News about VET from Germany

On April 29th and 30th iMOVE held the first British-German seminar on export of education and training. The bilateral event in Bonn was organised in cooperation with the British government organisations UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and TVET UK.

The seminar offered the British and German providers of education and training a unique opportunity to share their international experience and explore possibilities of future collaborative projects. It enabled an exchange of good practice and ideas between iMOVE and its British counterpart TVET UK and UKTI's Education and Skills Sector.

The German federal state of Bavaria currently invests more in vocational education and training than ever before. Bavaria’s Economics Minister Martin Zeil highlights the importance of the investments for his federal state.

"The budget of the Ministry of Education and Research underlines the government's strong intention to further invest in Germany's future", said Federal Minister Annette Schavan during the annual budget debate of the German parliament.

What would a circus be without a circus tent, the Oktoberfest without beer tents or an open-air event without a functional canopy over the stage? Sophisticated sail technology makes it possible to win a regatta and awnings protect us from too much sun. Products made by sail makers and technicians in heavy-duty fabric goods manufacturing are everywhere.

A new study by the OECD titled "The High Cost of Low Educational Performance" relates cognitive skills to economic growth. Results show the enormous long-term economic impact of improvements in education.

"New collaborations strengthen innovation and growth", said Annette Schavan, German Federal Minister of Education and Research, after having opened the German-Brazilian Year of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Responding to the economic demand for qualified skilled labour, the German Employers' Organisation for Vocational and Further Training announced the modernisation of 11 recognised occupations in 2010/2011.

The smooth transition from vocational training to employment is a crucial prerequisite for successful job careers. A current analysis by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) shows that not only the level of the school-leaving qualification but also the choice of the training sector has a strong influence on the chances of a fully-fledged employment.

German vocational training features new jobs in the geographical information technology sector.