NATIONAL SKILLS STRATEGY - Continuing education and training as a response to digital transformation - BMAS
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NATIONAL SKILLS STRATEGY Continuing education and training as a response to digital transformation
National Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 2
I. Background and the challenge facing skills policy
Our country’s most important asset is its people The National Skills Strategy partners also want
and their abilities, creativity and engagement. to help, in particular, small and medium-sized
This strength is built on qualifications and skills. enterprises (SMEs) without large human resources
The transformation of the working world – driven departments to develop CET strategies. We will
in particular by the digital revolution – will result organise continuing education and training in
in massive changes to occupational and qualifica- Germany in a way which ensures that we make
tion profiles. Continuing education and training a success of structural change – both for every
(CET) is the key to securing our supply of skilled individual and for the economy and society as
labour, to maintaining the employability of all a whole.
workers, and thus to our country’s innovativeness
and competitiveness. It is also an investment in
social participation and equal opportunities. More Occupations undergoing
than ever, continuing education and skills devel- structural change
opment are necessary to enable people to control
their own professional lives. We therefore need a Accelerating structural and sectoral change in
new skills culture in Germany which sees contin- technical and economic terms, especially the
uing education and training as a normal part of digital transformation of the economy, is causing
life. Policy-makers can establish the framework far-reaching changes to the world of work. De-
for this and support CET measures. spite the rise in digitalisation and automation, we
will not run out of work in future; there will, how-
With the National Skills Strategy (Nationale Wei- ever, be changes to occupational profiles, work
terbildungsstrategie), the Federation, the Länder activities and skill requirements. The Institute for
(federal states), businesses, trade unions and the Employment Research (IAB) has raised its esti-
Federal Employment Agency are seeking to pool mate of the proportion of workers in employment
and advance their efforts to promote continuing subject to social security contributions who are
education and skills development. The Federation working in occupations with a high potential for
and the Länder intend to better coordinate their replacement from 15 per cent (in its 2013 study) to
policies on continuing education and training 25 per cent (in its 2016 study).1
and to work together with the other partners to
make CET programmes and support options more However, it remains unclear in what circumstanc-
transparent and easily accessible for all, and to ex- es this potential will be fully exploited. Workers
pand them where necessary. Upskilling employ- in occupations which are not replaced are also
ees is and remains a key task for all companies. expected to face far-reaching changes.
1
engler, K., Matthes, B. (2018): Substituierbarkeitspotenziale von Berufen: Wenige Berufsbilder halten
D
mit der Digitalisierung Schritt. IAB-Kurzbericht 04/2018, p. 7.National Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 3
For example, the Organisation for Economic and for the economy as a whole.3 For individuals,
Co-operation and Development (OECD) believes CET helps them to maintain and enhance their
that more than 35 per cent of all occupations will personal employability, including in terms of
undergo significant change by 2030.2 As a result, specialised and interdisciplinary skills, in a highly
working lives are likely to become more dynamic, dynamic working world. In times of change, CET
with transitions becoming more frequent. This thus offers workers opportunities and protection.
development requires a major effort from society
as a whole. Many regions and organisations are For the world of work, sustainable skills develop-
still only at the beginning of this transformation. ment measures whose relevance extends beyond
In particular, an answer must be found to the a single organisation help to enhance innova-
question of what skills are needed and how they tiveness and adaptability in the digital transfor-
are to be developed. In this context, occupational mation. A new skills culture can thus become a
sectors must be developed further or opened up, fundamental advantage for Germany as a business
and training must be provided to enable people location in the face of international competition
to acquire the necessary qualifications and skills. and can lead to greater macroeconomic growth
Continuing education and training is becoming a and prosperity.
key requirement for Germany to successfully rise
to the challenge of the digital transformation in Businesses are, accordingly, making continuing
the interests of individuals and organisations. education and training a high priority. 85 per
cent of all businesses are already active in terms
of CET today. According to the Business Barome-
An increase in continuing vocational ter on Digitalisation published by the Association
education and training and of German Chambers of Commerce and Indus-
a new skills culture as an answer try (DIHK) in 2017, 87 per cent of the businesses
to structural change surveyed, across all sectors and size categories,
recognise the need for more CET.4 The digital rev-
The National Skills Strategy partners understand olution is creating opportunities to ensure that
continuing vocational education and training CET is more effective in meeting needs and more
as meaning the continuation or resumption of personalised. More must be done to seize these
structured learning after the end of an initial peri- opportunities.
od of education and entry into working life.
When it comes to in-company continuing edu-
Effective investment in continuing education and cation and training, the participation rate varies
training has positive impacts both for individuals depending on the size of the organisation.
2
edelkoska, L., Glenda, Q. (2018): Automation, skills use and training, OECD Social, Employment and
N
Migration Working Papers, No. 202, OECD Publishing, Paris, p. 49.
3
Weber, E. et al. (2019): Gesamtfiskalische Wirkungen von Weiterbildungsförderung. Öffentliche Ausgaben
haben hohe Rückflüsse, IAB-Kurzbericht 08/2019. http://doku.iab.de/kurzber/2019/kb0819.pdf.
