News about VET from Germany

German enterprises are willing to hire new staff. The German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) expects the creation of 400,000 new jobs in the next twelve months.

Baden-Württemberg's upper secondary vocational schools of economics can offer trade as new elective course, starting from the beginning of the next school year in September.

Ever since the PISA study, it is well known that education is not only a task for the German federal government and the German federal states but is also significant in the European context.

Given the problems faced by many young people during the transition from school into initial vocational education and training (IVET), how to increase the accessibility of the IVET system is a matter for debate. In a round of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) "Vocational Training Experts Monitor" survey at the end of 2010, around 500 experts commented on various reform proposals. Their ratings are presented in this article.

The extracurricular pilot projects which the German government supports on the basis of Section 90 (3) No. 1 d) of the Vocational Training Act are an instrument for the qualitative development of and research into initial and continuing vocational training.

On May 31, iMOVE and the Indian National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) have signed a Memorandum of Engagement (MoE) to enhance further cooperation of German and Indian training providers, companies and institutions in the field of vocational education and training. This agreement supports the efforts of the Indian Government and private sector to strengthen industry’s role in the vocational training system. This is an important step towards practice-orientation and providing trainees with sound employable skills.

Many students consider their studies as being too abstract. Therefore, they more and more choose a dual study course which combines vocational training with a university career. Another advantage: they get money on top of it.

To address the problem of the lack of skilled workers, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Schwerin awarded the prize "Top training company 2010" to companies in Mecklenburg for the first time.

According to the annual report of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BiBB), the training market remains exceedingly stable.