A vocational training profession changes with the times: from mechanics to mechatronics

In our globalised world with its highly competitive markets companies and their products have to be up-to-date regarding technological development. This is the only way they can successfully compete. Correspondingly, the demands placed on skilled workers and the learning content of apprenticeships likewise change over time, as was recently the case with the motorbike and bicycle mechanic. More and more people use so-called e-bikes and pedelecs, bicycles with electric motors.

On behalf of the federal government and in co-operation with the social partners and business practice experts, the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) has reacted to the new technological requirements in this occupation and has modernised the training regulations effective as per 1 August 2014: the motorbike and bicycle mechanic now is called motorbike and bicycle mechatronics engineer.

In future, the three and a half-year vocational education and training programme will place greater emphasis on electric and electronic topics, new materials and repair methods, amongst other things. The apprenticeship continues to combine the two fields of bicycle and motorbike engineering.

The past year revealed the future potential of this job: compared to the previous year, the motorbike and bicycle mechanic apprenticeship rate increased by about 10 per cent from approximately 650 to more than 700 apprentices. Since businesses in this field need skilled professionals, the chances of being offered a permanent contract after completion of the apprenticeship are good.

The lawmakers regularly react to changed market demands, such as recently by introducing the new vocational education and training profession of ice cream specialist as per 1 August of this year. New occupations were introduced also in the summer of the past year - metal technology specialist as well as stamping and forming mechanic - and twelve occupations were modernised.

Source: praktisch-unschlagbar.de, revised by iMOVE, August 2014