vocational qualifications to a third more women and girls in less developed countries by 2030, continued to be successively implemented in 2018. The first assessment of progress is scheduled to be made with a survey of the data for 2018 in 2019. During Germany’s G20 presidency in 2017 the BMZ succeeded in adding the issue of digital inclusion for women and girls to the G20 agenda through the Development Working Group. Working under the title “ #eSkills4Girls”, a nine-point plan was developed to inspire political dialogue on this issue. This nine-point plan, which was implemented in the year of the German presidency, included a study on successful female careers in the tech industry, various high- quality events, a competition (hackathon), an African network meetup for initiatives campaigning for digital education for women and girls (eSkills4Girls Meetup) and an online platform.


In 2018, the BMZ focused its regional vocational education and training engagement on Africa, the MENA region215 and Asia.

• The BMZ’s “Marshall Plan with Africa” provided essential impetus in discussions on future cooperation with the continent.

• An initiative to increase rates of youth unemployment in agricultural areas was launched under Germany’s G20 presidency as part of the Africa partnership in 2017. Providing young people in the agricultural and food sector with vocational training is a core element of the initiative. In concrete terms it aims to enable up to five million young people to profit from training programmes and create one million jobs for young people by 2022.

• Through its new “Training and employment” special initiative the BMZ is working together with companies to create training places and jobs in Africa and cooper-ating with private industry organisations to make and support sustainable investments in G20 Compact with Africa countries.

• The BMZ has made consistent promotion of employment and vocational training in the MENA region in all areas a priority. It is also working to improve the quality of train ing in training centres, companies providing train ing and vocational schools and colleges in the region. Since 2014, the BMZ has allocated around 400 million euros to support vocational training in the Middle East.

• As part of the “Combat the causes of flight – reintegrate refugees” (“Fluchtursachen mindern; Flüchtlinge (re-)integrieren”) special initiative a wide range of projects with training and qualification components were run – especially through the Middle East Employment Offensive (“Beschäftigungsoffensive Nahost”), which the BMZ launched at the “ Supporting Syria” Conference in London in February 2016. It makes use of cash-for-training or internships in companies to enable refugees and disadvantaged people in host communities to demonstrate their abilities, improve their situation and independently provide for themselves. This is also important in the context of their possible return to, and reconstruction of their countries of, origin.

215 MENA region – Middle East & North Africa

• In 2018, 161 million euros was provided for vocational training in Africa. The BMZ is working together with 22 partner countries in Africa in vocational training in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, the skilled trades and the services sector, and cooperating with regional organisations such as the African Union as part of the “Skills Initiative for Africa”. The signing of a joint declaration on greater vocational training cooperation between the Asian Development Bank and the BMZ created vital impetus for cooperation in this area in Asia. In 2018, an agreement was also made to start a pilot project in the joint “Build for Skills” initiative for integrating vocational training components in large -scale infrastructure projects in Mongolia.

• In June 2018, a political dialogue on business and indus-try participation in vocational training/dual vocational training (with the involvement of two deputy general secretaries and leaders from the ASEAN Business Advisory Council) was held in the ASEAN secretariat in Jakarta. A regional IT vocational training platform216 for South-East Asia was also launched in 2018.

As well as funding and supporting bilateral and regional projects, the BMZ also cooperates with civil society and business and industry to promote vocational education and training. sequa gGmbH is currently implementing 30 vocational training partnerships in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe with representa tives from the trade and industry sector, for which around 9.9 million euros was made available in 2018. The engagement of civil society in vocational training is also an important aspect of efforts in this area for the BMZ. In 2018, it provided funding and support for 39 projects run by church organisations and 70 projects run by private organisations.

The interest of partner countries working with the BMZ in dual vocational training remained high in 2018. The Austrian Development Agency, Liechten-stein’s Development Service and the Swiss Agency for Develop ment and Cooperation continued their engage-ment in the Donor Committee for Dual Vocational Education and Training in 2018. As well as providing consultancy services for members’ projects, the Donor Committee funded the creation of a study217 on working

216 sea-vet.net

217 dcdualvet.org/unsere-fokus/beteiligung-der-wirtschaft-in-der- berufsbildung

https://sea-vet.net/

http://www.dcdualvet.org/unsere-fokus/beteiligung-der-wirtschaft-in-der-berufsbildung/


tools and recommendations for practical action to include the private sector in vocational training.

The BMEL is also engaged in vocational training projects with a specific focus on agriculture. The BMEL’s bilateral cooperation programme provided funding and support for vocational training at agricultural colleges in Ukraine (FABU project) to improve vocational training in the agriculture sector there. Agricultural demonstration projects in the programme also enabled the provision of advanced training in modern production processes in Zambia, Morocco and China.

3.16.2 International cooperation on vocational training

International vocational training cooperation enhances the image of German systems expertise across the world, is an important soft policy instrument, and provides qualified skilled workers for German economic engagement outside the country.

The most important aspects of this cooperation are:

• Germany’s dual system is regarded all over the world as particularly effective and is associated with low rates of youth unemployment and sustainable economic growth.

• Global demand for German expertise in the area of vocational training has increased enormously in recent years. The BMBF, as the ministry responsible for inter national vocational training cooperation within the German government, has developed a series of instruments to meet this demand.

• In its bilateral cooperation on vocational training with partner countries the BMBF offers support for system reforms to introduce vocational training systems that are oriented towards the German dual system.

• Cooperation on vocational training also serves German interests and strengthens the cohesion and competitive ness of the EU. Securing and building a supply of skilled workers supports German companies operating in partner countries outside the EU and strengthens the capacity for innovation and competitive-ness of German companies in foreign markets.

Lead-managed by the BMBF, a Federal Government strategy paper, “International vocational training coopera tion from a single source” (“Strategiepapier der Bundesregierung: Internationale Berufsbildungs-zusammenarbeit aus einer Hand”) was developed and adopted by the Federal cabinet on the 3 of July 2013 and its review is scheduled for completion in 2019. In the strategy paper all the departments and social partner organisations working in this area commit to a process to ensure consistent presentation of German partners in international cooperation on vocational training. The Round table for International Cooper ation in Vocational Education and Training implements this project, lead- managed by the BMBF. Round Tables at German diplomatic missions represent the Federal Government’s engagement in this area in a complemen tary way outside Germany.

The BMBF has signed declarations of intent on cooperation in vocational training with partner ministries in 19 countries (five of them EU member states). The individual BMBF bilateral cooperative ventures vary depending on specific national education and training policy situations and develop ments in terms of the intensity of exchanges (in respect of content and contact) and the focal point of the work involved. Most cooperative projects, however, involve consultancy on systems, intensified dialogue, the establishing and expansion of networks and the planning and execution of joint model projects.

The BMBF has made use of the following instru-ments in implementing these international projects: the BMBF’s “iMOVE – International Marketing of Vocational Education and Training” initiative and “ Internationalising Vocational Training” (“Internationali-sierung der Berufsbildung” – IBB) funding initiative help German training providers to access markets in partner countries. The “International ising Vocational Training” funding initiative also supports research into vocational training and cooperative ventures through pilot projects.218 The BIBB and its GOVET unit provide most of the consultancy on systems.



The BMBF is flanking this cooperation with three strategic projects:

• VETnet at the DIHK and at eleven German Chambers of Commerce Abroad with funding of 5.7 million euros

• UNIONS4VET at the German Trade Union Confeder-ation (DGB) and its vocational training section (Berufs fortbildungswerk des DGB) with funding of 0.7 million euros

• SCIVET, carried out by the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) and its Central Agency for

Continuing Vocational Education and Training in the Skilled Crafts (Zentralstelle für die Weiterbildung im Handwerk) and funded with around 1.8 million euros

These strategy projects will be completed in 2019. During the review of the projects, the Federal Government’s strategic German actors in Germany (ministries, Social Partners) and in partner countries (embassies, German Chambers of Commerce Abroad, etc.) will also discuss new models of future cooperation. Ongoing cooperative projects and declarations of intent already agreed on by the BMBF will remain unaffected and continue for the period approved.

127oVeRVIew of fedeRal GoVeRnmenT TRaInInG and laboUR maRkeT PolICy aCTIVITIes and PRoGRammes

4 Overview of Federal Government training and labour market policy activities and programmes

activity/Programme key data Goals (expected) results source in Chapter 3

Recognition of Foreign Vocational Qualifications

The Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications Act (Berufsqualifikationsfest-stellungsgesetz – BQFG), specialist federal regulations on occupations and occupa-tional regulations under Länder law form a framework that enables skilled workers with vocational qualifications gained outside Germany to gain transparency on their vocational qualification (through an equivalency review). Recognition of foreign qualifications enables workers to find employment commensurate with their qualifi cations, to engage with work and social life and undertake further qualifi-cation, and facilitates integration into both the labour market and the wider society. It also helps Germany to secure a supply of skilled staff.

A wide range of information and counselling services provided in and outside Germany supports skilled workers and companies in making better use of vocational qualification gained outside the country. The “Specialist federal government office for recognising vocational qualifications” (“Fachstelle des Bundes zur Anerkennung ausländischer Berufsqualifikationen”) at the BIBB, which also offers the “Recognition in Germany” information and service website in eleven languages, is the central agency in this context.

The “Companies recognising vocational qualifications” (“Unternehmen Berufsan-erkennung – Mit ausländischen Fachkräften gewinnen”) (DIHK Service GmbH, ZWH) project informs companies on possibilities for recognising foreign vocational qualifi-cations and supports them in making use of these options in recruiting personnel, binding them to the company and providing them with development opportunities (2019 to 2021).

The German Trade Union Federation (DGB) national education organisation (DGB Bildungswerk Bund) “Recognised” (“Anerkannt”) project informs employee representatives and works councils and offers them counselling on these issues (2019 to 2020).

Skilled workers interested in working in Germany can also obtain information from outside the country. The “ProRecognition” project (DIHK Service GmbH) offers coun-selling on qualifications recognition at eight Chambers of Foreign Trade (2015 to 2019).

Since 2012, the administrative struc-tures required for qualifications recogni tion and comprehensive information and counselling services have been created that are increas-ingly in demand. An evaluation has confirmed that recognising foreign qualifications improves people’s lives and integration into employment and has a positive influence on society as a whole. A recog nition allowance has closed a gap in financing for efforts in this area.

The further development of informa-tion and counselling services in and outside Germany will make it easier for skilled workers to move to Germany, motivate larger numbers of qualified employees to immigrate and help to secure a supply of skilled workers.

From April 2012 until the end of 2017, around 111,000 applications for recog-nition of qualifications in occupa tions regulated by federal law were made and this figure is increasing annually (from around 15,500 in 2013 to 25,000 in 2017). More than 30,000 recognition processes were carried out for occu-pations regulated by Federal and Länder law together in 2017 alone.

In 2017, 61 % of recognition pro-cesses ended with full recognition of the qualification and only 2 % of recogni tion applications were completely rejected. The rest gained partial recogni tion and in these cases compen satory measures can be undertaken.

3.4.1.1

http://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/



If people do not have any or all of the necessary certificates and documents, they can prove their vocational skills through a qualifications analysis. The “Qualification analysis network” (“Netzwerk Qualifikations-analyse”) collaborative project is building up regional networking structures to enable this instrument to be offered on a large scale (2019 to 2021).

Assisted Training Instrument under sec. 130 of the German Social Code (SGB III)

Actual expenditure: 63.86 million euros in 2018 (SGB III and SGB II)

Internet: arbeitsagentur.de

The Assisted Training employment promotion instrument, which will apply for a limited period, was established to help more disadvantaged young people to successfully complete company-based vocational training in the dual system. It has now been extended by two years, so participants can begin Assisted Training measures until the 30 of September 2020.

Assisted Training supports young people who need extra support and their training companies during in-company training.

By introducing Assisted Training, the Federal Government has fulfilled the commitments it made in the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training.

In 2018, 10,000 young people (3,000 women and 7,000 men) began an Assisted Training measure.219

3.8.1.1, 3.10.1.1, 3.12.1.1

Starting training while receiving unemployment benefits (Arbeitslosengeld II)

Standard support instrument under the German Social Code (SGB II)

Internet: bmas.de

On the 1 of August 2016 the preconditions for the payment of (supplementary) benefits under the German Social Code (SGB II) to trainees were eased. People undergoing all forms of training eligible for funding under the German Social Code (SGB III) can also receive supplementary unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld II) if their income is not sufficient to secure subsistence.

On the 1 of August 2016 access to training was further opened up to people who were receiving unemploy-ment benefits (Arbeitslosen geld II) before starting training. Unemploy-ment benefit ( Arbeitslosengeld II) is paid until approval of the funding for training without being offset against that funding.

219

219 Due to a three-month waiting period for funding statistics from the BA, the figures on funding for BA measures in this report cover the period of December 2017 to November 2018.

https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/

https://www.bmas.de/DE/Startseite/start.html



The Upgrading Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegsfortbildungs-förderungsgesetz – AFBG)

Budget allocation: 265.68 million euros in 2018; 78 % Federal funding and 22 % Länder funding

Internet: aufstiegs- bafoeg.de

The AFBG (“Aufstiegs-BAföG”) supports participants in vocational upgrading training measures by providing them with financial assistance to cover their training measure and living costs. It is designed to establish and expand participation in higher vocational qualification, strengthen the motivation of young skilled staff in Germany to undertake continuing training, and increase every individual’s opportunities for occupa tional promotion through vocational upgrading training measures. Upgrading training assistance is a funding and support scheme for anyone, regardless of age, who wants to take advantage of the opportuni ties that upgrading vocational training offers.

The AFBG is the most comprehensive and successful instrument for funding continuing vocational training. It makes an essential contribution towards increasing the attractiveness of careers following vocational training in Germany and securing a supply of skilled workers and young leaders for the economy and society.

According to Federal Government statistics published in July 2018, 164,537 people received funding through the AFBG to help them partici pate in upgrading training in the vocational system in 2017. People training to be kindergarten teachers made up the largest occupational group of upgrading training recipients, followed by trainees in the occupations of certified metalworking super visor and certified senior business specialist.

Since the AFBG was passed (1996) it has provided a total of 8.6 billion euros in grants, which has enabled more than 2.2 million people to advance their careers.

The upgrading scholarship (Aufstiegs-stipendium)

Funding volume: 24.8 million euros in 2018

Through the upgrading scholarship, the BMBF funds and supports motivated skilled workers with training and professional experience to undertake their first university studies.

Scholarships are awarded to 1,000 recipients every year. From 2008 to 2018, 10,900 upgrading scholar ships were awarded. Around half the recipients successfully completed their studies.