4
DIHK (2017): Wachsende Herausforderungen treffen auf größeren Optimismus. Das IHK-Unternehmens-
barometer zur Digitalisierung, Berlin, p. 9.National Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 4
For example, the Adult Education Survey 20165 with limited language skills, in particular. As a
shows that the participation rate for in-company result of structural change and rising automation,
CET rises in line with the size of the organisation: the OECD Employment Outlook (2019) forecasts a
40 per cent of employees in companies with up to decline in jobs in elementary occupations. Ac-
nine members of staff engage in in-company CET, tion is therefore particularly needed with regard
according to the survey, while the rate is 61 per to low-skilled individuals, around 25 per cent of
cent for employees in companies with over 250 whom have fundamental difficulties with reading
members of staff.6 and writing, according to a recent study,8 and im-
migrants who do not yet have adequate language
The Adult Education Survey 2016 shows that the skills for the labour market.9 This trend requires
participation rate for in-company CET among 18- CET structures and institutions to do even more
to 64-year-olds in Germany is 36 per cent; 7 per to tailor their programmes to reflect individual
cent engaged in individual job-related learning. circumstances.
There were relatively large disparities in participa-
tion rates. The Adult Education Survey 2016 found
that, while 52 per cent of people with a higher The National Skills Strategy
education degree, for example, participated in
in‑company learning activities and 11 per cent In view of the challenges posed by structural and
participated in individual job-related learning, a sectoral change in technical and economic terms,
comparatively low proportion of people without the Federal Government has worked together with
vocational qualifications engaged in these forms the social and economic partners, the Länder and
of learning, at 18 and 7 per cent respectively. Peo- the Federal Employment Agency, in consultation
ple with a migration background are also less like- with academics and practitioners, to develop a
ly to take part in CET.7 At the same time, it should National Skills Strategy. The National Skills Strat-
be noted that some sectors of the economy have egy focuses on continuing vocational education
seen a significant rise in the number of jobs in and training. It aims to either safeguard vocational
elementary occupations in recent years. This has competence, in the case of top-up and refresher
offered comparatively good employment oppor- training, or to increase vocational competence, in
tunities to low-skilled individuals and immigrants the case of personal and professional development
5
he Adult Education Survey is a representative survey carried out on the basis of an EU regulation.
T
It uses a comprehensive definition of adult education: courses during or outside of working hours,
workshops or seminars, guided on-the-job training, private lessons outside of working hours. The
survey examines participation in adult education and training in the past 12 months, distinguishing
between in-company learning activities (participation rate in 2016: 36 per cent), individual job-related
learning activities (7 per cent) and learning activities which were not job-related (13 per cent).
6
Bilger, F. et al. (2017): Weiterbildungsverhalten in Deutschland 2016, Ergebnisse des Adult Education
Survey (AES). wbv, Bielefeld, p. 66.
7
Ibid., p. 60.
8
Grotlüschen, A., Riekmann, W. (eds.), Funktionaler Analphabetismus in Deutschland. Ergebnisse der
ersten leo.-Level-One Studie, Waxmann: Münster, 2012, and statements made by the University of
Hamburg to mark the publication of the second leo. – Level One Study, Grotlüschen, A. et al. (2019)
LEO – Leben mit geringer Literalität.
9
Geis, W., Vahlhaus, I. (2018): Bedarf an arbeitsplatzbezogener Grundbildung, IW-Kurzbericht 35/2018.
https://www.iwkoeln.de/studien/iw-kurzberichte/beitrag/wido-geis-bedarf-an-arbeitsplatzbezogener-
grundbildung-389639.html.National Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 5 and upgrading training; it also aims to enable also looks at skills development strategies and professional advancement. Retraining or second activities in the European Union and the OECD. chance training to acquire basic skills or obtain a Important foundations are being laid for the vocational qualification can also be regarded as further development of the German CET system continuing vocational education and training, in through dialogue on relevant issues, discussions a broader sense. The aim of in-company CET is to on potential solutions and the development of meet skills needs within organisations. joint initiatives and projects. The Skills Strategy formulates answers to the Specifically, the National Skills Strategy partners transformation of the working world, and seeks have agreed on the following ten objectives. To to foster a new skills culture in Germany which implement them, the National Skills Strategy underlines personal control over individual partners have formulated commitments relating education and employment histories and the to specific activities and initiatives. increased responsibility of CET stakeholders. Digital and sustainable transformation must be accompanied by action to ensure that everyone benefits. In this context, companies, workers and public authorities have a shared responsibility and shared obligations. This also means that people should not wait until they are unemployed or at risk of unemployment to take up opportunities for continuing education and training; instead, they can take action at an early stage, as a form of prevention. In this context, the National Skills Strategy partners intend to provide particular support to all groups of people with below-aver- age participation in CET. In the implementation of this guideline, the National Skills Strategy supports the Skilled Labour Strategies at federal and Land level, including the National Decade for Literacy and Basic Skills. The National Skills Strat- egy is a key element of the domestic pillar of the Federal Government’s Skilled Labour Strategy. In addition, the National Skills Strategy can provide input for other regulatory areas, e.g. legislative processes, without pre-empting their outcomes. Against the background of international labour market mobility, the National Skills Strategy
National Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 6
II Objectives for action
1. Supporting the transparency of CET with each other and involve each other in the
opportunities and programmes development processes in order to exploit poten-
tial efficiencies and design effective interfaces.
