The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) has taken on the project sponsorship of the next phase of the ANKOM Initiative (a German language acronym for "Credit transfer of occupational competences to higher education courses of study") "Transitions from vocational to higher education".
ANKOM is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and its aim is to support access to institutes of higher education for those in possession of vocational qualifications. 20 projects have been instigated in order to investigate and pilot how general prevailing conditions can be improved with regard to the commencement of higher education study by persons in active employment.
The organisation of higher education study, teaching methods, guidance, coaching and advanced training courses have all formed objects of investigation for this purpose. The projects themselves will run until the end of 2014. The particular main thematic focuses adopted by BIBB within the scope of ANKOM are improving the information and guidance available to those in employment who are interested in pursuing higher education, identifying opportunities for interlinking vocational and higher education measures and structuring dual courses of higher education study in a way which is tailored to occupational practice.
"The ANKOM Initiative builds strong bridges between vocational and higher education", explains BIBB President Friedrich Hubert Esser. "Our aim is to make it possible for more people who are in possession of VET qualifications and wish to enter higher education actually to do so."
The conditions in place for using credit transfer procedures to make occupational learning count towards higher education study have never been so favourable. "Anyone who is well qualified vocationally has every chance of successfully completing a course of higher education study", emphasises Esser, who goes on to say that significant intersections between vocational qualifications and higher education requirements for which a credit transfer can be given have now been identified.
One positive aspect according to the figures of the Federal Statistical Office is that the number of persons holding vocational qualifications as a proportion of total entrants to higher education study has practically quadrupled from just under 0.5% in 2001 to around 1.9% in 2010. Notwithstanding this, the fact that such persons make up only just under 1% of all higher education students indicates that the opportunities available are still not being sufficiently exploited. "In order to attract more vocationally qualified students to higher education study, appropriate consideration needs to be accorded to the specific needs of those already in employment both with regard to courses of study and within the institutes of higher education", Esser continues.
He further points out that it is important for institutes of higher education to open up in this regard and to develop provision which facilitates higher education study which can be undertaken in an in-service manner or in a way which is integrated with the occupation itself. Within this context, the BIBB President also indicates the necessity of establishing more provision to enable the learning of higher education study techniques. "I am of the firm view that the improvement of permeability between vocational and higher education is an important measure for increasing the attractiveness of VET and therefore for securing the supply of skilled workers".
The ANKOM Initiative was launched by the BMBF in 2005 in order to foster transitions between work and higher education. The initial phase of funding concentrated on the development of models to serve as vehicles for the overall or individual recognition of vocational qualifications for higher education study.
These credit transfer procedures have now been introduced at some institutes of higher education. The aim is for this to serve as the basis for the current phase of funding, during which general conditions and supporting measures for successful higher education study will be developed whilst taking the life circumstances of those already in employment into account.
Evaluation research for the ANKOM Initiative is being conducted by the Institute for Higher Education Research of the Higher Education Information System (HIS-HF).