Support during training (Ausbildungs-begleitende Hilfen)

Standard support instrument under sec. 75 of the German Social Code (SGB III)



Support during training (Ausbildungs-begleitende Hilfen) aims to ensure trainees’ success in training or introductory training and prevent them from dropping out. It offers support in the form of special and remedial classes and accompanying social and educational mentoring to help trainees overcome language and educational deficits and can be provided to enable people to start, continue or successfully complete training at any time during vocational training or introductory training on a needs basis.

Employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and jobcentres provided 37,000 young people (10,000 women and 27,000 men) with funding and support in the form of support during training during their vocational training or introductory training in 2018.

The programme helps to prevent trainees from dropping out of courses, stabilises their participation in training and assists them in successfully completing training.

Some 82 % of participants (81.6 % of women and 82.5 % of men) were in employ ment subject to social security contributions six months after completing a Support during training measure (Integration rate).220

3.10.1.2

220

220 In respect of the period after they left the measure, from March 2017 to February 2018; this also applies to all other BA measures.

http://www.aufstiegs-bafoeg.de




Training placement Standard support benefit under sec. 35 ff. of the German Social Code (SGB III)


Training placement is a standard benefit for promoting employment and basic social security benefits for jobseekers. It is a comprehensive service offered by employment offices (Agenturen für Arbeit) and jobcentres and is available to all young people. Employers are approached with enquiries about free training places and are free to register any training places they are offering.

In the 2017/2018 reporting year, 565,342 vocational training places and 208,739 female training place applicants and 326,862 male training place applicants (a total of 535,623) were registered with the BA.

3.7.1.1

Vocational Training Worldwide

Period: unlimited

Funding volume: 1 million euros in 2018

Internet: ausbildungweltweit.de

The Federal Government has set itself the goal of increasing the mobility of trainees in vocational training, providing better funding and support for training and making training more attractive. The programme is helping to implement the German parliament (Bundestag) recommendation for 10 % of trainees in each annual cohort to spend time training abroad. The programme also improves the international vocational skills of (future) skilled employees working in global companies and helps them to develop a secure and open personality.

By the end of this legislative period Vocational Training Worldwide will have been expanded to become a complete mobility programme with a “lighthouse” function. It aims to increase the rate of vocational mobility of trainees by 1 %. The programme is flanked by an inter-departmental network that identifies obstacles to mobility and develops new instruments to abolish them.

Vocational Training Worldwide is also being positioned as an essential element of the Vocational Training Pact.

3.15.2.1

Non-company training Standard support instrument under sec. 76 of the German Social Code (SGB III)



Non-company training aims to help young people start and complete vocational training provided by a training provider. Training is provided either mainly in partner organisations (cooperative model) or by a training provider (integrative model).

Funding for non-company training is provid-ed by employment offices and jobcentres for disadvantaged young people and disad-vantaged young people with disabilities who have not yet been successfully placed in training in a company, not even with assistance from a support during training measure or assisted training measure.

The highest priority pursued throughout these measures is the transition of partici-pants into company-based vocational training.

In 2018, 13,000 young people (5,000 women and 8,000 men) began non-company training.

61 % of participants (57.3 % of women and 62.7 % of men) were in employ-ment subject to social security contri-butions six months after completing a non-company training measure ( integration rate).

In 2018, around 1,000 people (500 women and 500 men) also started a form of non- company training that generally supports people with disabi lities in participation in working life.

Basic vocational training allowance (Berufs-ausbildungsbeihilfe)


Actual expenditure: 279.19 million euros in 2018


The basic vocational training allowance Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe (BAB) is a form of financial support offered under the German Social Code (SGB III) to people undergoing training and pre-vocational training measures to help them overcome economic difficulties that can stand in the way of their gaining appropriate vocational qualifi cations. It also ensures a more balanced training market, and secures and improves occupa tional mobility.

In 2018, an average of around 61,000 people received a basic vocational training allowance during vocational training and around 22,000 received it during participation in a pre-vocational training measure.

3.10.1.3, 3.15.1.1




https://www.ausbildung-weltweit.de/



Federal Employment Agency (BA) careers counselling and careers orientation measures (Berufsberatung und Berufsorientierung durch die BA)

Standard support instrument under sec. 29ff. of the German Social Code (SGB III)


The Federal Employment Agency (BA) offers careers counselling to young people and young adults who are in work or want to be and helps them to prepare to choose a career that is right for them through careers orientation measures. The stronger preventa tive labour market policy approach taken by the BA in recent years is being resolutely continued with the widespread introduction of lifelong careers counselling (Lebensbegleitende Berufsberatung – LBB), initially before people start working life.

This high-quality counselling can enable those seeking advice to make autonomous decisions on initial and continuing training, occupations and careers, opportunities for occupational promotion and changing occupations where necessary on a well-prepared and informed basis. Careers counselling can also help to improve the employ-ability of individuals at an early stage in a preventative way, counteract the occurrence of unemployment and reduce its duration.

3.5.1.1, 3.6.1.2

Support for vocational German language tuition under sec. 45a of the German Residency Act (AufenthG)

Period: since July 2016


Internet: bmas.de/ berufssprachkurse

Vocational German language tuition under sec. 45a of the German Residency Act ( AufenthG) started as standard support instrument on the 1 of July 2016. It is implemented by the BAMF, builds on BMI integration courses and is designed for people who want to improve their language and technical qualifications to improve their labour market prospects. The vocational language courses teach work- related lan-guage skills up to level C 1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Basic modules from B 1 to B 2, B 2 to C 1 and C 1 to C 2). A special course for people who have not completed their integration course with B 1-level German skills ensures that these measures are com-patible with integration courses. There are also various special language courses (e. g. for individual occupational groups), which can be attended as part of a process to recognise vocational qualifications.

As of November 2018, around 390,000 people were entitled or obliged to take part in the more than 13,600 vocational German language courses on offer.

In December 2018, building on experience gained in practice, the Second regulation on changing support for German language tuition (Zweite Verordnung zur Änderung der Deutschsprachförderverordnung) was adopted. It includes a so- called “ bridge element”, introducing B 1 vocational language courses for people who need extra support to reach B 2 level. The 100 extra teaching units of this “bridge element” prepare participants to manage the course content they need to reach B 2 level.

3.12.1.3

http://www.bmas.de/berufssprachkurse

http://www.bmas.de/berufssprachkurse



221

221 bibb.de/de/85132.php


Vocational training for sustainable development (Berufs-bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung – BBNE) in the BNE global actions programme

Period: 2015–2019 ( extended until 2021)

Funding volume: approx. 12 million Euros

Internet: bmbf.de/de/ nachhaltigkeit-in-der-beruflichen-bildung-3518.html; bbne.de

The BMBF is the ministry responsible for implementing the United Nations “ Education for sustainable development” (“Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung – BNE”) global action programme in Germany. Its goal is to make BNE “from a project into a structure”. As well as the BNE National Action Plan for Germany, which was adopted in 2017, the BMBF funds acquisi-tion of the skills needed for sustainable development for trainers and the creation of sustainable (company- based) places of learning with the “BBNE 2015–2019” model trial funding priority. The DIHK-Bildungs- GmbH “Sustain ably and success-fully leading” (“Nachhaltig Erfolgreich Führen”) project and ZWH e. V. “Strengthen-ing Sustainability in the Skilled Trades” (“Nachhaltigkeit in Handwerks betrieben stärken”) project for company proprietors and management in SMEs flank this process. The BIBB has also investigated the area of sustainable development of digitalisation processes in its “Skills require ments for sustainability in vocational training in the context of digitalisation” (“Kompetenz-anforderungen zur Nachhaltigkeit in der beruflichen Bildung im Kontext der Digitalisierung”) programme.

A catalogue of criteria for sustainable company-based places of learning has been developed and its integration in the German Sustainability Codex is being discussed with the Council for Sustainable Development (Rat für Nachhaltige Entwicklung). In 2018, six collaborative “BBNE 2015–2019” projects received awards as outstand-ing education and training initiatives for sustainable development for their exemplary contribution to implement-ing the United Nations Agenda 2030 and UNESCO global sustainable development action programme in Germany. The learning tasks and organisational and personnel develop ment models for sustainable (company- based) places of learning are being established in the partner companies currently participating and beyond. All materials are made freely available at the end of the funding period as open educational resources.221

3.4.2.18

Vocational Training without Borders ( Berufsbildung ohne Grenzen)

Period: 2016–2019

Funding volume: 8 million euros

Internet: berufsbildung- ohne-grenzen.de

This measure aims to increase the international mobility of trainees and young skilled workers.

Funding is provided for counselling, information events and practical internships abroad.

3.15.2.4

Career start mentoring provided by the Federal Employment Agency (BA) under sec. 49 of the German Social Code (SGB III)




Career start mentoring provides individual and continuous assistance to students at general education schools who need extra support to manage the transition from school into vocational training, usually from their penultimate class through the first half year of vocational training or, if they do not immediately succeed in making this transition, for up to 24 months after they leave school.

In the 2014–2020 ESF funding period the required co-financing for career start mentoring was provided out of the ESF funding available to the BMAS. This joint ESF and Federal Government programme started in mid-March 2015 and covers five cohorts of school leavers. From the 2014/2015 school year until 2018/2019 around 130,000 young people at 3,000 schools participated.

In 2018, 32,000 young people (13,000 women and 18,000 men) began career start mentoring. 35 % of participants (28.8 % women and 39.6 % men) were in employ-ment subject to social security contributions six months after completing a career start mentoring measure ( Integration rate).

3.6.2.1, 3.12.1.4

http://www.bibb.de/de/85132.php

http://www.bmbf.de/de/nachhaltigkeit-in-der-beruflichen-bildung-3518.html




http://www.bbne.de

http://www.berufsbildung-ohne-grenzen.de

http://www.berufsbildung-ohne-grenzen.de

http://www.arbeitsagentur.de



Careers orientation measures (Berufs-orientierungs maß-nahmen – BOM)




BA intensive careers orientation measures (BOM), which are provided under sec. 48 of the German Social Code (SGB III), help students at general education schools to prepare to choose an occupation. The careers orienta tion measures (BOM) can include the provision of comprehensive information on occupational fields, investi gation of students’ interests, tests of their suitability, the devel opment of strategies for choosing an occupation and making decisions, the acquisition of practical experience in various fields and help for students to carry out self- assessments. Funding is available for careers orientation measures if third parties provide co-financing of at least 50 %.

The great flexibility of vocational orientation measures has proven their worth. In establishing and consolidat-ing this funding instrument, the BA has strengthened the preventative effect of careers orientation and is also supporting the goals of the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training.

3.5.2.1

Careers orientation for refugees (Berufs -orientierung für Flüchtlinge – BOF)

Funding volume: approx. 5 million euros in 2018

Internet: berufsorientierung -für-flüchtlinge.de

Careers orientation measures to integrate young refugees who are no longer of school age into training or introductory training for a skilled trade by means of intensive lan guage tuition, expert careers orientation and pre-vocational measures.

Sixty non-company training centres have hosted BOF courses all over Germany to date, providing support for 2,000 refugees.

3.5.2.2

Careers orientation for people with disabilities as part of the “ Initiative Inklusion” funding programme

Period: 2011–2018

Funding volume: 80 million euros from the national rehabilitation fund (Ausgleichsfonds)

Internet: bmas.de

This programme is designed to improve careers orientation for severely disabled school students, especially those who need special educational support. It aims to fund careers orientation measures for up to 40,000 severely disabled young people.

Follow-up financing has been provided to enable the Länder to establish vocational orientation structures across Germany.

Funding under this programme has been used to provide around 35,500 careers orientation measures for severely disabled school students.

As part of its efforts to promote inclusion in education and training, the Federal Government is committed to integrating young people with disabilities into measures subject to Federal Government and Länder agreements in the “Educational Chains” Initiative as a matter of course and to meeting their specific concerns where necessary. Its endeavours are particularly focused on reinforcing careers orientation measures financed with follow-up funding as part of the “Initiative Inklusion” scheme.

3.5.1.2, 3.5.2.6, 3.13.1.3, 3.13.2.1

Vocational orientation in inter-company vocational training centres and comparable institutions programme (BOP)


Internet: berufsorientierungs programm.de

Practice-based vocational orientation at an early stage for students from general education schools to improve their study course and career choice skills. Provision of careers orientation for young refugees in special classes at vocational schools to support their integration into German society, work and training.

In 2018, measures for more than 125,000 school students were approved.

Seven Länder have also been provided with funding and support for offering vocational orientation to young refugees in integration classes at vocational schools.

3.5.2.3



http://www.bmas.de

http://www.berufsorientierungsprogramm.de

http://www.berufsorientierungsprogramm.de




Pre-vocational education and training measures




Pre-vocational education and training measures as defined in the German Social Code (SGB III) prepare young people who need extra support for vocational training or, if they cannot yet start training for inherent personal reasons, to enter employ-ment in the mainstream labour market.

Pre-vocational education and training measures give participants opportunities to assess their skills and abilities as part of the process of choosing a possible occupation and making a decision on one and provides them with the capabilities and skills they need to start initial vocational training ( supporting them in their preparation to acquire a secondary general school leaving certifi cate or equivalent school leaving qualifica tion) or, if this is not or not yet possible, helps place participants in employ-ment and sustainably integrate them into the training and/or labour market.

Around 60,000 young people in need of extra support (22,000 women and 37,000 men) were provided with access to Federal Employment Agency (BA) pre-vocational education and training measures in 2018. 51 % of partici pants (48.8 % of them women and 52.3 % men) were in employment subject to social security contri butions six months after completing a measure (Integration rate).

In 2018, 19,000 young people (7,000 women and 11,000 men) started pre-vocational education and training measures, which are funded as part of measures to help young people participate in training and employment.

3.8.1.2, 3.12.1.5

The continuing education bonus ( Bildungsprämie)

Period: since 2008

Funding volume: 4.6 million euros of ESF funding in 2018, with an equal amount of co-financing from participants

Internet: bildungspraemie.info

The continuing education bonus is designed to increase the participation in continuing training of groups of people who for finan cial reasons have been under represen-ted in continuing training, make individuals more responsible for their own ongoing training and improve rates of individual partici pation in the employment market.

Since this Federal Government programme began in 2008, around 340,000 bonus vouchers have been issued and 29,000 individual continuing vocational education and training savings plans established. In 2018, around 22,000 bonus vouchers were issued and 180 vocational education and training savings plans established. Groups of people who tend to have lower rates of partici-pation in company- based continuing vocational training (workers on low incomes, women, employees in SMEs, people working part time and health-care professionals) profit in particular from this programme.