The incredible variety of stakeholders and pro- The platforms of the Länder must be taken into
grammes in the field of continuing education and account in this context. The Federal Ministry of
training offers a foundation and an opportunity Labour and Social Affairs and the Federal Ministry
for needs-based, individual and lifelong learning. of Education and Research therefore intend to
However, this diversity poses a challenge in terms develop two options together.
of the transparency of the CET market: searching
for suitable CET programmes and support options A central gateway site is to be developed, with
can be difficult and time-consuming. The Nation- input from individuals who are interested in CET
al Skills Strategy therefore aims to make it easier and from businesses, to provide information
for people who are interested in CET, workers and about the support available for individual con-
companies’ human resource managers to navi- tinuing vocational education and training and
gate the CET market effectively. Given the wide makes it simpler to apply for support. To this end,
range of structures in continuing education and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
training, it is essential to achieve greater clarity will, with the involvement of the Federal Ministry
regarding CET programmes, counselling services of Education and Research and other Strategy
and support options at both federal and Land partners, develop a prototype of the website,
level, so that everyone can more effectively tailor focusing on the user’s perspective.
their personal learning and development process
to meet their needs. In this context, the needs of The Federal Ministry of Education and Research
small businesses and micro-enterprises will also will, following the tried-and-tested process of
be taken into account. consulting the economic and social partners and
the Länder, use its planned innovation competi-
The National Skills Strategy partners are seeking tion “Digital Platform for Continuing Vocational
to enhance transparency for individuals and busi- Education” to develop interactive learning plat-
nesses in the diverse CET market. Alongside the form structures which will expand and facilitate
expansion of local counselling structures, online options for individuals to receive CET services
platforms have a key role to play in enhancing which meet their exact needs; these structures
transparency regarding CET opportunities and will be designed to be compatible with national
programmes. Given the interconnected nature of and European initiatives (e.g. Europass) and will
the platforms in question, the Federal Ministry of integrate with relevant existing platforms. This
Labour and Social Affairs and the Federal Ministry is intended to allow simpler, low-threshold and
of Education and Research will coordinate closely broad access to lifelong continuing educationNational Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 7
and training programmes, which can also build provided by higher education institutions. It will
on existing skills, allowing an individual and provide information both about degree courses
modular approach to learning, for example. The which can be studied part-time, alongside em-
platforms will be designed to respect transparen- ployment or via distance learning, and about
cy criteria and consumer rights, and to enable the continuing education programmes provided by
direct provision of comparable digital learning higher education institutions which are shorter
programmes, making modular, individual, flexible than full degree courses but can potentially be
and, at the same time, secure learning possible. credited towards them (e.g. programmes leading
The competition thus aims to help to test the fea- to certificates). The site’s data will be exported
sibility of secure digital educational spaces. to relevant information sites to ensure that the
information is as widely available as possible.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research
is examining, together with the relevant stake- To provide better support for individuals inter-
holders, the possibility of Germany participating ested in CET who are searching for suitable CET
in the Europass pilot project “Digitally signed cre- programmes and opportunities in the skilled
dentials”. This pilot project was launched by the crafts sector, the German Confederation of
European Commission with the aim of creating Skilled Crafts is planning to expand the content
an European instrument which enables individ- and scope of the “Skilled Crafts Careers Portal”.
uals and organisations to issue, store, verify and
share digital qualifications and other credentials The Association of German Chambers of Com-
certifying learning outcomes. merce and Industry and the German Confedera-
tion of Skilled Crafts will publicise and dissemi-
The Federal Employment Agency runs KURSNET, nate their umbrella brand “Höhere Berufsbildung”
Germany’s biggest online platform for CET (Higher Vocational Education and Training) for
with over 4.5 million education and training pro- further training qualifications falling within their
grammes, and Lernbörse exklusiv, an e-learning area of responsibility, and provide transparent
platform for individuals interested in CET. KURS- information about the career and development
NET makes vocational education and training pro- opportunities associated with them, in particular.
grammes freely accessible and enables them to be In this context, it is important to develop – where
publicised and searched for free of charge. Looking possible and practicable – attractive educational
to the future, KURSNET is to be integrated into the pathways with transfer opportunities in the field
Agency’s website, www.arbeitsagentur.de, to better of tertiary vocational education and training.
meet the needs of individuals interested in CET.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research,
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
is planning, in consultation with the Länder, to and the Länder will establish a Federation-Länder
develop an information portal on higher continu- Committee, operating on a continuous basis and
ing education. This site will provide a nationwide chaired jointly by the two Federal Ministries, to
overview, updated daily, of continuing education coordinate support and counselling measures atNational Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 8
federal and Land level in the field of CET and to in addition to financial assistance, assistance
allow a transfer and exchange of experience. In this with arranging time for self-directed vocational
context, the Federation and the Länder will exam- learning.10 Businesses, workers and public author-
ine whether the Federation-Länder approach taken ities have different funding responsibilities. The
in the “Education Links” process can be applied to joint aim of all stakeholders is to make it possible
the field of continuing education and training. to connect and combine individual options and
options provided by organisations, collective
agreements and public authorities.
