Timeline
  • 2015Implementation
  • 2016Implementation
  • 2017Implementation
  • 2018Implementation
  • 2019Implementation
  • 2020Implementation
  • 2021Implementation
  • 2022Implementation
  • 2023Implementation
  • 2024Implementation
ID number
28117

Background

A brief overview of the context and rationale of the policy development, explaining why it is implemented or why it is important.

The annual Data report from the BIBB brings together data from different sources (Federal statistical office, statistical offices of the Federal States, Federal Employment Agency, the Institute for Employment Research, BIBB surveys) on training incomers and outcomes, e.g. share of employed learners, occupation obtained after training. It contains comprehensive information and analyses on VET, provides an overview of federal and State programmes for the promotion of vocational training and provides information on national and international indicators and benchmarks. It is part of the BIBB mandate according to the Vocational Training Act (BBiG).

Together with the data report, the Federal Government's Vocational education and training report is also published annually, providing an overview of VET policy activities. In this report, the most important stakeholders, including the social partners, can also give their assessment of the situation of vocational education and training in Germany.

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.

The BIBB Data report contributes to monitoring of the VET system by the use of indicators and the anticipation of training needs based on skills assessments, skills forecasts, and various studies and surveys among employees and employers. It´s an important tool for evidence-based VET policy.

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

BIBB annual Data reports supplement the VET report published each year by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) by providing additional in-depth information and analysis on the current situation and the newest developments in VET. The reports have a yearly special focus:

  1. 2015: Matching problems in VET and their consequences on the future labour market,
  2. 2016: University dropouts for apprenticeship,
  3. 2017: Refugees their qualification status, their present and future training needs and the corresponding need for action,
  4. 2018: Vocational orientation,
  5. 2019: VET 4.0.
2015
Implementation
2016
Implementation
2017
Implementation
2018
Implementation
2019
Implementation

The 2019 Data report focuses on VET 4.0.

2020
Implementation

The 2020 data report focuses on skills development.

2021
Implementation

The 2021 data report focused on higher-qualifying VET: pathways to vocational and professional advancement.

2022
Implementation

The 2022 data report focuses on the importance of qualified immigration for securing skilled labour.

2023
Implementation

The key topic of the BIBB Data Report 2023 is 'Innovations in vocational education and training through programmes'.

2024
Implementation

The focus of the BIBB Data Report 2024 is 'Vocational education and training in the socio-ecological transformation'.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
  • Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB)
  • Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Other

researchers, research institutes

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several 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.

Further developing national quality assurance systems

This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.

Establishing and developing skills intelligence systems

High-quality and timely skills intelligence is a powerful policy tool, helping improve economic competitiveness and fostering social progress and equality through the provision of targeted skills training to all citizens (Cedefop, 2020). Skills intelligence is the outcome of an expert-driven process of identifying, analysing, synthesising and presenting quantitative and/or qualitative skills and labour market information. Skills intelligence draws on data from multiple sources, such as graduate tracking systems, skills anticipation mechanisms, including at sectoral and regional levels. Actions related to establishing and developing such systems fall under this thematic sub-category.

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.
IVET
CVET

Further reading

Sources for further reading where readers can find more information on policy developments: links to official documents, dedicated websites, project pages. Some sources may only be available in national languages.

Country

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.
Practical measure/Initiative
Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Monitoring VET system - BIBB annual Data reports: 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/28117