3.14.1.3

The BMBF continuing vocational training and careers counselling phone service

Period: since 2015

Funding volume: 500,000 euros annually

Internet: der-weiterbildungs ratgeber.de

The BMBF’s continuing vocational training and careers counselling phone service helps people to actively and autonomously plan their educational and occupational biographies.

The careers counselling phone service offers barrier-free, provider-neutral access free of charge to anyone interested in continuing training and people seeking advice on all issues involving individual further vocational education and training and qualification.

Since May 2018, an Internet portal has been added to complement the careers counselling provided by phone.

This continuous careers counselling service is helping to increase rates of participation in further training and supports citizens’ vocational mobility.



Boys’ Day Period: 2017–2020

Funding volume: 1.9 million euros

Internet: boys-day.de

Boys’ Day seeks to expand the range of training, occupations and studies that young men choose. This day of action is designed for male school students from year five. It offers boys a wide range of activities and insights into occupations in which women still form the majority of workers, such as care and nursing, social services and early childhood education occupations.

Since Boys’ Day started in 2011, its participation rates and public interest in the issues it addresses have both risen steadily. Around 225,000 boys have taken part in 44,000 activities so far.

The evaluation carried out for 2018 testifies to this success. 94 % of the boys found the day of activities “good” or “very good”. More than 64 % said that they had found out about an occupation that interested them on Boys’ Day. 80 % of the participating organisations and companies were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the annual Boys’ Day and 17 % of the organisations hosting activities have employed former participants.

The BQ website – information on the recognition of foreign vocational qualifications

Period: 2016–March 2019

Funding volume: around 800,000 euros annually

Internet: bq-portal.de

The BQ website offers accompanying support measures in the context of the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications Act (Anerkennungsgesetz).

It is designed to open up the potential of skilled workers with vocational qualifications gained outside Germany for the German labour market and support the integration of migrants and refugees in Germany into work and training.

It offers organisations working in this area (especially the Chambers of Skilled Trades (HWK), Chambers of Trade and Industry (IHK), Chambers of Agriculture (Land-wirtschaftskammern) and Chambers of Liberal Professions (Kammern der Freien Berufe) and companies information and practical orientation for better evaluating and assessing foreign vocational qualifi-cations for which a reference occupation in Germany would require a dual initial or continuing training or master craftsman’s (Meister) qualification regulated under German national law.

The BQ website ensures quality- oriented implementation of the goals in the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act (Anerkennungsgesetz) by making the process of evaluating foreign qualifications more transparent and consistent and faster (see also the Evaluation Report).

The “Klischeefrei” Federal Government initiative – a national cooperative project to free career and study courses from gender clichés

Period: since December 2016

Internet: klischee-frei.de

The Federal Government (BMFSFJ and BMBF) “Klischeefrei” initiative was set up to support and network for the first time all active participants in the careers orientation process, starting with early childhood educators and continuing through schools, parents, tertiary institutions, companies and institutions up to careers counsellors. It also seeks to expand cliché-free careers and study choice counselling to help young people to find occupations that fit in with their potential, free of gender clichés and constrictive role models.

Since the initiative started at the end of 2016, it has been supported by around 150 partners from the areas of politics, business and industry, education and training, and science and research. They work together to campaign for careers and study choice counselling that is free of clichés. Elke Büdenbender is patron of the initiative.

3.5.2.4

http://www.bafa.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Bundesamt/evaluation_bq-portal_2018.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2



The Federal Gover-nment and Länder “ Advancement through education: open universities” (“ Aufstieg durch Bildung: offene Hochschulen”) competition

Period: 2011–2020


Internet: wettbewerb-offene- hochschulen-bmbf.de

The competition was launched to create structures that can meet the growing need for advanced scientific training in the long term, increase opportunities for education and training, secure a supply of skilled workers on a sustained basis, improve opportunities for transfer between voca-tional and academic education and training and more quickly integrate new knowledge into practice.

So far, the universities funded through the competition have incorporated 290 of the education and training courses that have been developed into their standard operations. They have also (further) developed and trialed consultancy structures and internal access and accreditation processes and put them into practice.

3.4.2.3

The Federal Government “RESPEKT” pilot programme for young people who are hard to reach

Period: 2015–2018


Internet: bmas.de

This programme offers support to young people who are not, or no longer, reached by the standard benefits available in the social services system. Its primary goal is less the immediate placement of participants in train ing or work than (renewed) engagement in regular social services, especially (regular) services for integrating people into work.

The programme has been well- received and the number of young people it funded and supported increased over the 2017 figure. By the end of 2018, the programme had reached more than 4,000 young people.

3.12.1.6

Taking opportunities – with qualification modules towards vocational qualification (CHANCEN NUTZEN! Mit Teilqualifikation Richtung Berufsab-schluss)

Period: October 2017– September 2020

Funding volume: around 577,000 euros

This project develops and disseminates consistent national standards and processes and certified IHK qualification modules (mainstreaming of results of the IHK pilot initiative, 2013 to 2016) and promotes dialogue on the topic of qualification modules with relevant stakeholders.

A coordination office was established to develop and disseminate consistent national standards and processes and certify IHK qualification modules and to promote dialogue on these issues with relevant stakeholders.

3.11.1.2

The literacy and basic education decade ( Dekade für Alpha-betisierung und Grund-bildung Erwachsener)

Period: 2016–2026


This BMBF and KMK initiative aims to establish acceptance of, and support for, efforts in this area on a broad social basis. It works to provide information to the public, raise awareness of helpful environ-ments for those affected, reduce the number of people who are functionally illiterate, improve the quality of teaching and teaching materials, network actors, and transfer approaches and outcomes that have been developed and trialed into in R&D projects.

Efforts have focused on increasing the number of civil society partners involved in the literacy and basic education decade (Alpha-Dekade). Work is also ongoing in the area of media to develop public relations campaigns, such as TV and radio ads, posters and exhibition formats, frame work curricula (reading, writing, numeracy) and industry-specific teaching content, and to access new target groups (e. g. Eastern Christians) and new places of learning (e. g. at work, in mosques).

The German Qualifica-tion Framework (GQR) (Deutscher Qualifika-tionsrahmen für lebens-langes Lernen – DQR)

Internet: dqr.de

The DQR for lifelong learning is a compre-hensive framework of reference for lifelong learning across education and training sectors. The classification of qualifications in the DQR and the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) makes the German education and training system transparent and comparable in a national and a European context.

Implementing the DQR is an ongoing process. In 2018, more upgrading vocational training qualifications as defined in sec. 54 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) were classified in DQR levels 5 and 6 and a pilot process for possibly classifying qualifications not formally gained to DQR was launched.



Digital media in vocational training

Period: 2012–2019


Internet: qualifizierungdigital.de

The programme anchors digital teaching and learning methods in vocational training to make it structurally and didactically fit to meet future demands. This will improve Germany’s competitiveness and increase both the attractiveness of dual training and the potential of skilled workers.

The programme funds and supports the development of successful concepts for using digital media in vocational training, especially for SMEs, and successful concepts to improve trainees’ media literacy. It networks relevant social actors working on digitalisation and voca-tional training issues, through the annual “eQualification” event, for example. Current funding is focusing on inclusion and increasing the partici-pation of people with disabilities and on strengthening the use of digital media in the healthcare occupations by facilitating lifelong occupational learning, increasing the attractiveness of these occupations and promoting digital skills in healthcare provision. It also promotes the use of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) to make dual training more attractive and enable shared remote learning (Social Virtual Learning).

3.4.2.4, 3.12.1.7

Do it Yourself (DIY) – Climate Protection: Your mobility project

Period: October 2017– July 2020

Funding volume: 905,481 euros

Internet: klimaschutz.de/ projekte/do-it-yourself-diy- klimaschutz-dein-mobilit%C3%A4ts projekt

“Do it yourself” seeks to inspire young employees, trainees and students to dispense with a car and use climate- friendly means of transport. The 16 to 25 -year-old participants develop their own mobility projects to protect the climate in partner ship with education and training organisations, local authorities and companies.

“Do it yourself” activates participants to get involved in issues around climate- friendly mobility and initiate action.

It makes use of various formats to impart knowledge and methods on issues such as project management, financing and public relations work to achieve the ideas raised.

Introduction to German Period: 2017–2018

Funding volume: up to 19 million euros annually

This project funds and supports refugees working to gain initial German language skills. It promotes “blended learning” and an “Einstieg Deutsch” learning app has been developed to provide low entry- level tools for learning, including after the project ends. It is offered in a range of the participants’ various native languages.

The provision of childcare has increased the proportion of female participants.

This programme gives refugees and forced migrants – especially those with good prospects of being able to remain in Germany – an opportunity to quickly learn the basics of under-standing and speaking German.

By the end of the project, 1.888 courses had been carried out and they reached around 36,000 refugees and forced migrants.

The proportion of female participants has increased continuously, rising to 35 % in 2018. In 2018, childcare was also provided for 1,273 children.

http://www.qualifizierungdigital.de

http://www.klimaschutz.de/projekte/do-it-yourself-diy-klimaschutz-dein-mobilit%C3%A4tsprojekt








Introductory training (Einstiegsqualifi-zierung – EQ)

Standard support instrument under sec. 54a of the German Social Code (SGB III)

Actual expenditure: 48.25 million euros (SGB III and SGB II) in 2018


Introductory training (EQ) provides young people whose prospects of being placed in training are limited due to individual reasons with an opportunity to acquire or improve their vocational skills and gives companies offering training the chance to get to know the young people.

In 2018, around 21,000 young people (5,000 women and 16,000 men) began an EQ measure.

3.8.1.3

Erasmus+ Period: 2014–2020

Funding volume: 220 million euros in 2018, of which approx. 58.5 million euros for mobility and strategic partner ships in the area of vocational training

Internet: Erasmus+ in Germany erasmusplus.de/

Erasmus+ Berufsbildung na-bibb.de/erasmus- berufsbildung/

In 2017, 5.3 % of all trainees completing vocational training had experience of international mobility during training. Around half of all trips abroad for vocational training are financed by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, so it plays a vital role in increasing the number of trainees who engage in international mobility during training.

In 2018, around 28,200 trips abroad for students, teachers and vocational training personnel were approved in Germany. 22,800 of the funding grants for journeys went to trainees and students from vocational schools. The number of institutions accredited with a “Mobility Charta” rose to 119.

56 Erasmus+ strategic partnerships started in 2018, two of them with national funding.

3.15.2.2

The ESF and Federal Government model “Quereinstieg – Männer und Frauen in Kitas” kindergarten staff training programme

Period: 2015–2020

Funding volume: 17 million euros of ESF funding

Internet: chance- quereinstieg.de

Paid, practice-based training for adults to accompany work in a kindergarten that results in qualification as a state- certified early childhood educator and expands vocational skills in this area is being trialed to make lifelong learning possible in this occupational field without career breaks and open up the occupation to an underused “human resource”, namely people looking to change careers, especially men.

Once the new training arrangements in participating trade and technical schools and kindergartens were esta blished, the attractiveness of paid training to the target group addressed was confirmed. 682 people underwent this training at twelve locations in six Länder, 34.7 % of them men. The average age of the trainees was 36. In 2018, the first group of 120 people, 47 % of them men, successfully completed training.

3.4.2.5

http://www.erasmusplus.de/

http://www.na-bibb.de/erasmus-berufsbildung/

http://www.na-bibb.de/erasmus-berufsbildung/

http://www.chance-quereinstieg.de



ESF and Federal Government “ Education, economy and employment in the local neighbourhood” (“Bildung, Wirtschaft, Arbeit im Quartier – BIWAQ”) programme

Period: ESF funding period 2014–2020 (2 rounds of funding: 2015–2018 and 2019–2022)

Funding volume: up to 64.5 million euros in Federal Govern ment funding and up to 95.5 million euros ESF funding for 2014–2020

Internet: bmi.bund.de\biwaq; www.biwaq.de

The programme’s aims in the current EU funding period from 2014 to 2020 to improve the work and training opportu nities of people from migrant back grounds and those not from a migrant background who are long-term unemployed (aged 27 and over) and also local economies in dis advantaged urban areas covered by the “Soziale Stadt” urban development fund ing programme. The inclusion of further integrated fields of urban development activity and investment (e. g. the upgrad ing of residential environments) strengthens neighbourhoods and improves social cohesion in inner cities.

In the 2015 to 2018 round of funding, 76 local authorities received funding. Around 22,000 participants were reached and around a quarter of them were placed in training and work. The added value that the programme brings to urban neighbour hoods is particularly evident in the area of inte-gration. After an intermediate evalu-ation providers worked in 49 national projects (around 67 %) with refugees. The wide array of initiatives they offer ranges from indirect activities such as reading sessions in kindergartens, etc. up to the direct participation of refugees and asylum applicants in employment- oriented activities such as vocational language tuition, coun-selling on quali fications recognition and training or retraining for adults without vocational qualifications, and the coordination of volunteers.

THE ESF and Federal Integration Directive

Period: 2015–2020

Funding volume: 295.6 million euros, 111.2 million euros of it Federal Govern-ment funding and 154.8 million euros of ESF funding

Internet: integrationsrichtlinie.de

The directive aims to support young people who have particular difficulties in accessing employment and training and gradually and sustainably integrate them into work or training or enable them to complete school.

Funding is provided for projects working in three priority areas for action:

• Integration through exchange (Integra tion durch Austausch – IdA) which focuses on transnational mobility for the target group of young people (aged between 18 and 35)

• Integration instead of exclusion ( Integration statt Ausgrenzung – IsA) for the target group of youth and young adults aged from 18 to 35

• Integration of asylum seekers and refugees (Integration von Asylbewerber/innen und Flüchtlingen – IvAF) for the target group of asylum seekers, people with leave to remain in Germany and refugees with second-order access to the labour market

The budget has been increased to extend the project period until the end of 2020.

Over the period since the programme began until September 2018 the Integration Directive (IdA) action priority sent around 1,950 participants to other European countries on exchange trips.

The programme integrated partici-pants into the labour market at the high rate of 50 % and German IdA projects hosted 340 young people from other European countries in exchange.

The IsA action priority had reached 11,229 participants by the end of December 2018, 60 % of them aged under 27, and achieved an integration rate of 40 %.

The 41 collaborative projects and 300 sub-projects in the IvAF action priority reached 45,785 asylum applicants and refugees with second- order access to the labour market from the programme’s beginning until the end of December 2018.