2. Closing gaps in support, creating
new incentives, adapting existing The Federal Ministry of Education and Research
support systems and the Länder will, in line with their joint re-
sponsibility for the recruitment and training of
While responsibility for in-company CET lies with future managers and professionals, revise the
the companies themselves, responsibility for oth- Upgrading Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegsfortbi-
er forms of continuing vocational education and ldungsförderungsgesetz). The aim is to significantly
training rests on many shoulders. In view of the improve the support provided and, among other
special challenge facing skills policy, it is essen- measures, to establish in future an entitlement
tial for all stakeholders – i.e. the state, businesses, to support for each of the three levels of further
workers and the social partners – to work togeth- training which are to be enshrined in the Vocation-
er to ensure that the transformation is a success. al Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz) and the Crafts
Code (Handwerksordnung). Federal funding for the
The stakeholders responsible will examine how Upgrading Training Assistance Act will be topped
support and financing gaps which have been up by 350 million euros in this electoral term.
identified can be closed (e.g. those relating to spe-
cial target groups such as low-skilled individuals), In response to the sweeping transformation process-
how additional incentives can be created (e.g. for es taking place in the course of the digital revolution,
individual continuing vocational education and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
training and in the field of job-related basic skills), will work to enhance the employability of the labour
and how a more joined-up approach by regional force,11 including job-seekers and people who are
CET stakeholders can be promoted. unemployed. Among other steps, the Ministry will
therefore examine measures such as publicly subsi-
With demand rising for more comprehensive CET dised educational leave and part-time educational
and additional skills development, it is necessary leave for employees, in order to provide cross-sec-
to take into account the interests of organisations toral support to help meet, in particular, employees’
and society as well as individuals’ professional significantly rising demand for personal and profes-
and personal interests. Support for CET includes, sional development, and in some cases for retraining.
10
ourteen of the sixteen Länder have made use of their regulatory powers with regard to the release of
F
employees from work to participate in education and training programmes.
11
The labour force includes both the employed and the unemployed.National Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 9
One specific first step to enhance employabili- develop a plan of action within three months
ty is an entitlement in principle to support for after they become unemployed, and for this to
second chance vocational training (leading to a include an offer of support for continuing educa-
vocational qualification) under Books II and III tion and training, where appropriate, in order to
of the Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch) for workers provide a lasting boost to their employability.
without a vocational qualification – in line with
personal aptitudes and labour market relevance. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social
In this context, the possibility is being examined Affairs will examine, together with the Federal
of modifying the provision giving priority to Employment Agency, what steps can be taken to
placement in employment in Book II of the Social provide further support for successful participa-
Code to match the provision in Book III of the tion in subsidised CET leading to vocational qual-
Social Code. The National Skills Strategy partners ifications. This includes examining the possibility
have been unable to reach a consensus on more of extending the continuing education bonus
far-reaching legal entitlements. scheme for individuals engaging in retraining
who pass intermediate and final examinations,
In the past, the short-time work allowance has which was introduced with effect from 1 August
proved effective in dealing with major economic 2016 and is due to expire at the end of 2020. The
challenges. To ensure that the transformation discussions on this will also draw on experiences
being driven by digital, global and environmental gained in relation to the introduction of a “skills
factors can be dealt with successfully, flanking development bonus”, which is to be piloted in
structural instruments – such as the further Bremen from 2019 onwards.
development of the short-time work allowance
in conjunction with CET – are to be examined in The Federation, the Länder and the Federal
case disruptive developments take place. Employment Agency share the view that further
action is needed to promote literacy and basic
Educational leave is a legal entitlement for em- skills. They will work together to enhance literacy
ployees to receive paid leave from work to attend and the acquisition of basic skills, especially the
recognised CET events. The Länder are examining ability to read and write in the German language,
whether and how this legal entitlement can be bet- and IT and maths skills for adults. For low-skilled
ter promoted and used as an instrument to boost workers and low-skilled individuals who are
continuing vocational education and training. unemployed, in particular, having basic skills is a
prerequisite for successful completion of contin-
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social uing vocational education and training. Further
Affairs will, in coordination with the Federal concrete steps are to be agreed in the framework
Employment Agency, implement the coalition of a policy development lab.12
agreement’s commitment for the Federal Em-
ployment Agency to work with individuals to
12
I n the National Skills Strategy implementation process, “policy development labs” are organised
where necessary to create a forum for in-depth work on individual objectives.National Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 10
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research The trade unions are continuing their projects
will continue its measures in the framework of “Mento – Kollegiales Netzwerk für Grundbildung
the National Decade for Literacy and Basic Skills und Alphabetisierung” (Mento – Network of Col-
2016 – 2026 agreed by the Federation and the leagues for Basic Skills and Literacy) and “Basis-
Länder, as reading, writing and arithmetic are KomPlus – Basiskompetenzen am Arbeitsplatz”
more necessary than ever for social and economic (BasisKomPlus – Basic Skills in the Workplace).
participation today. To this end, workplace-based The prerequisite is adequate financial support for
opportunities to acquire basic skills are being these projects, which is being examined by the
developed and made available in partnership with Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
businesses, among other measures. In addition,
the possibility of supporting research projects is
being examined. As digital skills are considered 3. Ensuring joined-up lifelong
basic skills, the Federal Ministry of Education and CET counselling nationwide and
Research (in partnership with the German Adult strengthening skills development
Education Association and others) will support counselling, particularly for small
the development and roll-out of low-threshold and medium-sized enterprises
programmes in this area.
