- 2018Design
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
The transformation of the working world - driven in particular by the digital revolution - will result in massive changes to occupational and qualification profiles. Continuing education and training (CET) is the key to securing our supply of skilled labour, to maintaining the employability of all workers, and to our country's innovative and competitive abilities. It is also an investment in social participation and equal opportunities. More than ever, continuing education and skills development are necessary to enable people to control their own professional lives.
Objectives
The National Skills Strategy (Nationale Weiterbildungsstrategie NWS) aims at the sustainable promotion of employability in the changing world of work, strengthening the skilled worker base and facilitating career advancement for broad sections of the population. The overall goal of the strategy is to create a new culture by understanding occupational CVET as a lifelong necessity.
Description
In November 2018, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched a committee to develop a National continuing education strategy (Nationale Weiterbildungsstrategie). The social partners were part of the committee which was expected to formulate answers to the digital change in the world of work. The focus should be on SMEs, micro enterprises and people in need of help to increase their opportunities on the labour market. The strategy should not only address the question of the provision of CVET, but also how the demand from companies and individuals for continuing training could be increased.
The National Skills Strategy was presented in summer 2019 by the Federal Government, Federal States, industry, trade unions and the Federal Employment Agency. Here are the 10 action goals of the strategy with a selection of examples:
- creating transparency of occupational CVET opportunities and offers, e.g. CVET online data platform by end of 2019; new algorithms will make matching learning needs with education programmes easier; certificates will be digitally certified and securely stored online;
- closing funding gaps, setting new incentives, adapting existing funding systems, as does the Qualification Opportunities Act, e.g. increasing funding for occupational CVET participation for individuals;
- (nationwide networking of occupational CVET guidance for individuals...
In November 2018, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched a committee to develop a National continuing education strategy (Nationale Weiterbildungsstrategie). The social partners were part of the committee which was expected to formulate answers to the digital change in the world of work. The focus should be on SMEs, micro enterprises and people in need of help to increase their opportunities on the labour market. The strategy should not only address the question of the provision of CVET, but also how the demand from companies and individuals for continuing training could be increased.
The National Skills Strategy was presented in summer 2019 by the Federal Government, Federal States, industry, trade unions and the Federal Employment Agency. Here are the 10 action goals of the strategy with a selection of examples:
- creating transparency of occupational CVET opportunities and offers, e.g. CVET online data platform by end of 2019; new algorithms will make matching learning needs with education programmes easier; certificates will be digitally certified and securely stored online;
- closing funding gaps, setting new incentives, adapting existing funding systems, as does the Qualification Opportunities Act, e.g. increasing funding for occupational CVET participation for individuals;
- (nationwide networking of occupational CVET guidance for individuals and companies, especially SMEs, and strengthening motivation to participate in occupational CVET; CVET mentors should support and promote learning activities of low-qualified employees;
- strengthening the responsibility of the social partners, e.g. identifying the competences that will be required in the future to provide adequate CVET measures; collective agreements offer a broad leeway for trade unions to ensure the promotion of occupational CVET;
- making visible and recognising non-formally and informally acquired competences of employees, e.g. new nationwide approaches (Valikom and MYSKILLS) will make informal competences visible and valued;
- developing continuing education qualifications and programmes:
- BMBF: creation of innovative, high-quality cooperation between learning venues (InnoVET);
- BA: develop standardised and vocational partial qualifications for the low-skilled as an alternative gradual path to a vocational qualification;
- BMAS: develop individual in-company retraining;
- qualification of personnel in CVET, also in view of digital change, e.g. the qualification initiative, Digital Change Q 4.0 for CVET personnel;
- strategic development of education institutions as centres of excellence for CVET, e.g. inter-company vocational training centres (ÜBS) will be further strengthened as centres of competence to support SMEs;
- assessing and strengthening quality and evaluation of continuing education programmes; the evaluation of success criteria of CVET measures (e.g. integration and dropout rates) and the quality of implementation will be relevant for public procurement for the first time from 2019;
- Improving CVET statistics nationwide for a better strategic forecast of future skill needs.
In 2019, the partners of the National Skills Strategy were in the process of implementing their contributions (commitments) to the realisation of the 10 action goals of the National Skills Strategy.
In 2020, BIBB was commissioned by the BMBF to provide technical and organisational support for the National Skills Strategy (NWS). BIBB will support the further development of the strategy and the implementation and coordination of resulting activities until the end of 2023.
On 26 August 2020, BIBB presented the results of its survey on the general mood amongst the strategy partners on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on CVET, particularly with regard to the use and potential of digitalised CVET offers and structures.
In 2020, the partners of the National Skills Strategy were in the process of implementing their contributions (commitments) to the realisation of the 10 action goals of the strategy. For example, the innovation competition INVITE and InnoVET are embedded in the National Skills Strategy (see related poolicy developments).
In June 2021, the partners of the National skills strategy presented their implementation report. The report documents what has been achieved so far. It provides recommendations for the further development of the fields of action addressed and shows a perspective for a continuation of a strategic approach to strengthen CVET. Together, three quarters of the agreements reached in 2019 have already been implemented or implementation is underway.
