Commercial training managers from across Germany met in Hamburg to discuss the impacts of the digital transformation on all areas of vocational education and training. The event was hosted by the Coordination Office for Vocational Education and Training (KWB) in cooperation with the AGA employers' association.
At the KWB conference in Hamburg it became clear that digitalisation has fundamentally changed vocational education and training, and that it will continue to do so. New ways of learning, new teaching methods and new occupational profiles have now become established as part of training and need to be constantly updated.
The Coordination Office for Vocational Education and Training (KWB) is the coordinating entity for industrial umbrella organisations supporting vocational education and training. The consortium of commercial training managers based at the KWB constitutes a nationwide cross-sector forum for company-based vocational education and training practice. The consortium has over 1500 members from companies, business organisations and educational institutions. It promotes the exchange of information and experience and is an important source of impetus for the ongoing development of vocational education and training.
"Every company has to address the digital transformation whether they want to or not, they have no choice in this. This is because digitalisation encroaches in all phases of the training process," commented Theresa Fleidl in her welcome address to around 130 participants. Theresa is head of Group Training at Munich airport and deputy manager of the consortium of commercial training managers.
Rainer Schulz, State Secretary from the School and Vocational Education and Training Authority in the Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg, referred to the establishment of the new e-commerce management assistant occupational profile as a positive example of how digitalisation is changing training. "In this respect, the exchange between vocational schools and trainers has worked well - here practical experience meets didactic expertise." For the state secretary responsible, digitalisation represents both an opportunity and a challenge: "We must not wait until digitalisation is upon us."
However, companies must also explore new horizons in these times of digital change, for example in the recruitment of trainees. One possibility in this respect is the use of an employer seal. "A seal helps a company to raise its profile and to communicate a positive image to the public," explains Julie Christiani, General Manager at the AGA employers' association.
The bottom line from the first day of the conference was that vocational education and training is undergoing constant change. "This does not mean that we have to throw everything overboard and reboot the system. Instead, we must utilise the scope we have available for keeping the system attractive," commented AGA General Manager Volker Tschirch.