Against the background of a changing labour
The Länder are seeking to continue their ini- market, high-quality and provider-independent
tiatives to promote literacy and basic skills for CET counselling is needed both for members of
adults, as well as their established structures, and the labour force and for businesses. Counselling
to expand them in line with demand by 2026; of this kind can identify potential skills needs and
these initiatives are funded partly by the Länder skills development options for businesses and in-
and partly by the European Social Fund. This dividuals, and help to ensure that the person seek-
relates to people whose first language is German ing advice can take independent, well-founded
and, looking to the future, also migrants and informed CET decisions, e.g. regarding career
and immigrants. advancements or changes in career. The Feder-
al Government has already taken a major step
The number of people with low literacy levels towards this with the Skills Development Op-
shrank from 7.5 million to 6.2 million between portunity Act (Qualifizierungschancengesetz) and
2011 and 2018. Employers are seeking to boost measures to strengthen the Federal Employment
the development of basic skills for the workplace Agency’s CET and skills development counselling.
for low-skilled people, including via the project In addition, a wide range of counselling services
“AlphaGrund – Grundbildung für den Arbeit- and instruments are available. In general, the Na-
splatz” (AlphaGrund – Basic Skills for the Work- tional Skills Strategy aims to develop and join up
place), and are willing to continue this engage- the existing counselling services, especially those
ment in the framework of the National Decade of the Federation, the Länder, chambers, associ-
for Literacy and Basic Skills. ations and educational organisations, to create a
nationwide, high-quality counselling structure forNational Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 11
lifelong learning. CET counselling must also aim, The service for individuals who are unemployed
in close consultation with businesses, to boost the and have additional career guidance needs is to
motivation of the relevant groups of people (e.g. be expanded, and transparency is to be ensured
low-skilled individuals, skilled workers, future regarding regional and national CET provision.
managers) to participate in continuing vocational Customers of the Federal Employment Agency
education and training, and must seek to ensure who are in need of career guidance and CET are
that the threshold for access to continuing voca- to be addressed in close cooperation with regional
tional education and training is as low as possible. network partners.
The Länder concerned and the Federal Employ- The Federal Employment Agency intends to
ment Agency are examining how a more joined- develop a new online service in the form of its
up approach can be established regarding the self-discovery tool (SET-E). This is targeted at
skills development counselling services for busi- people in working life who need career guidance
nesses and the educational counselling services or who are interested in personal CET, and it will
of the Länder. This joined-up approach can form be integrated with the Agency’s existing services.
part of a regional labour market and economic The counselling session at the Agency should also
policy and should include the employment agen- build on the SET-E test results, enhancing the
cies and also all job centres. quality of the counselling.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social The Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Affairs, the social partners and the Länder are is examining options to develop the “CET Coun-
supporting the Federal Employment Agency’s selling” information hotline into a nationwide
“Lifelong Career Counselling” (LBB) project (coun- telephone counselling service for lifelong learning
selling before entering working life, counselling and CET, in order to support people in the process
during working life, and a career counselling of making educational, job and career decisions
self-discovery tool), which was piloted in four in line with their individual needs. The telephone
different locations with a focus on the needs of counselling service is supplemented by the
organisations and in close consultation with the accompanying website www.der-weiterbildungs-
social partners and regional business self-govern- ratgeber.de. The site enables users to carry out
ance structures. (preliminary) research and obtain information,
and supports communication during the “voice-
The nationwide introduction of LBB career coun- to-voice” counselling.
selling before entering working life will begin in
the autumn of 2019. The chambers of industry and commerce will
continue to enhance their CET counselling –
With LBB career counselling during working particularly against the background of the digital
life, the Federal Employment Agency is planning transformation. This includes, in particular, focus-
to offer, for the first time, a systematic career ing to a greater extent on online formats and oth-
guidance and counselling service for workers. er forms of virtual counselling. The chambers willNational Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 12
also examine how they can provide even more offset potential shortages of skilled labour, keep
comprehensive support to businesses in terms of pace with digitalisation and position themselves as
counselling on how to rise to the challenges of the attractive employers.
digital transformation. In addition, the chambers
will continue to optimise their cooperation and The Federal Ministry of Education and Research
links with other CET stakeholders at local level. will provide project-based support for an initia-
tive on learning process facilitation in the work-
The Skills Development Opportunity Act fleshes place, including and in particular for low-skilled
out the Federal Employment Agency’s mandate individuals, and support the training of staff as
to provide counselling to businesses. The skills CET mentors. The findings from the National
development counselling provided by the Agen- Decade for Literacy will be taken into account.
cy’s service for employers discusses the need for The aim is a low-threshold, workplace-based
forward-looking human resource development. counselling service to motivate workers who have
This counselling raises employers’ awareness of previously rarely participated in CET to engage
the need to identify their employees’ potential in continuing education and training, and to
for development, to compare it to future require- support them in doing so. The trade unions will
ments and, building on this, to implement contin- press for the development of careers counselling
uing education and training measures. The skills and careers support expertise in the workplace
development counselling focuses particularly on and will in this way promote support for workers
groups of employees whose participation in CET in the context of professional change processes.
tends to be below average, e.g. low-skilled individ- Works council and staff council members, as well
uals, people in marginal employment, part-time as union workplace representatives, will also be
workers or older people. The Federal Ministry of trained as CET mentors. The aim is for them to
Labour and Social Affairs and the social partners improve skills development uptake among educa-
are supporting the Federal Employment Agency tionally hard-to-reach and low-skilled employees,
in its aim of continuing to establish the Agency’s in particular. Personal contact and individual sup-
service for employers as an expert partner. port can allay employees’ fears and reservations.