3.12.1.8

The ESF programme to promote vocational training for sustainable development (“Berufs-bildung für nach-haltige Entwicklung befördern” – BBNE)

Period: 2015–2022 in two rounds of funding

Funding volume: 14.42 million euros of federal funding and 20.65 million euros of ESF funding

Internet: bmu.de/bbne; esf.de/bbne

People who want to work towards sustain-able development in their everyday working lives need the appropriate skills, abilities and knowledge. The (BBNE) programme to promote vocational training for sustainable development raises awareness of this “greening” of occupations and the world of work.

The programme provides funding and support for work camps and exhibitions that link practically- oriented careers orientation provided outside a school setting with sustainability issues. A second funding format supports train-ing courses for trainees and training staff that build on closer cooperation among the different trades involved in renovating buildings to make them more energy-efficient. All the projects have a strong practical relevance. In the first round of funding 2015–2018/2019, 14 projects were funded and in 2019 13 projects in the second funding round started.

3.5.2.5

https://www.bmi.bund.de/DE/themen/bauen-wohnen/stadt-wohnen/staedtebau/soziale-stadt/biwaq/biwaq-node.html

http://www.biwaq.de

http://www.esf.de/bbne



The ESF “ Securing a skilled base, continuing vocational education and training and promoting equality” (“ Fachkräfte sichern: weiter bilden und Gleich stellung för dern” – Social Partner Directive) programme

Period: 2015–2022

Funding volume: 160 million euros, 10 million euros of Federal Government funding and 86.5 million euros of ESF funding

Internet: initiative-fachkraefte- sichern.de

The ESF “Securing a skilled base, continuing vocational education and training and promoting equality” Social Partner Directive – a joint initiative of the BMAS, Confederation of German Employers’ Asso-ciations (Bundes vereinigung der deutschen Arbeitgeber verbände) and German Trade Union Federation (DGB) came into effect on the 8 of April 2015. It seeks to support the efforts of the Social Partners to improve rates of participation in continuing vocational training and promote equality of opportunity in companies.

At the end of 2018, 118 projects from the four rounds of funding were ongoing. By December 2018, 16,600 employees in 1,846 companies (1,300 of them SMEs) had been reached. A funding increase in the summer of 2018 enabled a fifth call for funding applications to be launched. In December 2018, the programme steering committee recommended another 37 projects for funding.

3.4.2.7

ESF programme “ rückenwind – Für die Beschäftigten in der Sozialwirtschaft”

Period: 2015–2022

Funding volume: 89 million euros, 8 million euros of Federal Government funding and 46.5 million euros of ESF funding

Internet: bagfw-esf.de

The “rückenwind+” programme, which started in 2015, aims to fund, support and maintain the employability of employees working in the social economy by funding integrated personnel development projects to improve workers’ adaptability and employ ability and organisational development projects in institutions and associations in this area.

At the end of 2018, 87 projects from the four rounds of funding were ongoing. By the end of 2018, they had reached 13,143 employees in 727 companies (484 of them SMEs). A funding increase in the summer of 2018 enabled the launch of a fifth call for funding applications. In December 2018, the programme steering committee chose another 37 projects to be funded from among the interested parties represented in the fifth call for applications.

3.4.2.6

EURES Internet: arbeitsagentur.de

EURES is a cooperative network established to facilitate freedom of movement for workers in EU countries and in Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. EURES also plays an important role in providing specific information and employment placement services for employers and cross-border workers in European border regions.

In practice EURES provides these services through its website and the network of 1,000 EURES counsellors who are in daily contact with job-seekers and employers all over Europe. From 2018, EURES has also been expanded to cover the area of vocatio nal training and provide Europe- wide employment placement services. In 2018, Germany’s national EURES network reached around 65,000 employee and around 12,000 employer clients.

3.4.1.4

Euroguidance Internet: arbeitsagentur.de

Euroguidance is a European training and careers counselling network. The Central International Placement Service ( Zentrale Auslands- und Fachvermittlung – ZAV) in the Federal Employment Agency (BA) is Germany’s national Euroguidance centre. The network’s goals and tasks include the promotion of mobility of youth and young adults in Europe to enable lifelong learning.

Euroguidance is funded under the EU’s Erasmus+ education and training programme and by the European Commission. In 2018, 24 careers counsellors from the agencies and ZAV took part in the Academia programme.

The counsellors visited careers coun-selling agencies in eight EU countries (the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, France, Denmark, Estonia, Sweden, Romania, Slovenia and Belgium), which presented their practices and c areers counselling methods.

3.15.2.2

http://www.initiative-fachkraefte-sichern.de

http://www.initiative-fachkraefte-sichern.de

https://teamarbeit.rochus.local/rar/0074/BBB%202019/Dokumente/Abstimmungsrunde%20BMBF/www.bagfw-esf.de



Europass Period: 2018–2020

Funding volume: 491,000 euros in 2018

Internet: europass-info.de

Europass is a free service provided by the European Commission that helps to docu-ment all qualifications and skills gained internationally Europe-wide. Europass enables European citizens to present their skills, abilities and qualifications in a comparative framework to help them find a job or training place. Europass helps employers to better understand the skills, abilities and qualifications.

500,000 Europass CVs have been issued and more than 270,000 “Euro-pass Mobility” documents provided since 2005 in Germany. The German Europass website recorded 110,000 visits in 2018. As well as hosting events at trade fairs, German Euro pass Center counsellors held 500 counselling sessions by mail and phone in 2018.

The Skilled Immigration Act (Fachkräfte-einwanderungsgesetz)

The Skilled Immigra-tion Act will specific-ally open up the regulations governing the residency and immigration of skilled workers from third countries and make them clearer and more transparent.

Germany relies on qualified immigrants and is intensifying efforts to attract skilled workers with vocational qualifications.

A draft of a government regulation is currently going through the parliamentary process (lead-managed by the BMI).

3.4.1.4

Skilled worker monitoring (Fachkräfte-monitoring)

The BMAS has commissioned skilled worker monitoring to create new labour market projections

Skilled worker monitoring is designed to develop an evidence basis for policy dis-cussions on issues involving skilled workers and observe developments in the areas of demography, digitalisation and structural change, as well as overall social framework conditions, as precisely as possible. Only in this way will preventative and fitting responses to urgent labour market and skilled worker policy issues be found.

Skilled worker monitoring makes it possible for the first time to estimate possible developments in the supply of, and demand for, skilled workers across industries and regions and in respect of various skills and qualifi-cations on a large scale for the next ten to twenty years.

3.4.1.3

The Federal Government’s Skilled Labour Strategy ( Fachkräftestrategie)

Adoption of the Skilled Labour Strategy on the 19 of December 2018 in the federal cabinet

A National Skills Strategy will be developed by the summer of 2019.

Internet: bmas.bund.de

With disparities between supply and demand increasing, the Skilled Labour Strategy will focus in particular on domestic potential. In addition to securing integrated measures in the areas of training, quality of work and reconciling of family and work, it concentrates on qualifying and further training both employees in work and people seeking employment. Building on the multifaceted engagement of companies and motivation of employees in undertaking further training, it will establish a new culture of further training in Germany. In concrete terms, it will support everyone in the workforce in gaining and adapting their qualifications and skills in a changing world of work and ensure that the skilled workers required to secure Germany’s strength as a place where business can thrive are available in the labour market of the digital future, by working proactively to support both employees and companies and enterprises.

The German government’s Skilled Labour Strategy is based on three pillars spanning a range of different industries:

• Attracting people in Germany into the labour market and improving their qualifications

• Making use of the opportunities offered by the freedom of movement available to skilled workers from European Union member states

• Attracting qualified skilled workers from third countries

3.4.1.3

https://www.europass-info.de/



The Internationalising vocational training funding programme

Period: September 2016–December 2022

Funding volume: approx. 35 million euros

Internet: berufsbildung- international.de/

This programme takes a comprehensive approach to international cooperation at the public and private level, securing a range of positive effects.

Private and public vocational training providers are supported in their efforts to initiate international business.

Their activities outside Germany help to disseminate reform approaches and develop dual training systems in partner countries working in cooperation with the BMBF and enhance Germany’s good image in the world.

It also supports German industry abroad because the export of many goods, such as those in the engineering and car industries, often relies on the existence of well-trained skilled workers in target markets.

All the goals of this funding programme have been successfully achieved:

• “Bilateral projects on preconditions for and issues involving vocational training cooperation”

• “Measures for supporting and implementing bilateral vocational training cooperation”

• “Demand-oriented development and exemplary implementation of initial and continuing training services for international markets”

The programme is flanked by an evaluation project and a funding directive to support research into the internationalising of vocational education and training.

3.4.2.13

Promoting continuing vocational training (FbW) – the continuing vocational training budget

Actual expenditure: 1.85 billion euros in 2018 (incl. SGB III and SGB II and FbW-Rehab) and 1.16 billion euros that the BA spent on unemployment insurance for voca-tional training ( including for benefits recipients with disabilities)

Internet: arbeitsagentur.de; hallo-qualifizierung.de

Funding and promoting continuing vocational training as defined in the German Social Code (SGB III) is one of the BA’s classic labour market policy instruments for improving participants’ chances of employment by helping them gain vocational qualifications. Funding for continuing vocational training is available not only to the unemployed or employees at risk of imminent unemployment, but also to employees whose jobs are at risk due to replacement by technology, are otherwise being impacted by structural change or who want continuing vocational training in an occupation with a shortage of employees. Its core benefits include the complete or partial payment of training measure costs and wage subsidies (with amounts depending on company size and the co- financing offered by the employer).

The Qualification Opportunities Act ( Qualifizierungschancengesetz) came into force on the 1 of January 2019. Before these new regulations came into effect 302,000 people (132,000 women and 170,000 men) received funding for continuing vocational training in 2018. Of these 64,000 (28,000 women and 37,000 men) were qualification- oriented measures (FbW with quali fication, modular qualifica tions and external examinations) so 1 % fewer than in the previous year. In 2018, around 7,000 (3,000 women and 4,000 men) participants with disabilities under went funded continuing vocational training to help them participate fully in working life.

http://www.berufsbildung-international.de/

http://www.berufsbildung-international.de/




Funding for measures to support adaptation to climate change

Period: since 2011

Funding volume: 2–3 million euros annually

Internet: bmu.de/DL1530

These measures are designed to enable actors at the regional and local level to act to protect themselves and their communities from the consequences of climate change. Funding priority 2 in the German Adaptation Strategy (Deutsche Anpassungsstrategie an den Klimawandel – DAS) “Funding of measures for adjusting to climate change” (“Förderung von Maßnahmen zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel”) programme supports the development of training and education courses and the trialing of these as pilot initial and continuing training projects.

The wide range of issues this pro-gramme covers, which is also influen ced by DAS areas of activity, is reflected in various projects it funds. Support has been provided for training modules in the area of agriculture and forestry management, flood protections and dyke defence and care and maintenance for green spaces that is adapted to climate change.

As well as focusing on issues, some of the projects concentrate on speci fic actors, such as those supporting train-ing modules for local authorities to use geographic informa tion systems in the context of adapting to climate change or projects to help companies to adapt to climate change. Further training modules at universities have been developed in the areas of the energy industry, hydraulic and environmental engineering and in transport and infrastructure development.

3.11.1.1

Funding and support for young people who are hard to reach under the German Social Code (sec. 16h SGB II)

This support has become a new standard support instrument with the passing of the 9th amendment to the German Social Code (SGB II- Änderungs-gesetz) from the 1 of August 2016.

This regulation supplements the other benefits offered to integrate recipients into work (sec. 16 to 16g of the German Social Code – SGB II) at the interface to youth welfare services and provides for low entry-level psycho-social and outreach counselling and support services for young people aged between 15 and 25 who are not, or no longer, supported by standard social welfare system benefits. The primary goal here is less the immediate integration of the young people into training or work and more an effort to return them to standard social welfare benefits, especially (regular) services to help them reintegrate into employment.

By October 2018, 2,614 participants had started a measure provided under sec. 16h of the German Social Code (SGB II). In 2018, 39.1 % of participants were female.

3.12.1.10

Funding for residential homes for young people

Standard support instrument under sec. 80a and 80b of the German Social Code (SGB III)



Funding for residential homes for young people is made available under sec. 80a and 80b of the German Social Code (SGB III) to pay for construction measures to repair and modernise residential homes and, in excep-tional cases, to rebuild and extend residential homes. Home operators can receive pay-ments in the form of interest subsidies and one-off grants if the measures are required to balance the training market. Residential home operators or third parties must help to defray these costs to an appropriate extent.

In 2018, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) provided many home operators with advice on opportunities for obtaining funding to repair and modernise residential homes for young people and 63 applications for funding for these residential homes were made.

http://www.bmu.de/DL1530



ASCOT+ research and transfer initiative

Period of the ASCOT+ initiative: 2017–2023


Internet: ascot-vet.net

bmbf.de/de/bmbf-forschungs-und-transferinitiative- ascot-1228.html

The ASCOT+ research and transfer initiative applies and further develops the instruments and processes developed the preceding ASCOT initiative (2011 to 2015) which created IT-supported methods for assessing the skills of trainees. It also works to apply these instruments and processes in various training situations and examinations and develop new applications for them.

The project results are designed to more objectively evaluate trainees’ performance, more comprehensively assess selected dimensions of vocatio nal skills, support regulatory actors in the formulation of skills- based training regulations and further develop skills-oriented examinations.

3.4.2.2

Legislation to strengthen continuing vocational training and insurance coverage in the employment insurance system (Arbeitslosen ver-sicherungs schutz- und Weiterbildungs stär-kungsgesetz – AWStG)

Funding is provided on the basis of existing legal regulations in the German Social Code (SGB II and SGB III) and the budget funds available to implement them.


The law to strengthen continuing vocational training and insurance coverage in the employment insurance system (Gesetz zur Stärkung der beruflichen Weiterbildung und des Versicherungsschutzes in der Arbeitslosenversicherung – AWStG) of August 2016 expands instruments that fund and support continuing vocational training with the goal of improving access to continuing training, offering a qualifica-tion for people with low-level qualifications, older employees and the long-term unemployed. These groups in particular benefit from the acquisition of fundamental skills and granting of continuing training bonuses.

Initial evaluations of Federal Employ-ment Agency (BA) statistics show that funding and support for the acquisition of basic skills offered under Volume 2 of the German Social Code (SGB II) have been used much more than programmes offered under Volume 3 of the German Social Code (SGB III) and that there has been a marked increase in funding and support for qualification modules that result in certification.

