VET and the Chambers of Commerce

Vocational Education and Training (VET)
and the Chambers of Commerce
in Germany - and elsewhere
About us
DIHK
 Registered Association
 Umbrella Organization of 80 Chambers
of Commerce (IHK) in Germany
 All German Companies, by Law,
have to join a Chamber
 3.6 Mill. IHK Member Companies
 200 DIHK Employees
in Berlin and Brussels
 Co-ordination of the Worlwide Network
of German Chambers of Commerce
(AHK) in 80 Countries
IHK/AHK Organization
AHK – First port of call in the markets of the world
Locations
 120 locations in 80 countries
 AHK presence in all markets of particular interest
for the German economy
 98% of German foreign trade is undertaken in
countries where the AHKs have a representative
office
 AHKs are present in countries with a potential
growth market with excellent development
possibilities. Support for German companies when
entering these new markets
IHK Organization
IHK – 80x in Germany
1 Aachen
21 Düsseldorf
41 Kassel
61 Osnabrück
2 Arnsberg
22 Duisburg
42 Kiel
62 Passau
3 Aschaffenburg
23 Emden
43 Koblenz
63 Pforzheim
4 Augsburg
24 Erfurt
44 Köln
64 Potsdam
5 Bayreuth
25 Essen
45 Konstanz
65 Regensburg
6 Berlin
26 Flensburg
46 Krefeld
66 Reutlingen
7 Bielefeld
27 Frankfurt a. Main
47 Leipzig
67 Rostock
8 Bochum
28 Frankfurt (Oder)
48 Limburg a. d. Lahn
68 Saarbrücken
9 Bonn
29 Freiburg i. Br.
49 Ludwigshafen
69 Schwerin
10 Braunschweig
30 Fulda
50 Lübeck
70 Siegen
11 Bremen
31 Gera
51 Lüneburg
71 Stade
12 Bremerhaven
32 Giessen
52 Magdeburg
72 Stuttgart
13 Chemnitz
33 Hagen
53 Mainz
73 Suhl
14 Coburg
34 Halle
54 Mannheim
74 Trier
15 Cottbus
35 Hamburg
55 München
75 Ulm
16 Darmstadt
36 Hanau
56 Münster
76 Villingen-Schwenningen
17 Detmold
37 Hannover
57 Neubrandenburg
77 Weingarten
18 Dillenburg
38 Heidenheim
58 Nürnberg
78 Wiesbaden
19 Dortmund
39 Heilbronn
59 Offenbach a. Main
79 Würzburg
20 Dresden
40 Karlsruhe
60 Oldenburg
80 Wuppertal
About us
DIHK/IHK Business Fields
Location Policy
Start-up Policy and Business Support
Vocational Education and Training
Innovation l Environment
International Affairs
Legal Affairs l Fair Play
Rate of Youth* Unemployment**
Spanien
Griechenland
Kroatien
Slowakei
Italien
Portugal
Irland
Polen
Bulgarien
Ungarn
Zypern
Frankreich
Schweden
Vereinigtes Königreich
Belgien
Finnland
Tschechische Republik
Vereinigte Staaten
Slowenien
Luxemburg
Dänemark
Malta
Niederlande
Österreich
Deutschland
48,7
47,2
35,6
35,6
31
30,8
29
27,7
26,8
26,7
25,8
23,8
22,9
22,3
20,7
19,9
19,5
16,7
15,2
15,2
14,7
14,2
8,6
8,2
7,8
* 14-25 years
** in Europe
From School to Work
Education/Training and Labour Market
School
+
Vocational School
≠
Jobs in Companies
Mismatch !!!
German VET
School
+
Vocational Training
=
Jobs in Companies
Match !!!
because companies are involved
From School to Work
German VET
The five key elements
 co-operation of government and industry or
public private partnership
 learning within the work process
 acceptance of national quality standards
 qualified VET staff
 insitutionalized research and consultancy
German VET – The “Dual System”
Training in Companies and Schools
2 - 3.5 Years Training Period
on the job training
in companies


3 - 4 days a week
based on training
contract between
company and trainee
theoretical training in
vocational schools


1 - 2 days a week
run by the state
German VET – Advantages
German VET – Advantages
German VET – Advantages
… for the State
 lower costs for vocational training
 lower rate of (youth) unemployment
 much better match between vocational school qualification
and labour market demands
 improving standards of qualification levels, labour output quality
and added value
 better competiveness of the economy
 less social tension
German VET – for Example
Development of training regulations
federal ministries
Training regulations
Employers‘
organisations
Chamber
organisations
− duration
− designation
of occupation
− training contents:
decision – making skills
(knowledge, skills)
„Länder“ (state
Ministries)
trade unions
Role of the IHK Organization
The Vocational Training Act
•
Vocational Training Act from 1969, updated in April 2005
in-firm training follows the same law all over Germany!
– equal legal relationship between trainee and instructor
– equal administration of apprenticeships through IHKs
– equal exams administrated through IHKs
– possibility to work abroad during vocational training
•
every profession has its own national decree
– contents of apprenticeship
– contents of intermediate and final examination
•
Vocational Training Act also contains regulations for
– further vocational training
– vocational retraining
Dual VET – Germany is convinced!
Main characteristics:
initial, young people training
responsibility shared between public and private sector
training based on practical requirements of the companies
cooperation of stakeholders, such as
- Ministries (Bund and Länder)
- IHKs and other chambers
- Employers’ associations
- Trade unions
 stakeholder jointly develop qualification profiles and
training contents and schedules
 final evidence of skills provided by examinations




German VET – Key Element
Chambers of Commerce are responsible



as “competent bodies” by law (VET act from 1969/2005)

For representing and
organizing the companies
needs, interests and
inputs – in co-operation
with business
associations
for organization, registration, examination, certification
for quality assurance
throughout the whole
training process
Role of the IHKs
 support and assist companies
- that initially want to start vocational training
- that need help during the vocational training
 promote the training
 assess, certify and develop ability of companies to train
 provide and register the training contracts
 withdraw training permission in case of law violations
 support and assist the trainees
 conceive examinations (comparable all over Germany)
 examine trainees and instructors
 develop the training contents and the training system
Just an Impression
Organisation of interim and final exams
Conclusions
 German dual training is an excellent system for qualifying
skilled workers.
 It leads to a win-win-situation for companies, government and
young people, altogether.
 But it’s also a very complex system. It works because of its
history and long tradition in German culture.
Role of the DIHK
Division for Vocational Education and Training:
Partner for the IHKs in the field of VET
 coordinate information and recommendation
 provide services, documents, material for instructors or
examiners
 participate in developing qualification profiles / VET-standards
 provide good conditions and regulations for vocational training
in the companies
Facts and figures
 German economy spends € 30 billion per year on vocational
training
 approx. 350 nationwide recognized training occupations (270 in
the field of industry, trade and services)
 over 1,6 Mio. trainees altogether, 566.000 new contracts
 approx. 500.000 companies providing training
 approx. 320.000 vocational training instructors only in the field
of industry, trade and services
 over 160.000 professional experts work on a honorary basis in
the examination boards of the IHKs
 average costs of a trainee in the dual system a year: € 18.000
German VET – for Export
AHK Business Field


German VET is very attractive for other countries these days

activities are spread all
over the world, i.e.
German Chambers of Commerce Worldwide (AHK) extend their
activities to promote adaptation of key elements of German VET





Logistics: Hongkong
Hotel Business: Portugal
Accounting: Argentina
Mechatronics: India
Maintainance: China

a lot more can and will
be done

such as by the AHK USA