Dual study courses continue upwards trend

The upward trend in dual study courses continued in 2019 - albeit with more moderate growth rates than in previous years. In the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training’s (BIBB) database "AusbildungPlus", as of the reference date of 30 November 2019, a total of 1,662 dual courses of study were registered at German universities on which more than 108,000 dual students were recorded.

"On the one hand, these numbers confirm the success of this education and training pathway in which vocational skills and higher education competencies can be acquired in combination," emphasised BIBB President Friedrich Hubert Esser. In terms of permeability between the vocational and university-level education and training, dual courses of study also open up the chance to support progression opportunities from the courses between the two areas of education and training. On the other hand, the declining proportion of training-integrated courses of study is less welcome. Work must similarly be continued on ensuring, as part of the implementation, the integration of the vocational and higher education elements.

Increasing numbers of companies are offering training positions for a dual course of study. While in 2004, a total of 18,168 companies were involved, in 2019 around 51,000 cooperating companies, or more specifically locations, were registered. In total, the number of dual courses of study has more than tripled from 2004, from 512 at that time to 1,662 today, and there are now more than two-and-a-half times as many students with the number rising from 40,982 to more than 108,000 currently.

It remains the case that the largest number of dual courses of study on offer are in the specialisms of engineering, with 595, and economic sciences, with 580. When compared to what is available overall, this together comprises just over 70 per cent off all offers. The most popular discipline is economic sciences in which 48,868 are registered. In engineering there are 26,625 dual students, and in social services/education/health and therapy, 13,556 are recorded.

At the level of professional or vocational qualifications, the occupations which predominate are from the areas of electrical engineering and information technology, from office administration, and from installation and metal structure engineering. For example, in 2019 the occupations of industrial mechanic and mechatronics technician were those training occupations which were most often combined with a dual course of study. These were followed by the occupations and professions of business manager, information technology specialist, electronics technician, office manager, and bank clerk.

In light of the restructuring of nursing professions, a separate section of the BIBB evaluation is devoted to the most recent trends in the healthcare and therapy sectors. In these sectors, in 2019, there was a significant growth of 8.8 per cent in the courses of study and 27.1 per cent growth in the number of students.

"AusbildungPlus" was launched in 2001 and has been provided by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training since 2007 as specialist portal. Its core element is a database which provides information throughout Germany on dual courses of study and additional qualifications in vocational training in the dual system, i.e. about qualification provision which links vocational training in the dual system with other training provision. Young people who are interested can search the database for appropriate offers. Providers, for example universities (of applied science) or colleges of advanced vocational studies, can publish the range of training and study courses offered by them free of charge.