The Federal Government is supporting SMEs in The Mining, Chemical and Energy Industrial
designing their human resources policies to secure Union (IG BCE) and the German Federation of
their supply of skilled labour, via the Research Unit Chemical Employers’ Associations (BAVC) will
on Securing Skilled Labour established at the Ger- examine the possibility of running a project over
man Economic Institute. In this context, the Fed- the period to 2024 in which IG BCE workplace
eral Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is representatives, and potentially also staff in the
examining the extent to which continuing educa- field of human resources, would be trained as CET
tion and training for staff can be reinforced as an mentors. The project would trial a low-threshold,
important priority in the Research Unit’s activities. workplace-based counselling service for em-
The aim is to provide even more effective support ployees. The aim would be to motivate workers
to SMEs in upskilling their workforce in order to – especially those with negative experiences ofNational Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 13
education – to take part in continuing education Companies’ ownership of and responsibility for
and training, and to support them in doing so. continuing education and training is already a
The project would be academically supported and driving force for a modernised CET system today.
evaluated. The prerequisite is adequate financial Social partnership plays a key role in this con-
support for these projects, which is being exam- text. Employers and works councils have a great
ined by the Ministries. deal of expertise in identifying skills needs at
an early stage in the sector in question, particu-
In addition, the social partners in the chemical larly in conjunction with the business strategy
industry are examining whether a CET counsel- and business processes. This expertise is already
ling service for workers and/or companies should feeding into regulatory work today, both in the
be developed specifically for this industry. issuing of training regulations and in the issuing
and modernisation of regulations for upgrading
training. The longstanding principle that consen-
4. Strengthening the responsibility of sus is required on these issues ensures that the
the social partners trade unions and staff representation bodies are
and remain a genuine partner for organisations in
The social partners make a significant contribu- the tried-and-tested social partnership model.
tion, in various respects, to ensuring that continu-
ing vocational education and training is effective The transformation into a sustainable, digital
and practice-oriented: both in the framework of economy will only be successful with highly
in‑company CET and in the framework of regula- educated skilled workers – and if all workers are
tory work carried out in partnership with busi- included. The trade unions will help to give work-
ness organisations. ers access to useful continuing education and
training on the basis of the Skills Development
In-company CET has a key role to play in actively Opportunity Act. The aim is to identify which jobs
engaging with the challenges which the digital are disappearing or emerging and, in the case of
transformation poses in terms of labour market jobs which are remaining, to identify how the skill
policy and social policy. It is the prerequisite for requirements are changing. This allows the skills
a forward-looking policy on skilled labour and which will be in demand in future to be identi-
innovation. As such, it is increasingly becoming a fied, providing clarity about how well-prepared
core element of organisations’ strategic human re- organisations are for the transformation. This
sources planning. Particularly in view of the digital creates a frame of reference for determining what
transformation, works councils should be able to continuing education and training is needed,
make an even greater contribution to developing which boosts strategic human resource develop-
and maintaining the skills organisations require, in ment in organisations. The trade unions will work
order to prevent a shortage of skilled labour. The together with works councils, union workplace
National Skills Strategy partners have not reached representatives and employers to systematically
a consensus on the question of possible ways for establish a clear picture of the transformation
works councils to become more involved in CET. and its effects on workers. The IG Metall tradeNational Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 14
union has already taken steps in this direction Against the background of the digital transforma-
with its “transformation atlas”. This initiative aims tion, the social partners in the chemical industry,
to identify the skills which will be in demand in the Mining, Chemical and Energy Industrial
future, in order to provide a frame of reference for Union (IG BCE) and the German Federation of
determining what continuing education should Chemical Employers’ Associations (BAVC), will
be provided. seek to update the provisions on skills develop-
ment in their collective agreement by the end
In the view of the trade unions, collective agree- of this year. Separately from this, the BAVC and
ments offer broad leeway to regulate support the IG BCE will adopt an agreement establishing
for continuing education and training. In recent a “Vision of Continuing Education 4.0” for the
years, skills development and CET are subjects industry. The aim of the agreement will be to
which have repeatedly been raised in collective further develop the high skill level in the chem-
bargaining, with considerable success. The trade ical industry in order to boost companies’ inno-
unions intend to continue to monitor this trend. vativeness and competitiveness and to safeguard
workers’ employability. In addition, the IG BCE
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the BAVC will participate in an education
will, while respecting the results of the coherence council, with equal representation for both sides,
checks with the Länder, examine the possibility of to discuss suitable further steps and campaigns to
launching a new and updated version of the ESF support employers and works councils in contin-
Social Partner Initiative in close cooperation with uing to enhance their CET provision.
the Confederation of German Employers’ Associa-
tions and the German Trade Union Confederation
in the next ESF funding period beginning in 2021, 5. Reviewing and enhancing the
in order to support organisations, including SMEs, quality and quality assessment of
in developing joined-up CET and human resource continuing education programmes
development structures.