Girls’ Day Period: 2017–2020


Internet: girls-day.de

At annual national Girls’ Day events skilled trades and technical companies, universities and research centres all open their doors to girls at school from year five, offering them insights into vocational areas in which women are currently under-represented.

Since 2001, around 1.9 million girls have taken part in 137,000 Girls’ Day events. The 2018 evaluation of the event confirms its success. 96 % of the participants surveyed found the Day “good” or “very good”. 38 % of the companies that had participated in several events received applications for internships or training places from former participants and 27 % of the participating companies had employed girls who had visited them at events. Girls’ Days based on the German model have now been held in over 20 other countries.

The international mobility service point (Informations- und Beratungsstelle für Auslandsaufenthalte in der beruflichen Bildung – IBS)

Period: 2017–2020

Funding volume: approx. 400,000 euros in 2018

Internet: go-ibs.de/

IBS is a central point of contact in offering support to people seeking to improve their qualifications in an international setting by informing various target groups about ways of doing it. In this way IBS is contributing to achieving the Federal Government’s goal of increasing and better supporting the mobility of trainees. In the context of international labour markets, it is essential in every phase of vocational training to also gain international vocational skills and specifically expand them.

Since it was established in 2013, IBS has achieved a high profile for the IBS brand with a clear unique value for vocational training.

The high figures it recorded in 2018 in the areas of counselling, the Internet (website, YouTube, etc.), databases and the press testify to their success. The qualitative goals of networking and positioning the organisation and parti cipating in conferences and work-shops around these issues are also being achieved on an ongoing basis.

3.15.2.3

http://www.ascot-vet.net

http://www.bmbf.de/de/bmbf-forschungs-und-transferinitiative-ascot-1228.html




https://www.go-ibs.de/



The “Educational Chains” (“Bildungs-ketten”) initiative, run by the BMBF, BMAS and BA in cooperation with the Länder

Funding volume: around 1.4 billion euros for 2014–2020

Internet: bildungsketten.de

The “Educational Chains” (“ Bildungsketten”) initiative integrates successful funding and support instruments that assist young people through comprehensive national careers orientation, in the transition system and during training. Under the initiative careers orientation has been systematically expanded, the transition system successi vely reformed and the range of support available for trainees during training extended. Federal Ministries offer specific support to help the Länder further develop Länder careers orientation and preventative aid and funding for young people, and the Federal Government and BA have made agreements on these areas with the Länder.

The Federal Government and BA have concluded Bildungskette agreements with 13 Länder. On this basis, numerous measures were continued, further developed and partly or entirely redeveloped and started in the Länder in 2018.

The initiative for preventing premature training termination “Verhinderung von Ausbildungsabbrüchen” (VerA) Initiative


Internet: vera.ses-bonn.de/

The VerA national initiative for preventing premature training termination offers trainees mentoring by Senior Expert Service mentors working in a voluntary basis. This coaching, which is based on voluntary action and helping people to help them-selves, provides young people with support in starting working life. VerA started in 2008.

In 2018, more than 3,000 Senior Experts mentored over 5,000 young people who needed additional support before or during training. By the end of the reporting year more than 13,000 young people had been mentored.

3.10.1.4

Innovation office – Skilled workers for the region (Innovations-büro Fachkräfte für die Region)

Initiated by the BMAS in 2011 to promote exchanges and provide counselling on issues around securing a supply of skilled staff

The “Innovation office” was initiated to deal with varying regional requirements for skilled workers. It offers comprehensive counselling, information and events to help regional networks professionalise their efforts to secure a supply of skilled workers as well as coaching, advising, categorising and qualification services.

Around 400 regional networks working to secure a supply of skilled staff are currently listed with the “ Innovation office”.

Innovative approaches to future-oriented continuing vocational training (Innovative Ansätze zukunfts-orientierter beruflicher Weiterbildung)

Period: 2016–2018

Funding volume: 5 million euros annually

Internet: innovatWB.de

The BMBF innovatWB funding priority seeks to set the structural agenda for good, sustainable continuing vocational training so that companies can secure the potential of qualified skilled staff and integrate continuing vocational training into individual vocational and educational biographies as an indispensable element.

It also questions, evaluates and realigns existing forms of continuing occupational learning. The potential of non- formal and informal vocational learning and development of skills for individual continuing training is also examined.

The central areas of activity identified for building a modern culture of continuing training were:

• Contextualise continuing vocational training based on the activity in -volved and offer learning during the process of working to qualify work-ers and further develop their skills

• Orient the services offered by vocational training institutions towards the real, concrete needs of people who want continuing vocational training

• Strengthen regional continuing training landscapes

http://www.bildungsketten.de

https://vera.ses-bonn.de/

http://www.innovatWB.de



Integration through qualification ( Integration durch Qualifizierung – IQ)

Period: 2014–2022 (current round of funding 2019–2022)

Funding volume: 198.1 million euros for 2019–2022, of which 50.1 million euros of Federal Government funding

Internet: netzwerk-iq.de

The “Integration durch Qualifizierung (IQ)” funding programme aims to sustainably integrate people from migrant backgrounds into work. Its activities focus on providing:

• Counselling on the recognition of existing qualifications and on qualification

• Measures that lead to the recognition of vocational qualifications or placement in a job commensurate with training and education

• Development of the intercultural skills of labour market actors

From 2019, the programme has been expanded with the addition of a fourth funding priority focusing on establishing regional skilled worker networks.

In 2018, the 103 consultancy offices across Germany and 60 mobile counselling units in the IQ funding programme provided counselling on the recognition of existing qualifica-tions and qualification, referred them to the appropriate agencies, advised them on possible paths towards qualification and provided training for staff working in statutory institutions.

From the 1 of January 2015 until the 31 of December 2018, the consultancy offices counselled 354,000 people on the recognition of foreign vocational qualifications and on qualification.

3.4.2.12, 3.12.1.11

JOBSTARTER plus – Training for the future

Period: 2014–2022

Funding volume: 109 million euros, of which 48 million euros of Federal Government funding and 61 million euros of ESF funding

Internet: jobstarter.de

JOBSTARTER plus supports training in SMEs and the smallest companies with the goal of strengthening dual vocational training in Germany and securing a supply of skilled staff and addressing education and training policy developments. The projects fund the development of regional cooperative ventures and advise companies on all the main issues involving training and raise awareness of them.

The JOBSTARTER plus programme has provided support for 11,257 companies, 8,640 in more developed regions and 2,617 in transition regions. Across Germany the JOBSTARTER plus programme funded the execution of 232 projects for 158 funding recipients.

Activities focused on:

• Training in small and the smallest companies

• KAUSA – training and migration

• Recruiting university dropouts as trainees

• Interregional mobility

• Initial and continuing training in “Economy 4.0”

• Digitalisation – further qualification

• Support structures for industries with problems filling training places and matching problems, and for business and research clusters

• Regional structures

3.4.2.14, 3.9.2.1

JOBSTARTER plus; funding priority: KAUSA – Koordinierungsstelle Ausbildung und Migration

Period: 2013–2022

Internet: kausa-servicestellen.de

The goals of KAUSA are to:

• Increase the participation of the self- employed and young people from a forced migrant and migrant background in dual vocational training

• Encourage SMEs not run by migrants to provide training for young people from a forced migrant and migrant back ground, strengthen regional networks working with issues around training and migration

• Provide initial counselling and referral to the appropriate agencies for young people from a forced migrant and migrant background, including for their parents (a second-order objective of the follow- up financing from 2019)

31 projects were active in this area in 2018.

In 2019, 20 KAUSA projects were provided with follow-up financing up to 2021/2022 to enable them to focus on SMEs run by migrants.

In 2019, the summary report of the external evaluation of the JOBSTARTER plus programme was submitted.

3.9.2.2, 3.12.1.12

http://www.netzwerk-iq.de




Youth migration services (Jugend-migrationsdienste – JMD)

Period: ongoing


Internet: jugendmigrations dienste.de

Youth migration services counsel and mentor young people from migrant back-grounds aged 12 to 27 through educational, vocational, social and language integration with a focus on helping them to manage the transition from school into work.

Results include faster and more appropriate access to school and training opportunities, better chances of success in accessing the labour market and more rapid integration.

JUGEND STÄRKEN: 1000 Chancen

Period: 2018–2019

Funding volume: 175,000 euros annually

Internet: 1000-chancen.de

Young entrepreneurs motivate and support disadvantaged young people in managing the transition from school into employment and developing goals for their careers and provide insights into their work in companies.

Personal contact with companies can result in the opening up of internship and training opportunities for partici-pants and exchanges with successful entrepreneurs improve their motivation. In this way the young entrepreneurs are helping to combat the shortage of skilled workers.

3.6.2.2

JUGEND STÄRKEN im Quartier

1) Period: 2015–2018

Funding volume: 4.2 million euros of Federal Government funding, 95 million euros of ESF funding

2) Period: 2019–2022

Funding volume: 4 million euros of Federal Government funding, 87 million euros of ESF funding

Internet: jugend-staerken.de

Public youth social welfare services develop social and educational counselling and mentoring services for young people who need special support to manage the transi-tion from school into work but are hard to reach (sec. 13 of the German Social Code VIII (SGB VIII), Youth Social Work) and work to improve the integration of young refugees and recent migrants into work and society.

This inter-departmental model programme is implemented in areas covered by the “Soziale Stadt” urban development funding programme and other socially disadvantaged areas.

59 % of participants were placed in school-based vocational training or another form of training or found work after participating in a project.

3.6.2.2

http://www.jugendmigrations-dienste.de

http://www.jugendmigrations-dienste.de

http://www.1000-chancen.de

http://www.jugend-staerken.de



Cooperative models for ensuring sustainable integration into the training and labour market

The cooperative models have been used as orientation aids since 2016.


The “Step by step” (company- based vocational training) and “Kommit” ( cooperative model with continuing training that results in a qualification) cooperative models combine the various language tuition and labour market policy measures on offer to help people from a forced migration or migrant background to gain a recognised vocational qualification in the medium term. “Kommit” will have a stronger focus on the target group of people with low-level qualifications in future.

The cooperative models were designed to be orientation aids. Given their flexibility and variability, figures on new entries into the cooperative models cannot be estimated.

LehrRess – building networks and support-ing training providers in the area of conservation and the efficient use of resources

Period: May 2015–May 2019


Internet: bilress.de/ lehrress-66.html

Here the goal is to help teachers at voca-tional schools (especially at vocational and upper secondary colleges) to anchor training and education on the conservation and efficient use of resources in initial and continuing vocational training in five selected subject areas. The materials are linked with fields of learning and the content can also be taught in an interdisci-plinary context. These modular, training- related teaching materials have been trialed in further training courses for teachers and external education and training actors, and in workshops for school students.

LehrRess brings people working in the field of resource creation together at networking events to promote an exchange of views and ideas and cooperative ventures. LehrRess was explicitly designed for general classes in vocational training. Over the course of the project 25 further training courses and workshops were held and materials on five subjects related to training and environmental issues were developed and are now available free of charge.

National Skills Strategy (jointly lead-managed by the BMAS/BMBF)

Internet: bmas.bund.de

On the 12 of November 2018, the Federal Government started the consultancy process on a National Skills Strategy with top representatives from the Social Partners and Länder.

Continuing training is key to securing a supply of skilled staff for the digital work and society of the future. Germany’s competitiveness and ability to innovate is dependent on an adequate supply of qualified skilled workers.

A draft National Skills Strategy is scheduled for completion by the summer 2019.

3.2

“A green world of work” network (Netzwerk Grüne Arbeitswelt)

Period: October 2017– September 2020


Internet: gruene-arbeitswelt.de

This project aims to improve access to information on the careers opportunities offered in areas involving climate and resources protection (“Green Jobs”) for young people and so help to secure a supply of skilled workers in these areas in the long term. This is done by providing a systematic overview of existing careers orientation services and projects.

The website brings together school-based and corporate careers orientation services on “green” voca-tional opportunities in Germany in a multimedia form and supplements this service with information on non-school places of learning and regional training courses. Another project outcome is a range of quality- assured overviews of teaching and seminar materials that have been made available free of charge.

http://www.bmas.bund.de

http://www.gruene-arbeitswelt.de/



Support for SMEs in filling training places and integrating foreign skilled staff ( Passgenaue Besetzung)

Period: 2015–2020

Funding volume: approx. 7 million euros annually

Internet: bmwi.de/ passgenaue-besetzung

The “Passgenaue Besetzung” programme, which is jointly financed by the ESF and BMWi, works to counteract matching problems in the training market. SMEs are facing particular challenges in finding suitable skilled workers.

The programme provides funding for consultants who support SMEs in filling their training places with suitable young people from Germany and abroad (not including refugees).

In 2018, around 8,000 SMEs and more than 30,000 young people were provided with consultancy services as part of “Passgenaue Besetzung”. The consultants also succeeded in placing 5,011 young people in dual training and 661 in introductory training.

Since the preceding programme began in 2007 around 84,000 training places and 10,350 places in introductory training have been filled successfully.

3.7.1.2, 3.9.2.3

Special programme for “Funding to promote the profes sional mobility of young people with an interest in training and unem-ployed young skilled workers from Europe” (MobiPro-EU)

Period: 2013–2020

Internet: thejobofmylife.de

Since 2013, MobiPro-EU has been providing funding and support for young EU citizens who want to undergo dual vocational training in Germany. It offers funding and support for modules in areas including language courses, financial sup-port to enable mobility and to secure living costs, and social and vocational training mentoring. It thereby contributes to reducing high rates of youth unemployment in the EU and to securing a supply of skilled workers in Germany. The special programme will end when the 2016 training cohort completes its measures.

The programme ended on the 31 of July 2018 for those trainees who were provided with individual funding starting in 2013 and 2014. 1,362 of these participants have successfully completed vocational training. 277 participants from the 2015 training cohort and 1,029 partici-pants from the 2016 training cohort are currently still receiv ing funding and support through this project. 545 trainees from the 2015 training cohort and 112 from the 2016 training cohort have now successfully completed vocational training.

The findings and outcomes gained through MobiPro-EU have been established and made transferrable and available for use on a large scale in a practice handbook.

3.15.2.5

Social skills in dual training

Period: 2016–2019


Internet: bmwi.de/ Redaktion/DE/Dossier/ ausbildung- und-beruf.html

Funding and support for the provision of social and intercultural skills for trainees and training personnel.

This funding programme supports innovative digital learning methods such as integration tandems, online learning platforms and smartphone apps for companies, trainees and training personel. The three deadlines for submitting proposals have now expired and project results and outcomes will be published in the spring and summer of 2019.

