The number of vocational college pupils is declining. Vocational college classes are being merged and pupils have to put up with long commutes to attend lessons in their chosen occupation. Eugen Straubinger, Chairman of the Bundesverband der Lehrerinnen und Lehrer an beruflichen Schulen (German Federal Association of Vocational College Teachers), demands the preservation and expansion of a wide range of vocational education services.
The pressure on the dual system of vocational education and training is increasing. This is precisely why the vocational colleges must not be forgotten. According to information by the German Federal Statistical Office, the number of vocational college pupils has declined by 0.9 per cent in the school year 2014/2015.
Up-to-date studies by the Sociology Research Institute at the University in Göttingen have revealed that this means that for the first time in Germany the same number of school graduates started a dual system apprenticeship and enrolled in a degree course, respectively. In future, the number of students will even constitute the majority.
Already, vocational colleges have to merge pupils according to occupational groups in order to maintain the mandatory size of classes. Otherwise, vocational college classes will be combined at certain vocational colleges, following a structural programme defined by policy makers, or transferred to a location where the most apprentices of a given occupational field are located.
Even now, businesses react to this development by redesignating the occupations of their apprentices. Also, youths choose occupations that are offered at the vocational college closest to them.
At the same time, vocational colleges are being assigned additional responsibilities in the transitional phase and regarding language support for refugees and their preparation for employment. These are additional reasons why this trend must be counteracted.
The German Federal Association of Vocational College Teachers therefore demands the support of vocational colleges in their capacity as partners in the dual system of vocational education and training.
Moreover, the preservation and expansion of a wide range of vocational education services must be ensured also in rural areas and vocational education and training must be recognised as providing an occupational basis of high quality. Otherwise, the highly esteemed German system of vocational education and training will collapse.