Off to a sustainable start with dual training occupations

Renewable energies

A research project carried out by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) has shown that, due to their future-oriented design, existing training occupations in the dual system meet the requirements for skilled workers involved with Germany's transition away from nuclear and fossil fuels. Additional qualifications and advanced training courses are frequently the options of choice for responding to specific company-based requirements.

The employees questioned in this sector perceived their work to be more varied and challenging than comparable activities in other sectors. At the skilled worker level, the companies questioned in the renewable energy sector were frequently looking for craft trade and industrial skilled workers in the training occupations of plant mechanic, electrician, electronics technician, heating fitter, and gas fitter and plumber.

In the analysis of vacancies, the majority by far were offers of training positions in the training occupations of plant mechanic for sanitary, heating and air conditioning systems, electronics technician for energy and building technology, and industrial clerks. The occupations of plant mechanic for sanitary, heating and air conditioning systems was updated in 2016. Renewable energies and environmental technology is one of four fields which can be chosen. Sustainability, renewable energies, and the impact on the environment also have an important role to play in the other three fields of plumbing engineering, heating engineering and ventilation and air conditioning engineering.

The occupation of roofer was updated in 2014 and also includes the specialism of energy technology in roof and wall surfaces. This covers photovoltaic systems, solar heat and wind energy in roofs and wall surfaces. Essentially, roofers are the specialists when it comes to energy-related measures for the shell of a building. 

Environmental occupations

Environmental occupations play an important role in our everyday lives. Water supply engineering technicians prepare our drinking water, while sewage engineering technicians ensure that used water is then purified so that it can be fed back into the hydrological cycle. Pipe, sewer and industrial service technicians ensure that the sewage system functions in the private and public sector. Recycling and waste management technicians are responsible for ensuring that waste is correctly disposed of and recycled. In order to make the environmental occupations fit for the future, restructuring is currently being discussed.

Sewage engineering technician is also one of the occupations which is being examined as part of the VET 4.0 project in terms of the impacts of digitalisation. Initial findings show that tasks have become more demanding as a result of the use of digital technologies.

Green occupations

The recognised training occupations in the agricultural sector, the "green 14", contribute to environmental and climate protection in the handling of soils, plants, animals and in the use of modern technology. Gardening and farming are the occupations with the most trainees and have a particularly wide range of different specialisms, for example gardening and landscaping, arboriculture and the culture of herbaceous plants, grain cultivation, grass land, dairy farming, and cattle fattening.

In the course of updating the recognised training occupation of “housekeeper”, aspects relating to sustainability - such as the consideration of origin, manufacturing and long-term usability when purchasing durables and consumables—have also been systematically identified and incorporated in the company-based training plan.

Electromobility

To a large extent, the occupational profiles in the electrical and IT industry, in the electrical engineering and information technology skilled trades, and in the automotive trade, already satisfy requirements specific to electromobility, as revealed some time ago by a review of 20 occupations relevant to electromobility and 19 continuing education and training courses.

The BIBB study "Move on: structure of qualifications and employment in spatial mobility occupations" offers a detailed evaluation of the training and employment situation in occupational groups which directly or indirectly facilitate spatial mobility.

Updated standard occupational profiles for "environmental protection and sustainability"

In all training regulations entering into force from 1 August 2021, the enhanced content of the "environmental protection and sustainability" standard occupational profiles must be delivered as a compulsory element of company-based training. The standard occupational profiles also continue to include compliance with environmental protection regulations, prevention of environmental pollution and the environmentally compatible recycling or disposal of substances and materials. While these have been an integral part of company training plans since the end of the 1990s, they now go even further. In future, for example, a compulsory part of the training will be collaboration for the purpose of economic, environmental and socially sustainable development as well as developing proposals for sustainable behaviour in the work area.