3.13.2.3

SYSLOG+: bringing climate protection into training for logistics and freight forwarding specialists

Period: 2017–2019


Internet: sgkv.de/images/pdf/PS_SYSLOG_SGKV.pdf

The SYSLOG+ project enables trainees, educators and decision makers in the freight forwarding and logistics industry, which is the industry sector producing the highest level of emissions in Europe, to build a complex transport chain and evaluate it on a case-by-case basis, taking efficiency aspects and resource conservation into account. It is designed for vocational schools providing training in this field, freight forwarding and logistics companies, and for transport associations and Chambers of Trade and Industry (IHKs).

The project’s central instrument is the development of an innovative, virtual logistics laboratory as a process simulation and practice tool for use in teaching at vocational schools and in work. Seminars and workshops with educators and trainers to enable a transfer of knowledge are also planned.

http://www.bmwi.de/passgenaue-besetzung

http://www.bmwi.de/passgenaue-besetzung

http://www.thejobofmylife.de

http://www.sgkv.de/images/pdf/PS_SYSLOG_SGKV.pdf

http://www.sgkv.de/images/pdf/PS_SYSLOG_SGKV.pdf



Transfer initiative local authority education and training management (Transferinitiative Kommunales Bildungs-management)


Funding volume: Around 10 million euros annually plus ESF funding

Internet: transferinitiative.de

This initiative establishes and distributes successful models of local authority educa-tion and training management on a large scale all over Germany by building a national network of Transfer Agencies to advice interestes local authorities. The agencies support the local authorities in analysing their start situations and enabling dialogue among education and training actors in those authorities. They offer requirements analyses and qualification courses and pro-vide useful recommendations for choosing appropriate instruments that can improve education and training situations in local authorities by developing local authority education and training management. The transfer initiative is backed up by the ESF-co-financed “ Bildung integriert” funding programme, which provides financial support for local authorities working together with a Transfer Agency that have concluded a target agreement.

The funding directive on local authority coordination of education and training courses for recently arrived immigrants (“Förderrichtlinie zur Kommunalen Koordinierung der Bildungsangebote für Neuzugewanderte”), which works to improve the management of all issues in and around integration through education and training, is also embedded in the transfer initiative.

The initiative works to establish com-prehensive data-based local authority education and training management in more than 200 districts and towns. Local authority education and training monitoring also regularly and system-atically provides data and information on the structural features of regional education and training systems from a range of different sources (e. g. official statistics, studies and data from child and youth welfare services).

Coordinators are increasingly seen as central knowledge workers with the necessary management information on situations in local authorities and have provided expert consultancy to the agencies making decisions on the integration of refugees. The coordi-nation of relevant education and training actors and of their activities at the local authority level improve access to education and training systems and help to manage educa-tion and training courses providing data-based information.

Inter-company training centres in the Skilled Trades (Über-betriebliche Lehrlings-unterweisung – ÜLU)

Period: Until December 2020; an extension has been planned.


Internet: bmwi.de/ Redaktion/DE/Artikel/Mittelstand/ aus-und-weiterbildung- im-handwerk.html

Funding for sector-wide apprentice training aims to both increase the willingness of skilled trades companies, which often end up training more trainees than they need, to provide training and ensure a consistently high quality of training in the skilled trades.

These measures are provided to:

• Adapt vocational training in these areas to technical and economic developments

• Balance out regional disparities in training and ensure consistently high standards of vocational training

• Relieve companies of the necessity of providing often difficult and time- consuming training content

In 2018, more than 49,000 train ing courses were funded for 426,000 participants.

3.4.2.15, 3.9.2.4

http://www.transferinitiative.de

http://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/DE/Artikel/Mittelstand/aus-und-weiterbildung-im-handwerk.html






Funding for inter- company training centres (Überbetrieb-liche Berufsbildungs-stätten – ÜBS)

Funding volume: 71 million euros in 2018 (BMBF 42 million euros, BMWi 29 million euros), plus 8 million euros from EPl 60 as well as funding from the Länder and applicants’ own funds

Internet: BMBF/BIBB bmbf.de/de/regelungen- der-beruflichen-bildung- 1078.html;

bibb.de/uebs

BMWI/BAFA bafa.de/DE/Wirtschafts_Mittelstandsfoerderung/Fachkraefte/ Foerderung_ ueberbetrieblicher_ Berufsbildungsstaetten/ foerderung_ ueberbetrieblicher_ berufsbildungsstaetten_node.html

Inter-company training centres supplement the training provided in companies and vocational schools with practice- based education and training courses. They help SMEs to teach all the required training content and offer training places. Inter- company training centres also have an essential position in further and continuing training in SMEs, especially in the commercial and technical sectors. ÜBS play an essential role in providing continuing training for SMEs, especially in the commercial and technical area.

Funding is allocated for the modernising and restructuring of inter-company training centres to adapt them to changing education and training policy and economic conditions. With the help of Federal Government funding, suitable inter- company training centres are also being developed into competence centres.

In 2018, the BMBF provided funding and support for 186 projects and the BMWi provided funding and support for 54 projects to further strengthen Germany’s national network of inter- company training centres and adapt it to modern demands.

3.4.2.16

Inter- company training centres (ÜBS): The special funding programme to support digitalisation in inter- company training centres and competence centres

Period: 2016–2019

Funding volume: up to 30 million euros in 2018 (in addition to regular funding for ÜBS) and applicants’ own funds

Internet: bmbf.de/de/ueberbetriebliche- berufsbildungs staetten- 1078.html;

bibb.de/uebs- digitalisierung;

foraus.de/html/ foraus_5000.php

Increasing digitalisation is raising new challenges for vocational training and also making the appropriate equipment of inter-company training centres and competence centres necessary. The BMBF is working through this special programme to fund digitalisation in inter-company training centres to accelerate digitalisation in the education and training of skilled workers in the context of “Vocational Training 4.0”.

Since the programme started 222 projects for digital equipment in inter- company training centres and eight pilot projects for Competence centres have been approved for funding. More than 25,900 digital objects are now used in inter- company training centres. Pilot projects in the second round of funding have carried out surveys of companies, adapted training concepts, held networking events for inter-industry exchanges and provided information on the pilot projects at events and through the project website.222

3.4.2.16

222

222 foraus.de

http://www.bmbf.de/de/regelungen-der-beruflichen-bildung-1078.html




http://www.bibb.de/uebs

http://www.bafa.de/DE/Wirtschafts_Mittelstandsfoerderung/Fachkraefte/Foerderung_ueberbetrieblicher_Berufsbildungsstaetten/foerderung_ueberbetrieblicher_berufsbildungsstaetten_node.html










http://www.bmbf.de/de/ueberbetriebliche-berufsbildungsstaetten-1078.html




http://www.bibb.de/uebs-digitalisierung

http://www.bibb.de/uebs-digitalisierung

http://www.foraus.de/html/foraus_5000.php

http://www.foraus.de/html/foraus_5000.php

https://www.foraus.de/de/index.php



Inter-company training centres: Funding for digital equipment in inter-company training centres and competence centres


Internet: bafa.de/DE/ Wirtschafts_ Mittel standsfoerderung/ Fachkraefte/Foerderung_ ueberbetrieblicher_ Berufsbildungs staetten/Digitale_ Ausstattung/digitale_ ausstattung_node.html

Special funding programme as part of a Federal Government subsidy of 90 % of expenditure eligible for funding to support the digitalisation of inter-company training centres in the area of further and continuing training. It is designed to accelerate the process of providing inter-company training centres with digital equipment and bring the national inter-company training centre network up to the most modern technical standard. It addresses skilled employees, master craftspersons and managerial staff and aims to introduce digital know-how into small and medium-sized enterprises.

By the end of 2018, twelve funding applications had been lodged with BAFA.

3.4.2.16

ValiKom/ ValiKom-Transfer

Period – ValiKom: November 2015– October 2018; ValiKom-Transfer: November 2018– October 2021

Funding volume ValiKom: 1.5 million euros;

ValiKom-Transfer: around 10 million euros

Internet: validierungsverfahren.de

The “Validation of non-formal and infor-mally acquired vocational skills” ( ValiKom) initiative and its follow-up initiative “ Establishing competence centres to carry out validation processes for dual training occupations” (ValiKom- Transfer) were established to trial standardised processes for identifying, testing, evaluating and certifying vocational skills for people without formal vocational qualifications and people with qualifications who want to change careers, and transfer the resulting findings and outcomes to a wider public.

By October 2018, more than 370 people had been provided with counselling on the options offered by a validation process through ValiKom. 164 people had launched an application and undergone the process. In just five cases no complete or partial equivalence to a reference occupation was certified. ValiKom Transfer will expand the trialed and tested validation processes to further locations and occupations.

3.4.2.17

Weiterbildung Geringqualifizierter und beschäftigter älterer Arbeitnehmer in Unternehmen ( WeGebAU)

Actual expenditure: 336.16 million euros223 in 2018 as part of statutory support benefits under the German Social Code (SGB III and SGB II)


The Federal Employment Agency (BA) has been funding and supporting this special programme to promote continuing voca-tio nal training for workers with low- level qualifications and employees in SMEs since 2006. The funding and support opportunities offered under this programme have been significantly expanded with the passing of the Qualification Opportunities Act (Qualifizierungschancen gesetz).

Around 24,000 people started continuing vocational training under the WeGebAU programme in 2018 (11,000 women and 13,000 men), an increase of 27 % (19 % for women and 35 % for men) over the previous year’s figure.

Continuing training grants (Weiterbildungs-stipendium)


The BMBF’s continuing training grant programme supports young people through the process of obtaining further vocational qualifications after the successful completion of vocational training.

The programme provides funding for specialist further training, for non-specialist training and for courses for employees that build on training or employment. Grants are awarded to over 6,000 new recipients every year and more than 139,000 people have received grants since the programme was launched.

223

223 This figure is a partial amount provided by FbW from its further training budget (see above).

http://www.bafa.de/DE/Wirtschafts_Mittelstandsfoerderung/Fachkraefte/Foerderung_ueberbetrieblicher_Berufsbildungsstaetten/Digitale_Ausstattung/digitale_ausstattung_node.html










http://www.validierungsverfahren.de




Welcome mentors Period: 2016–2019

Funding volume: around 7 million euros annually

Internet: bmwi.de/ willkommenslotsen

The Welcome mentors programme pursues the economic policy goal of supporting companies in securing a supply of skilled workers while also contributing to the wider social task of integrating refugees into the German labour market.

Support measures offered by the Welcome mentors to integrate refugees into work and training in companies are available to all enterprises.

Welcome mentors are funded and supported as a measure to integrate refugees into work and training and represents the BMWi’s contribution to efforts in this area as part of the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training.

In 2018, Welcome mentors provided 7,500 companies and 9,400 refugees with individual counselling. Over this period the Welcome mentors also succeeded in filling over 2,800 training places. Over the same period in 2017 this figure was around 1,900. In 2018, the Welcome mentors also succeeded in placing around 3,700 refugees in internships, 1,400 in introductory training and more than 1,200 in training places.

From the time the programme started until the end of 2018, Welcome mentors held over 17,000 individual counselling sessions with companies, over 22,000 with refugees and placed more than 21,000 refugees (5,290 directly into training, 2,392 into work, 9,046 into internships, sent 1,136 on vocational observation visits and placed 3,323 in introductory training).

3.7.1.3, 3.12.1.13

The “ Zukunftsstarter” initial vocational training for young adults initiative

Funding is provided on the basis of existing legal regulations in the German Social Code (SGB II and SGB III) and the budget funds available for them.


This initiative offers support not only to the unemployed but also to employees who do not yet have a vocational qualification. Young adults with disabilities and refugees can also profit from this initiative.

In 2018, around 35,000 people started training (13,000 women and 22,000 men) under the initiative, in the form of either a funded or an unfunded training measure.

3.11.1.3, 3.12.1.14, 3.13.2.4


Opinion of the Board of the BIBB on the Federal Government’s draft Report on Vocational Education and Training 2019

The Board of the BIBB thanks the Federal Ministries involved and the BIBB for creating the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training. The individual opinions of the employer and employee representatives and the Länder follow below.

155oPInIons on THe RePoRT on VoCaTIonal edUCaTIon and TRaInInG 2019

Opinion of the group of employee representatives on the Federal Government’s draft Report on Vocational Education and Training 2019

The training place market is disintegrating to form parallel worlds. On the one hand, around 57,000 training places are unfilled, on the other hand, almost 80,000 young people are looking for training. 531,414 new training contracts were concluded in the reporting year, 8,124 more than in the year before, an increase of 1.6 %. The supply of training places has also grown and yet around 270,000 young people were placed in one of the countless measures in the transition system between school and training. If the 54,100 young people who had an alternative to training but still wanted a training place are not ignored, the figures show that according to the true (expanded) definition of the supply and demand ratio there were 96.6 registered training places for every 100 young people looking for training, so we are far from having a wide range of offers available.

The number of young people with no vocational qualifications rose again to 14.2 % of those aged between 20 and 34, which is 2.12 million people in this age group. They are a high-risk group on the labour market and often feel overlooked and ignored by the forces of democracy.

The situation is especially dramatic in the training market in the Ruhr area, in central cities in Hesse and Lower Saxony and in the north of Schleswig-Holstein. We cannot let a generation growing up in Oberhausen, Bochum, Hameln, Flensburg or northern Brandenburg be left behind. In these regions the state must provide non-company training places to supplement training in companies.

In economically stronger regions such as Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland- Palatinate many companies cannot fill the training places they offer. Training place applicants must be supported to be more mobile to balance out unequal development in the regions and this support should focus on the provision of low-cost accommodation. The construction of residential homes for trainees is just one possibility in this context.

A particularly large number of training places in eastern Germany remain unfilled. In Greifswald, Schwerin, Bernburg (Saxony-Anhalt) and Jena around one in five training places remained unfilled in 2018. In that year, only 192 new training contracts were con-cluded for trainee butchers in all of eastern Germany for example, and 131 training places remained unfilled. In some regions and industries there is very little “training culture”. In these areas companies cannot find trainees and many young people steer well clear of dual training.

Improving vocational training We will have to start here if we want to strengthen the training system. The reasons why young people decide for or against training have been thoroughly researched. Young people need to be interested in the occupation they train for and they expect good- quality training and fair pay during and after training. A training allowance is certainly not the only criterion, but it is an important one by which young people (and their parents) measure the value of training.