Quality assurance is a cross-cutting task which
The National Skills Strategy partners will collect encompasses all aspects of continuing vocational
and analyse examples of innovative approaches education and training. Above all, it includes the
to continuing vocational education and training identification of education needs and aims, the
which exist in workplaces and collective agree- infrastructure, the professionalisation of CET staff
ments. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social and the pedagogical and specialised implementa-
Affairs will disseminate these examples in the tion of learning activities.
regions via the New Quality of Work Initiative and
the Innovation Office for Skilled Labour for the The quality assurance systems used in the field of
Regions, while the Federal Ministry of Education continuing education and training vary a great deal.
and Research will disseminate them through vari- While accreditation and certification rules often
ous formats (including events and publications). apply to publicly subsidised CET, quality assurance
in the case of regulated further vocational trainingNational Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 15
takes place on the basis of the further training ex- As far as support services provided under Books II
amination regulations and further training exam- and III of the Social Code are concerned, the
inations negotiated with the social partners, and is Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
governed by the legislation of the Länder. and the Federal Employment Agency will exam-
ine the need for adjustments and updates to the
By contrast, no rules apply to programmes accreditation and authorisation process in the
offered on the free market, although a number field of employment promotion, in light of the
of well-established voluntary quality assurance conclusions reached and proposals made in the
procedures exist, such as ISO 9001, and the market evaluation of this process. The key processes and
mechanism of supply and demand also applies. stakeholders which influence the quality of the
In general, the wide range of quality assurance delivery of continuing education programmes
procedures and tools can be made more transpar- will also be included in the examination.
ent for people seeking continuing education by
also focusing on how they promote actual quality With the introduction of a rating system for CET
development in continuing vocational education providers, the Federal Employment Agency is
and training. It is essential to encourage the es- improving the impact and efficiency of support
tablishment of a quality culture in which quality for continuing vocational education and train-
assurance procedures are made more binding and ing by ensuring greater transparency regarding
their transparency for users is increased. the quality of the programmes offered by an
education provider. This is a new online product
With the aim of enhancing the internal and ex- offered by the Federal Employment Agency which
ternal quality assurance processes for continuing helps customers with an education voucher to
education programmes offered on the free market choose the right continuing vocational educa-
from a user perspective, the National Skills Strate- tion and training programme for them. For the
gy partners will organise a policy development lab, first time, ratings given by participants and the
with the involvement of education associations, provider’s level of success in helping participants
to discuss whether – and if so, which – additional find employment are being published across the
tools, such as checklists, would be beneficial in board for users to compare. The provider rating
achieving this, and potentially examine the possi- system creates incentives for education providers
bility of developing prototypes of these tools. to enhance the quality of their programmes, and
enables users to compare the programmes offered
As state-recognised education service providers, by different providers.
the vocational schools of the Länder have quality
management and quality development systems The Federal Employment Agency is also support-
established by the school supervisory authorities. ing high-quality and successful providers in the
On this basis, they will continuously adapt their field of labour market services obtained through
programmes and certificates to meet the specific procurement. It is consistently using the options
needs of the region in question and to reflect the created by the 2016 reform of public procure-
latest scientific and technological developments. ment law. For example, performance criteriaNational Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 16
(e.g. integration and drop-out rates for pro- participation, it is essential to enhance the visibil-
grammes) and the quality of implementation will ity and usability of informal vocational learning
be taken into account for public procurement and the associated opportunities to develop
under Section 45 of Book III of the Social Code vocational skills and engage in continuing voca-
from 2019 for the first time. tional education.
A major prerequisite for inclusive continuing ed- In Germany, more than two million people aged
ucation and training is the provision of accessible between 20 and 34, and more than 1.5 million
CET. Technological change and the rise in digital people aged between 25 and 34, do not have any
connectivity have the potential to improve CET vocational qualifications and are therefore less
for people with disabilities, for example by allow- well-placed for long-term, skilled employment.14
ing the creation of accessible CET programmes However, a large proportion of people with few
and enabling learning to take place anywhere. formally acquired skills have already acquired rel-
To create tailored forms of support for people evant vocational skills. It is important to increase
with disabilities, the Federal Ministry of Labour the visibility of these skills and make tried-and-
and Social Affairs and the Federal Employment tested validation processes more widely available.
Agency are examining what incentives can be There is a consensus that validation processes are
created to promote inclusive and accessible CET not intended to replace the established vocational
structures in the field of subsidised continuing training systems.
education and training.
The National Skills Strategy partners welcome a
nationwide, standardised process to identify, as-
6. Increasing the visibility of and sess and certify vocational skills acquired through
recognising the skills acquired non-formal and informal learning.
by workers through vocational
education and training The Federal Ministry of Education and Research,
the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts
At present, Germany has no single, nationwide, and the Association of German Chambers of
standardised means of providing reliable evidence Commerce and Industry are working together
of vocational skills acquired through informal with other partners from the skilled crafts sector,
or non-formal learning.13 To meet the demand commerce and industry and the agricultural sec-
for skilled labour and offer fair opportunities for tor in the framework of the Ministry-supported
13
he European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) defines non-formal and
T
informal skills and learning processes as follows in its 2009 guidelines for validating non-formal and
informal learning: non-formal learning refers to “Learning embedded in planned activities not explic-
itly designated as learning (in terms of learning objectives, learning time or learning support) but with
an important learning element. Non-formal learning is intentional from the learner’s point of view”
(p. 86). Informal learning means “Learning resulting from daily activities related to work, family or
leisure. It is not organised or structured in terms of objectives, time or learning support. Informal
learning is in most cases unintentional from the learner’s perspective” (p. 87).
