Don't just look at formal vocational qualifications

The Employment Agency provides work. But to what extent does life and job experience benefit when starting a new job?

Education and training qualifications are important. However, vocational education and training experts are calling for greater recognition of job competencies acquired in an incidental manner, adding that this may help refugees in the German job market.

In the view of the experts, job opportunities and income in Germany is still too heavily dependent on formal education and training qualifications and vocational qualifications. Experts suggest that skills acquired in an everyday context or at work would also offer "enormous potential for Society".

However, these are not currently acknowledged on education and training certificates. These are the findings of the 'Vocational Education and Training Expert Monitor', a study by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) and the Bertelsmann Foundation.

According to this, three out of four vocational education and training experts would like greater recognition of individual learning outcomes acquired outside schools, training and universities. Well over 300 experts from companies and chambers, employee organisations, research and continuing education and training were surveyed and 70 percent argued in favour of a uniform recognition system across Germany.

BIBB President Friedrich Hubert Esser commented, "In order to exploit potential which has been unused up to now, we need improved formal recognition opportunities for people who have acquired competencies via an informal route." He made the case for, "coordinated action from all stakeholders involved in the education and training process".

A "culture of recognition" of informal and non-formal learning would see an improvement in career opportunities. He added that this would also apply to unskilled and semi-skilled workers - and in particular to refugees who often do not have any formally recognized competencies. "A uniform recognition system for informal competencies will, in particular, help those people who up to now have not been able to demonstrate their capabilities on paper," said Dr. Jörg Dräger of the Bertelsmann Foundation.

Experts believe that not only the employees, but also the companies stand to benefit from improved recognition. In their view, work samples and tests are to be recommended for the recording and assessment of competences - references and certificates are of less relevance.

In December 2012, the Council of the European Union called on member states to develop national regulations for the recognition of informal and non-formal learning by 2018. However, 70 percent of the experts interviewed by the BIBB doubt that this will be implemented on time in Germany.