Germany’s Federal Government is taking the countermeasure of introducing a minimum training allowance. A minimum training allowance is only necessary, however, where employers evade their responsibilities as partners in collective negotiations. There is also a massive disparity between the east and the west of the country. The proportion of companies that voluntarily pay trainees in keeping with a collec-tive bargaining agreement is much smaller in eastern Germany than it is in the west of the country, as the BIBB notes in its evaluation of training allowances.

One example of this situation is the butchery trade. The BIBB database shows just one regional collective agreement for this trade in eastern Germany. Young trainees in their first year of training there are paid just 310 euros a month and the agreement only applies in Saxony. The other problem with this collective agree-ment is that it was made in 2010 and terminated in April 2011 by the German Catering Union (DGB-Gewerk-schaft Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten – NGG). Since then


the union has called on employers to negotiate a new agree ment, without sucess. For almost a decade, employ-ers in Saxony have refused to pay their trainees a single cent more. The NGG has therefore started conclud ing collective agreements with indivi dual companies, some of which pay more than the mini mum allowance the DGB was calling for. These companies have much better chances of filling their training places.

Employers don’t want to dispense with this low-cost model but instead are trying to enhance its status by labelling it a “minimum allowance”. The unions want to abolish this dumping-training and establish their mini-mum-allowance model. The DGB model would mean that the training allowance would be no less than 20 % below the collectively agreed average. This would mean that trainees across Germany in their first year of training would be paid a gross allowance of 660 euros a month.

This kind of minimum training allowance would not solve all problems but it would be an important step in making training better and more attractive. It would also be useful in areas where employers refuse to negotiate on pay with unions. Companies that offer their trainees decent pay have nothing to fear from the introduction of a minimum allowance. According to our calculations it would be the 127,000 young people who would go home with more money at the end of the month who would have reason to be happy.

School-based vocational training in the healthcare, early childhood education and social services occupa-tions and training in the care and nursing sector and dual training are the “backbone” of vocational training in Germany. In the reporting year, 179,000 young people began school-based vocational training in healthcare, early childhood education and social services occupations. Reporting on training should focus on this area in more detail.

Reform training in the nursing and care sectorAttractive training conditions will help to recruit more trainees into the care and nursing professions and keep them working in the sector after training, as long as they are offered good career prospects, but the new law on care and nursing (Pflegeberufegesetz) is nothing more than a compromise. The recognition of the need to initially retain current qualifications in general, public health and geriatric care and nursing is positive, even though this is only guaranteed until 2025.

Downgrading geriatric care and nursing by reducing the required skills level sends a fatal signal for this sector, which is an occupational field that urgently needs to be upgraded. The increasing standards required in the geri-atric care and nursing occupations make high- quality training, which enables those working in these fields to meet the challenging demands made on the provision of care and nursing, more essential than ever.

We welcome the BIBB’s taking on certain responsibil-ities in the research and monitoring of the work of the Expert Commission that will develop framework plans for training in the new care and nursing occupations. What we do see as critical is that the newly established Expert Commission is staffed by the responsible minis-tries but does not include any managerial or labour representatives. It is essential that the organisa tion of new forms of training takes the views and ideas of those working in the occupations into account.

The care and nursing training campaign (Ausbildungs offensive Pflege) The Federal Government’s “care and nursing training campaign” (“Ausbildungsoffensive Pflege”) is an essen tial element of its efforts to interest more people in working in the care and nursing professions. It will take the shared efforts of everyone involved to counteract the shortage of skilled care and nursing workers and make the care and nursing professions more attractive. It is also vital that trainees are not just recruited but kept engaged in these occupations after training by attractive conditions and fair pay. The shortage of personnel in this area is already making itself felt in training in this sector. Overtime, time pressures, the need for staff to fill in at short notice and practice supervisors who have no time are a daily reality in many hospitals and geriatric care institutions. Trainees must not simply be used as cheap labour. Good training needs time, sustainable support for practice supervisors and more well-qualified staff.

Training in the care and nursing professionsRestructuring and strengthening of the care and nursing professions in an overarching concept was announced in the Coalition Agreement and further steps in this direction need to be taken quickly. Training in care and nursing professions ( healthcare professions) must be adapted to meet changing demands and the conditions improved. The large number of different regulations in this area must also be simplified and made more consistent.


Training in social services and early childhood education occupationsTo date there has been no systematic survey of the training situation in the social services and early childhood education occupations, such as the “ basic training” to be a social assistant, Social and educational assistant and children’s nurse, and further training for kindergarten teachers. Future reporting must provide a detailed overview of the training system covering these areas, which is organised by the Länder.

This should include an examination of issues such as:

• The structure of training• Involvement of places of learning (full-time vocational

schools, trade and technical schools, tertiary institutions and social services and education professions, and the networking of these)

• Training capacity and demand for training• Training contracts and allowances• Teachers in school-based training• Instructors in practical training• Details on those starting and completing training,

differentiated by training occupation• Forecasts of demand• Retraining• Lateral entrants

Work and study degree programmes are becoming more importantWork and study degree programmes now have more than 100,000 students and are an increasingly impor-tant element in the vocational qualification system, so developments in work and study degree programmes must be included in the Federal Government’s Report on Vocational Education and Training in future. The formats of work and study degree programmes require a regulatory framework to integrate the curricula of phases of studies and practical work and protective labour law provisions. Expansion of the scope of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) to include the practical phases of practice-integrated work and study degree programmes would be a first step in this direction.

Continuing vocational training not adequately surveyedVocational training does not end with initial training. The higher education and training expectations of young people, their tendency to engage in continuing education and training more frequently, and the future challenges posed by digital and sectoral structural

change have greatly increased the importance of continuing vocational training in recent years. This is reflected not only in the Report on Vocational Educa-tion and Training. It seems to us inadequate to simply describe selected funding and support programmes in the area of continuing vocational training. We think it would be more topical and appropriate to expand the part of the report dealing with continuing vocational training and further training and to refer to data sources and research results that have been available for some time. In addition, no conclusions are drawn or included in the report from the descriptions on the effects of vocational training policy activities and programmes to fund and support continuing vocational training.

Comprehensive reform of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG)The group of employee representatives on the BIBB Board welcomes the further development of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG), which is essential to vocational training. This reform was announced in the Coalition Agreement.

We see a need for change in the following areas: 1. Dual training is attractive. More than 800,000 young

people express an interest in dual training every year. The proportion of trainees who have a university entrance qualification has also risen steeply in recent years and a slowing of demographic change over the past decade has ensured that the number of young people in the transition system has fallen. Yet the 2018 National Education Report found that young people whose highest school leaving qualification is a second-ary general school certificate have profited little from this development. In addition, the constantly falling number of companies that offer training, with fewer than 20 % doing so in 2018, reduces the options of many young people to start dual vocational training. The training market seems also to be increasingly closed to students leaving secondary general schools, whose range of career choices has narrowed significan tly in recent years. This tendency is due to companies’ selection processes in choosing new trainees, which is influenced by differences between training formats (e. g. two or three years of training, work and study degree programmes). This tendency also increasingly raises the issue of opportunities for transfer between companies. The theoretically


possible but in training inadequately implemented transition from two-year training occupations into three-year training occupations is a particular problem, because employees with vocational qualifications for which they trained for two years are increasingly deployed in basic jobs, which are forecast to be replaced by digitalisation on a large scale. Training forms the basis for a lifelong learning process, which all employees have to engage in because of acceler-ating technical developments. To maintain employ-ability in the long term it is necessary to build a solid foundation and this requires three years of training. Two-year training is not in the interest of employees or in the long-term interest of companies. “Fast-track” training does not offer an adequate basis for a lifelong learning process. Without such a learning process employability is put at risk in the medium and long term and the likelihood of unemployment increases. Companies in Germany will only win in international competition with a broadly-trained skilled workforce, so a broad basic qualification from at least three years of vocational training and a lifelong learning process that builds on it is necessary. The group of employee representatives sees a risk that the accreditation and recognition options proposed in the government’s draft legislation will disadvantage this target group. We propose allowing for more oppor tunities for transfer in dual training and pre-scri bing a binding transfer from two years of training into three years of training in the Vocational Training Act (BBiG). This would benefit young people whose opportunities for accessing the training market have been declining in recent years. A binding transfer can and should be included in the regulatory drafting of training regulations and it would guarantee a balance between the demands of work and the needs of trainees and skilled workers. Involving the Social Partners in training practice on a consensus basis to implement dual vocational training rules is an essential factor in ensuring the attractive-ness of dual vocational training. Although this principle of consensus between Social Partners and the state is always emphasised, the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) makes no mention of it. We therefore propose that the inclusion of Social Partners in regulatory work in accord ance with the principle of consensus be pre-scribed as binding in the Vocational Training Act (BBiG).

2. Dual vocational training’s attractiveness depends on qualitative aspects of vocational training. There are some serious quality problems in some industries, which are revealed in very low training allowances, large numbers of unfilled training places, high rates of premature training contract terminations and the trainees’ much lower rates of success in examinations. This impacts the image of vocational training and makes it less attractive. Young people begin to look for other ways into training. Training conditions in SMEs in particular are increasingly rarely regulated based on valid collective bargaining agreements. Legislators must strengthen the legislative framework of the collective agreement system. Good pay based on a collective agreement and decent training and working conditions are essential factors in making training attractive to young people, so we welcome the introduction of a minimum train ing allowance, which will make dual vocational training better and more attractive. The minimum training allowance must be at least 80 % of the average collectively agreed training allowance and it should be adjusted annually based on the average increase in the collectively agreed training allowance calculated by the BIBB. Given the experience gained in implementing the minimum wage, the offsetting of other benefits provided by the employer against the minimum training allowance must be explicitly excluded, when these go beyond room and board. This particularly includes elements of remune ration such as special annual payments or company pension contribu tions, which the explanatory section of the legislation explicitly allows to be offset. This issue must be clarified in the legislation because current minimum wage legislation applies to employ-ees and is not necessarily applicable to trainees. A minimum training allowance is an important step in making vocational training more attractive but other steps must follow. It must be ensured that the minimum training allow-ance is not undermined by the imposition of additional costs for the purchase of training equipment. Although the legal situation on free learning materials is clear, experience and practice in various industries and companies has shown that in some industries trainees still have to pay for training equipment themselves. We therefore see a need to make it clear that all training equipment required to achieve training goals must be paid for by the training provider – usually the company.


We also see a need to make it clear that leave must be granted for attending vocational school, regardless of the trainee’s age, and to incorporate this leave into training contracts to ensure that trainees do not have to return to work on days when they attend vocational school. In this context we also recommend paid leave for the last day of work before all intermediate and final examinations to help trainees succeed in their exams. This would strengthen the position of part-time vocational school as the “second pillar” of dual vocational training. Potential career prospects are vital to the attractive-ness of dual training. Many trainees are, however, left in an unclear situation at the end of their training. Trained skilled workers should generally continue in permanent full-time employment in the occupation they have trained for. If an employer does not want to take on a trainee, there should be a binding three-month term of notice so that trainees can legally register as jobseekers three months before their training ends and look for another job. We see the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) as offering many starting points for securing and further develop-ing the quality of training but its regulations (such as those on the suitability of training venues and trainers, on the tasks of the relevant agencies in monitoring and advising companies providing training and appoint-ments to vocational training committees, etc.) are often not binding enough. We want to integrate these starting points more closely and make them more binding to create a reliable system of assuring and developing quality in vocational training. This means that existing instruments must be sharpened and processes made more goal-oriented.

3. It is striking that the increasing numbers of students in work and study degree programmes have not been taken into account in the plans to amend the Vocational Train-ing Act (BBiG). The result is that trainees and students in work and study degree programmes learn together in very different conditions in companies. While trainees and students in training- integrated work and study degree programmes (with a training contract) come under the protective and quality regulations of the Voca-tional Training Act (BBiG), the situation is different for students in practice-integrated work and study degree programmes. They usually work in learning and practical phases in companies solely on the basis of a contract

regulated by private law with the company and neither statutory protections nor the suitability and quality- assurance criteria of dual vocational training apply to them. This lack of appropriate minimum standards generally imposes a work and study burden on students that is too heavy. We see a need for regulations in the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) to protect students in practice-integrated work and study degree programmes, as trainees and students in training-integrated work and study degree programmes are protected. There are various statutory options available because students in work and study degree programmes work during their practical phase in the company subject to instruc-tions and on the basis of a contract regulated by private law. From an employ ment law perspective, a partial extension of special labour law to cover trainees in the practical phase of work and study degree programmes in a company is legally possible and can be provided if the scope of the legislation is expanded to include the practical phases of work and study degree programmes in companies. The group of employee representatives on the BIBB Board is in favour of expanding the scope of the Voca-tional Training Act (BBiG). All occupations, apart from occupations’ own professional regulation laws and Länder law and healthcare, nursing, early childhood education and social services occupations for which trainees train at full-time vocational schools and trade and technical schools, should be included in the scope of the BBiG. The BBiG should also apply to all training phases in companies during school-based training. What amendments to the BBiG are necessary due to the special arrangements of these occupations must be reviewed. The training standards that these occu-pations have already achieved must not be under-mined. Reform of the BBiG and the further training levels planned can, as part of this reform, be a basis for efforts in this area and making this law forward- looking should make it possible to consistently nation ally regulate training in this area while retaining current training standards. If individual training occu-pations cannot be included in the scope of the BBiG, or it is seen as politically desirable to anchor them in that law, the BBiG’s fundamental principles and stand ards should at least be adopted. We also recom-mend inclusion of non-dual training and all work and study degree programmes in reporting on vocational education and training so that training activities in all areas of vocational training can be better surveyed.


4. Increasing rates of further training and employees’ higher education and training aspirations must be better supported if future challenges are to be better managed. Regulated further training must be upgraded beyond the range of individual training occu pations. Advanced further training plays an impor tant role here as a premium format of further vocational training. It not only provides higher levels of technical occupa-tional skills, it is highly regarded and in demand in companies and public authorities. It is also the only state-recognised training format that can open up occupational career prospects through a non- academic education and training path. Establishing the equiva-lence of higher-qualifying vocational training with university degrees requires the introduction of skills- oriented curricula in the form of prescribed content plans, which also make the design of learning processes much more transparent for participants and standard-ise the recognition of previous vocational qualifications with reference to tertiary education courses. As well as upgrading training (which the draft bill refers to as “upgrading skills vocational training”) the possibility of regulating updating training is raised separately for the first time. These must be distingui shed from updating qualification measures in compa nies, which are fundamentally the responsi bility of companies. In contrast to purely company- based updating qualifi-cation measures, regulated vocational updating training must update occupational competences, possibly expand them, and lead to a formal vocational qualifica-tion that can be used in the wider labour market. Updating training should involve not only examination requirements but also curriculum recommendations. Changes to content could be reflec ted in these training regulations (e. g. chemical technician: elective qualifi-cation digitalisation) and so offer an “update” for qualified skilled workers to keep them up to date with recently qualified trainees. This would also help people inter ested in further train ing to choose from the courses and measures offered by train ing providers. We also take the view that the existing legislative options in this area should be used in future.