The current coalition agreement gives a clear mandate to continue the successfully started strategy process. The updated paper on the continuation and further development of the National Skills Strategy (NWS) was agreed by all 17 NWS-partners in September 2022 and represents the basis of the National Skills Strategy for the coming years. On the one hand, the paper builds on the implementation report presented in the last legislative period (June 2021), but at the same time also identifies new challenges and strategies for action.
Four cross-cutting themes for the coming years will continue to establish CVET as a component of vocational and entrepreneurial developments and develop a common CVET culture:
- facilitate access to guidance, promotion and CVET offers;
- deepen cooperation in regions and sectors;
- further develop concepts for future skills, as well as collective agreement and company-based approaches to CVET;
- strengthening digital continuing education.
The goals of the partners in the National Skills Strategy (NWS) are to develop and implement approaches so that more low-skilled people participate in CVET and strengthen the development of required competences and possible reorientation in working life in the company context, especially for SMEs, since participation in CVET is lower amongst them than amongst larger companies. In addition, the German government has set a target of 65% participation in CVET as part of the EU 2020 strategy.
For example, with the help of CVET mentors, BMBF-funded projects organised by the trade unions and the chemical industry social partners are expanding company support structures to establish sustainable educational guidance and support so that employees are more aware of CVET and more motivated to participate in it.
Another example is the further development of regional CVET networks, to improve the innovation and competitiveness of companies (especially SMEs) and to maintain and promote employees' professional competence through the development of sustainable CVET structures.
The five working groups agreed upon by the NWS partners were formed and have started their work in 2023 (Topics: e.g. future and key competences; qualification concepts for transformation; access, counselling and skills assessment for under-represented groups). The first National CVET Conference took place in November 2023 and strengthened the exchange and networking of the NWS partners with other external stakeholders (400 participants). Ideas for the further implementation process of the NWS were developed and adopted.
There were more than 300 CVET mentors in approx. 100 companies in 2023 (BMBF-funded projects organised by trade unions and social partners).
The focus of the programme Development of CVET networks (funded by the labour ministry BMAS and carried out by social partners) is to increase the participation of SMEs in further training and to strengthen regional business and innovation networks. Both industry-specific and cross-industry CVET networks (53 in 2023) support companies in securing their skilled labour potential and preparing employees for changing professional requirements.
In July 2023, the Act to promote initial and further training was passed, supporting particularly SMEs. With the introduction of the qualification allowance in April 2024, the law makes continuing vocational training more accessible. Fixed funding rates make CVET funding more transparent and will be accessible to all companies. Employment agencies pay companies the qualification allowance for their employees, who are threatened with losing their jobs as a result of structural change, but for whom further training can enable them to find future-proof employment in the same company. The allowance will be paid instead of remuneration during training.
For the CVET programmes INVITE, InnoVET, online CVET platform NOW and Partial Qualifications, please refer to the corresponding policy developments.
The five NWS working groups continued their work in 2024.
The four CVET mentors' projects are funded by BMBF in the period from 1 October 2020 to 31 December 2024 (approx. EUR 11.3 million). In parallel to the individual projects, the BMBF is funding cross-project scientific support (BIBB, 2022-25), which is developing a standardised, flexible qualification instrument for further training mentoring based on the qualification concepts of the individual projects.
In its first interim report, the external evaluation of the programme Development of CVET networks characterised the CVET networks as innovative drivers of the German continuing education landscape. The final results of the evaluation are to be incorporated into the further development and consolidation of the federal programme.
Bodies responsible
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
- Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
- Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB)
- Federal Employment Agency (BA)
Target groups
Learners
- Adult learners
- Persons in employment, including those at risk of unemployment
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
Entities providing VET
- Companies
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).
This thematic sub-category refers to the establishment and development of Centres of vocational excellence (CoVEs). These centres support the development of VET, including at higher qualification levels (EQF 5-8), cooperation of VET, higher education and research. They build on strong local business investment and support recovery, green and digital transitions, European and regional innovation and smart specialisation strategies. They provide innovative services, such as clusters and business incubators for start-ups, technology innovation for SMEs and innovative reskilling solutions for workers at risk of redundancy. The thematic sub-category is not limited to the centres supported by Erasmus+ funding.
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.
This thematic sub-category is in line with the EU policy focus on the digital transition, and refers to professional development and other measures to prepare and support teachers and trainers in teaching their learners digital skills and competences. It also covers measures and support for them to increase their own digital skills and competences, including for teaching in virtual environments, working with digital tools and applying digital pedagogies. Emergency measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic also fall into this sub-category.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to initiatives that promote VET and lifelong learning implemented at any level and by any stakeholder. It also covers measures to ensure and broaden access to information about VET to various target groups, including targeted information and promotional campaigns (e.g. for parents, adult learners, vulnerable groups). Among others, it includes national skill competitions and fairs organised to attract learners to VET.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET agile in adapting to labour market challenges
- Flexibility and progression opportunities at the core of VET
- VET as a driver for innovation and growth preparing for digital and green transitions and occupations in high demand
Osnabrück Declaration
- Establishing a new lifelong learning culture - relevance of continuing VET and digitalisation
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). National Skills Strategy: Germany. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28121