14
Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (2019): Datenreport zum Berufs bildungsbericht 2019. Informa-
tionen und Analysen zur Entwicklung der beruflichen Bildung, Bonn, p. 312.National Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 17
ValiKom transfer project to implement the cial partners to ensure that they reflect additional
standardised process (ValiKom) which has been skill requirements, e.g. those needed in light of the
developed, by establishing locations throughout digital transformation. This process will be guided
Germany where this standardised process to vali- by companies’ demand for workers with these
date professional experience acquired in working skills, as well as individual career development.
life, using vocational qualifications as a yardstick,
can be carried out. The Federal Government will work with the
economic and social partners in the tried-and-
In the process of implementing the National Skills tested framework for the modernisation of fur-
Strategy, the Federal Ministry of Education and ther training qualifications and Meister examina-
Research and the Länder are examining, with the tion regulations to examine how they can grad-
involvement of the social partners, possibilities ually be adapted to the challenges posed by the
and variants of a nationally binding establishment increasing digitalisation of workplace processes
of this tried-and-tested validation process. and more extensive connectivity in production
and value creation.
The Federal Employment Agency is using “MYS-
KILLS – IDENTIFYING PROFESSIONAL COMPE- Given the fast-paced developments caused by the
TENCIES” to allow targeted skills development digital transformation, it is necessary to adapt
and placement in employment. This is a unique the content of affected continuing education and
testing process which uses videos and images to training programmes offered by trade and techni-
identify practical vocational knowledge, and is cal schools. The Länder will develop skills-based
available in six languages for 30 selected occupa- qualification profiles with multiple levels which
tions. MYSKILLS is a service which the Federal can be integrated in the various fields and special-
Employment Agency offers its customers; it aims isations in a needs-based and tailored manner.
to enhance the counselling and placement servic-
es of employment agencies, joint institutions and The Federal Ministry of Education and Research
licensed local authority agencies. is aiming to further increase the attractiveness,
quality and parity of esteem of vocational ed-
ucation and training by creating innovative,
7. Developing further training qualifi- high-quality partnerships between places of
cations and continuing education and learning, including vocational schools, companies,
training programmes inter-company training centres, training centres,
research institutions and higher education institu-
The increasing digitalisation of the world of work tions. In the framework of the federal competition
is resulting in changes to many job profiles and “Shaping the future – innovation for excellence in
skill requirements. One aim of the National Skills vocational education and training (InnoVET)”, the
Strategy is to update further training qualifications Federal Ministry of Education and Research will
and continuing education and training pro- therefore support innovation clusters in which
grammes in agreement with the economic and so- regional and sector-specific stakeholders workNational Skills Strategy – Strategy Paper 18
together to develop and test innovative initial and which can lead to employment. The Federal
continuing training programmes. Employment Agency regards standardised partial
qualifications which can lead to employment
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (generally intended for people over the age of 25)
is promoting, in cooperation with the Association as an increasingly important alternative route to
of German Chambers of Commerce and Indus- gradually obtaining a vocational qualification for
try and businesses’ educational organisations, a sub-group of low-skilled people.
the development, subject to quality assurance,
and standardised nationwide implementation of In-company retraining for individuals offers
partial qualifications in occupations which are job-seekers the chance to acquire a recognised
particularly in demand. The training modules vocational qualification in a company setting,
created by the Federal Institute for Vocational and gives employers the opportunity to secure
Education and Training and the Federal Employ- the skilled labour they require and to benefit
ment Agency provide a foundation for this and from the value created by the individual during
will be supplemented in line with requirements. the retraining programme. The Federal Ministry
of Labour and Social Affairs is examining how
Training modules and partial qualifications can be incentives can be increased for job-seekers to take
a means for workers who lack vocational qualifi- up in-company retraining.
cations but do have professional experience to ac-
quire a vocational qualification one step at a time. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social
Participants’ individual level of motivation is the Affairs believes that further action is needed on
fundamental prerequisite for them to take up and funding for retraining, which is currently limited
successfully complete a continuing vocational ed- to two years. As a result, retraining programmes
ucation programme leading to a qualification. The and continuing education programmes leading
National Skills Strategy partners will examine to a vocational qualification have to be shortened
and implement measures to boost people’s mo- by a third compared to initial vocational training.
tivation to begin a second chance modular skills This can pose a major obstacle, particularly for
development programme, to stay the course until low-skilled and long-term unemployed people –
the final examination and to complete it success- many of whom are out of practice when it comes
fully. The recommendations made by the board of to learning new skills. To lower the threshold for
the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and access to continuing vocational education and
Training provide a foundation for this. training for these groups, the Federal Ministry
of Labour and Social Affairs intends to exam-
Against the background of the aim of “Enhancing ine, together with the Federal Employment
skills development opportunities for unemployed Agency and the Länder, whether it is possible, in
people and workers”, the Federal Employment duly justified individual cases, to dispense with
Agency is continuing its activities (including the requirement for continuing education and
its work in committees and advisory bodies) to training leading to a vocational qualification to
expand the availability of partial qualifications be shortened by at least one third. The possibilityYou can also read