5. Examinations systems are vitally important to voca-tional training. An examinations system based on nationally consistent examinations and boards of examiners made up of the Social Partners, employers,

employees and vocational school teachers, all equally represented, has proven its worth. These independent examination boards test and identify vocational skills, and employers rely on their outcomes and the resulting certification. The significance of recognised initial and further training qualifications in the labour market and the impor tance of these qualifications in recruiting processes in companies is based on the quality of the vocational examinations system. A Federal Government publica tion on the amendment of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) published on the 11 of September 2018 stated that the evaluation report found no need for systemic changes to the BBiG. The planned regulations in the amendment of the BBiG to reorganise examina tions contradict this statement. They stipulate the board of examiners, as a collegial body, will no longer decide on examination results, but that results will be decided on through the addition of individual assess ments made by various people who no longer carry out joint evaluations. This jeopardises the joint evaluation of vocational skills. We therefore criticise the de facto abolition of the collegial principle and consistency of examinations and the introduction of examination delegations as funda mental systemic changes that will adversely impact the value of vocational qualifications. The regulations are also partly not stringent enough, are contradictory, and will increase the time and effort required for the holding of examinations. Effective regulations to relieve honorary examiners are also essential. With workloads in companies increasing and high cost pressures in competition among companies, volunteer examiners are often no longer able to get leave for their engagement in examinations. The framework conditions supporting the engagement of volunteer examiners are no longer appropriate. Apart from the issue of compensating volunteer examiners, which is managed differently in each chamber’s district, regulations on paid leave and opportunities for honorary examiners to gain further qualifications and training should be included in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO). The more clearly these regulations are formulated, the easier it will be to motivate employees to take part in the examinations system.


Opinion of the group of employer representatives on the draft Report on Vocational Education and Training 2019

The employer representatives on the BIBB Board thank the BIBB and BMBF for this comprehensive and detailed Report on Vocational Education and Training and expressly welcome the report’s new form. In surveying the whole training market based on the findings of Integrated Reporting on Training, this report provides an excellent overview of current education and training policy discussions in Germany.

Companies are increasingly engaged in trainingThe number of registered training places grew again over the reporting period. For the fifth year in a row business and industry again offered more training places, increasing their number by 3.6 % compared with the previous year and providing 527,470 registered vocational training places in companies. In the past ten years the annual number of training places in companies has grown massively from around 450,000 to 527,470.

Developments in the number of newly concluded training contracts were also positive.

In this reporting period the highest new training contract figure of the past six years was achieved, with 531,413 new training contracts, almost all of them in the area of company-based training places.

Another continuous development of recent years that has benefited training place applicants is the increase in the ratio between training places offered and demand for places. The supply and demand ratio of all training places (Angebots-Nachfrage- Relation – ANR) rose to 106.

Companies offer training places for young people with varying degrees of talent. Around half of all training places were open to young people whose highest school leaving qualification was a secondary general school certificate, a third were available to intermediate school leavers and fewer than 10 % of all training place providers wanted their future trainees to have an entrance qualification for studies at a university

of applied sciences (Fachhochschule). Yet holders of secondary general school certificates made up only around a quarter of all new entries into training, 40 % had school leaving certificates after year 10, and holders of higher education entrance qualifications represented around 30 % of all new entries into training. Numerous training measures offered for holders of secondary general school certificates remained unfilled due to a lack of demand. Many companies have benefited from offering support to trainees with lower-level educational achievements through internal support measures.

Although the smallest companies in particular do not have the capacity to take on trainees every year, 54 % of all companies authorised to provide training do so. This demonstrates the commitment and stewardship of German business and industry.

Trainees’ overall good performance and the high quality of training offered by companies is demonstrated by the fact that more than 90 % of those taking training exams succeed in passing their final exams and proving their vocational skills at the first attempt. The average rate at which trainees transferred into employment in the company they trained in was 74 %, which was the highest figure in almost twenty years.

Two sides of the same coinDeclining numbers of school leavers leaving general schools and the continuing trend for them to go into academic studies resulted in the number of training places remaining unfilled rising dramatically (+17.7 %). This is not only presenting companies with problems in securing a supply of skilled staff in the short and medium term. Companies that experience – sometimes repeatedly – an inability to fill the training places they offer, especially small and the smallest companies, may no longer offer training places.

Even after the training year has begun, business and industry and the employment offices continue their efforts to place young people interested in dual


training in training places. This subsequent placement in the so-called “fifth quarter” has been optimised in recent years, but could still not prevent more than 71,500 training places from remaining unfilled six months after the training year began, which is concerning from an economic perspective.

Regional and industry-specific matching problems have been a persistent problem for many years. Problems with the supply of trainees or in filling training places, which can also simultaneously arise as matching problems, are precisely analysed and described by the BIBB but effective concepts for sustainably improving trainee mobility and matching problems are lacking.

The continuous campaigning for dual vocational training of recent years has finally borne fruit, but education and training policy initiatives to further strengthen dual training remain urgently required. Expanding careers orientation, especially in upper secondary grade in grammar schools, funding and supporting trainees’ regional and inter-regional mobility, through the provision of trainee tickets for example, and offering more transparent information on prospects for development and careers will increase the attractiveness of vocational training and demon-strate its equivalence with tertiary education.

Offering qualification opportunities to low-skilled and semi-skilled young people aged over 25 may be another way to alleviate the problem of a shortage of skilled workers. Holistic training courses for adults without – or with few – vocational qualifications such

as retraining, measures to prepare them for external examinations and vocational qualification modules are all possible ways of doing this.

Dual vocational training is, for many young people, the “royal road” to a self-determined working life. It is also a central factor in ensuring success for business and industry and the basis of efforts to secure a supply of skilled staff in future.

It is most pleasing that this road is increasingly being taken by young refugees, considerable numbers of whom are now being integrated into dual vocational training. The commitment of business and industry to offering young refugees with sufficient language skills opportunities in the labour market has helped to almost quadruple the number of people in this target group interested in training. More than a third of the roughly 38,000 young people in this group interested in training have been placed in dual training. This success high-lights both the wide range of local efforts and engage-ment and the necessity of support programmes such as the “Welcome mentors” and “Passgenaue Besetzung”.

The employee representatives on the BIBB Board regard the overall training market situation as very good for young people. Skilled workers who have undergone dual training have excellent prospects in the current and future labour market, and not just because of demographic developments.

At the same time, the declining demand for training places in companies is of concern in the context of efforts to secure a supply of skilled workers.


Opinion of the group of Länder representatives in the BIBB on the draft Report on Vocational Education and Training 2019

The Länder representatives on the BIBB Board thank the Federal Government and BIBB for creating the 2019 Report on Vocational Education and Training. The report provides a good, comprehensive overview of developments in the field of vocational education and training. The Länder representatives also welcome the expansion of the scope of the Report on Vocational Education and Training beyond vocational education and training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) to include training out-side the dual system and the consolidation of reporting on these areas to provide an overall picture.

As well as chronicling statistical developments, the Report on Vocational Education and Training offers an overview of the Federal Government’s education and training policy activities. Here it should be noted for the sake of completeness that as well as the Federal Govern ment other actors are engaged in vital education and training policy activities. The central feature of vocational training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG /HwO) is the shared respon-sibility and cooperation of business and industry, unions and Federal Government and Länder that is anchored in those laws. This cooperation requires not only a balance of the interests of companies and the wishes and interests of youth and young adults, it also involves a considerable expense for the Länder and local authorities in paying for vocational schools and their own funding and support programmes for vocational education and training. The companies that provide training are also the main providers of the financing and development of the vocational training system in Germany in the form of training allowances and spending on training personnel and equipment.

The Länder representatives regard current overall developments in vocational training as defined in the Vocational Training Act and Crafts Code (BBiG/HwO) as positive, noting that the number of newly concluded training contracts grew by 1.6 %. This growth has been mainly in numbers of training contracts in companies and demonstrates the commitment of business

and industry in this area. This positive fundamental tendency in dual vocational training is not, however, benefiting all young people equally. Further efforts are required to balance out sectoral and regional disparities and better integrate young people who need extra support more quickly into training.

Much of the growth in the number of newly concluded training contracts was also in training contracts with young refugees. Here business and industry, aided by the Federal Government, Federal Employ ment Agency (BA) and Länder support pro-grammes, is making major efforts to integrate this group into work and training. The placement rate of refugees in training shows, however, that there is still a need for flanking support in areas such as the acquisi-tion and improving of the necessary German language skills and mentoring and support for entry into and during training. Accompanying support measures are needed to help these young people to succeed in gaining vocational qualifications.

It is also pleasing that employment offices registered more training places. Companies registered 3.2 % more company-based training places, but matching supply and demand remains a fundamental problem. A look at different regions and occupations shows that the situation varies greatly in individual regions and specific occupations. While some regions and occupa-tions are impacted by a lack of applicants, others have a lack of training places. Although the situation is fundamentally positive, the tension between unplaced applicants and unfilled training places is increasing.

Joint efforts by all partners in careers orientation will be required to improve the provision of information on the attractiveness of dual training and the opportunities it offers and to increase the regional mobility of trainees, especially in the Länder not including the city-states. Existing funding and support programmes, especially those for training young people who need more support, should be more widely promoted and communicated in ways designed to reach specific target groups.


The challenge to urgently counter the trend for young people to choose academic degrees instead of dual training through improved communication of the good opportunities and prospects that vocational train ing offers remains. The Länder representatives take the view that making the German Qualification Framework (GQR) binding by anchoring it in legislation could make a major contribution towards establishing the equivalence of the different forms of education and training. The BMBF’s “Shaping the Future – Innova-tions for Excellent Vocational Education and Training ( Zukunft gestalten – Innovationen für eine exzellente berufliche Bildung) (InnoVET)” innovation competition, in which the Länder also take part, plays an important role in highlighting attractive alternatives in vocational training for high-achieving young people.

Monitoring of young women’s declining participat-ing in dual vocational training should continue. Young women tend to focus on fewer training occupations and often choose training options outside the dual system, so this potential for attracting young people into dual training is not being adequately used. It should, however, also be noted that in healthcare professions for which qualifications are gained through school-based training, especially in care and nursing, there is a great need for young and skilled workers and they must also be attracted to these occupations. The proportion of young women in these occupations is particularly high.

The focus on the group of young people who have no vocational qualifications must also continue and their employment opportunities must be secured for the long term through targeted further training and qualification measures. Young people without vocational qualifications must also be made more aware of targeted further training and qualification measures and of existing paths into measures and the other forms of support on offer.

The rate at which trainees are employed after training, which has again increased, makes it clear that dual training is an attractive path into working life and a secure job. In 2017, it was 74 %. Vocational training in Germany offers young people broad-based vocational qualifications and those who complete their training play an important role in securing a supply of skilled workers in companies.

When the market is in a good position it is easier for individuals to switch to more attractive training programmes, so premature training contract termination rates tend to increase when the market situation is good. In around half of all cases, training contracts are in fact terminated to enable a move into another company or occupation. Developments in this area must be monitored in a timely manner. Recognising problems at an early stage and raising the awareness of young people and companies of this issue can help to prevent premature training contract termination in the first place. Premature training contract termination rates vary from occupation to occupation, so companies in those sectors with high rates of premature training contract terminations must make greater efforts to increase the attractiveness of training and improve training and work conditions.

The Länder representatives also note with concern the continuing decline in the number of companies providing training in recent years. It impacts small and the smallest companies in particular because they have the greatest difficulties in filling their training places. The involvement of these companies is of essential importance to the functioning of the vocatio nal training system in Germany. New ideas and initiatives are required to provide flanking support for companies in addressing young people and their parents, in recruiting trainees and in providing training in accordance with their needs as part of their wider responsibilities. Recently founded companies that have not traditionally been anchored in the vocational training system in particular must be motivated to engage in dual vocational training, in their own interests and in the broader interest of establishing a supply of skilled workers. The Länder representatives are aware of the Federal Government’s support measures to stabilise the participation of small and the smallest companies in training but measures often exist only in the form of projects for a limited time. More continuity in this area is required in future.

Completing dual training is just the first step. To secure a supply of skilled workers it is also vital to make vocational further training more attractive and transparent and develop it on a needs basis. The equivalence of vocational and academic education and training and opportunities for transfer prescribed in the GQR are of essential importance in this context. The Länder representatives believe that all vocational train-


ing actors must work together to meet this challenge. There must also be a focus on the opportunities and risks that digital change represents for vocational training and appropriate adaptation processes must be initiated. Good coordination among actors in this area to integrate funding and support programmes, and avoiding inefficient doubling up of services for example, will be central to these efforts. Given the differences in regional training market situa tions, it must be ensured that nationally funded and supported measures are adapted to regional conditions as needed and the necessary coordination with the Länder sought at an early stage. Only in this way will we succeed in stabilising dual training as a guarantee of a supply of skilled workers in Germany and in keeping it attractive.

The Länder representatives therefore support the planned continuation of the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Vocational Training at the national level and development of a National Skills Strategy and are contributing at the Länder level through training alliances and coalitions of skilled workers to meeting the challenges facing vocational training, working together with actors in this area. They will continue to pursue this path together and work to sustainably secure a supply of young skilled workers in Germany, now and in future.

This publication was produced with the assistance of trainees at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Published byBundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung/ Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Division of Basic Policy Issues of Initial and Continuing Vocational Training (Referat Grundsatzfragen der beruflichen Aus- und Weiterbildung) 53170 Bonn Germany

OrdersIn writing to Publikationsversand der Bundesregierung P.O. Box 48 10 09 18132 Rostock Germany E-mail: [email protected] Internet: bmbf.de or by Phone.: +49 30 18 272 272 1 Fax: +49 30 18 10 272 272 1

March 2019

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Photo creditsCover (top left to bottom right): gettyimages/ RubberBall Productions; Adobe Stock/Firma V; gettyimages/BJI/Blue Jean Images; gettyimages/Daniel Ingold; gettyimages/i love images; Adobe Stock/rh2010 Foreword: Portrait Anja Karliczek, BMBF/Laurence Chaperon

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