- 2016Implementation
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
Background
People with migration background are not as well integrated in VET as the native population. Support measures as the KAUSA training and migration service centres have been set up to address this. The major waves of war refugees in 2015-16 and again in 2022 have called for specific measures to support their integration in VET and work.
Objectives
Integrating people with a migration background including refugees into the labour market and the education and VET system is a priority. Key to integration are the learning of the German language, validation of skills and competences acquired in formal, non-formal and informal settings, provision of vocational guidance, and access to pre-VET and VET programmes, apprenticeships, upskilling measures and employment.
Description
Since 2015, in line with the federal ESF integration guideline, the IvAF integration programme (Integration of asylum seekers and refugees) has contributed to the sustainable integration of asylum seekers, asylum applicants and refugees in training and employment through comprehensive counselling including qualification, placement and support provided during the first weeks of employment or training. The networks act as door-openers for the target group in companies and vocational schools, public administration and trade associations.
Since the 2016 amendment to the Social code (SGB II and III), young refugees with tolerated residence status who participate in dual VET are entitled to financial support after a 15-month stay in Germany instead of the previously required 4 years. The support is provided as training loans, pre-vocational training measures, and the so-called assisted training scheme.
The Integration Act, adopted in July 2016, facilitated refugee integration into society. Refugees with prospects of staying permanently get integration courses at an early stage and legal certainty while in vocational training: up to the 3-year right of residence for those in apprenticeship until successful completion of training, followed by the 2-year right to reside, if the person works in the profession s/he was trained in. This so-called '3 + 2' rule was extended to well-integrated immigrants with a 'toleration' status: it...
Since 2015, in line with the federal ESF integration guideline, the IvAF integration programme (Integration of asylum seekers and refugees) has contributed to the sustainable integration of asylum seekers, asylum applicants and refugees in training and employment through comprehensive counselling including qualification, placement and support provided during the first weeks of employment or training. The networks act as door-openers for the target group in companies and vocational schools, public administration and trade associations.
Since the 2016 amendment to the Social code (SGB II and III), young refugees with tolerated residence status who participate in dual VET are entitled to financial support after a 15-month stay in Germany instead of the previously required 4 years. The support is provided as training loans, pre-vocational training measures, and the so-called assisted training scheme.
The Integration Act, adopted in July 2016, facilitated refugee integration into society. Refugees with prospects of staying permanently get integration courses at an early stage and legal certainty while in vocational training: up to the 3-year right of residence for those in apprenticeship until successful completion of training, followed by the 2-year right to reside, if the person works in the profession s/he was trained in. This so-called '3 + 2' rule was extended to well-integrated immigrants with a 'toleration' status: it is not the right of residence but a temporary suspension of deportation. The corresponding law came into force on 1 January 2020. Asylum seekers will be granted temporary residence permits once they have submitted their application for asylum, so they have a legal certainty and early access to integration courses and the labour market.
In 2015-17, a specific ESF-supported programme, German for professional purposes, was carried out to help people with migration background learn the German language and integrate into society and the world of work. 80 000 people participated in the programme in 2017. A new information hub for the German language courses, Handbook Germany, was set up, funded by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
The Federal Government, Federal States and local authorities, BAMF, the Federal Employment Agency (BA), the social partners, companies and foundations and civil society actors continued their various measures to improve the integration of migrants and refugees into training and the labour market in 2017 and 2018. Some examples are:
- the municipal coordination of educational services for recent immigrants, the programme, Einstieg Deutsch (introduction to the German language), and the individual analysis, competence assessment of refugees and vocational orientation (BOF) within the framework of the Educational chains initiative continued. BOF courses last between 13 and 26 weeks and have been financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) since 2016. They take place in apprentice workshops and companies and are aimed at disadvantaged refugees and immigrants with particular language support needs that are no longer subject to compulsory education. The specific objective is to prepare such persons for entry to VET. BOF courses afford participants insights into up to three training occupations.
- since 1999, the Training and Migration Coordination Office (Koordinierungsstelle Ausbildung und Migration KAUSA), established by the JOBSTARTER programme (BMBF), provides nationwide training guidance to refugees and migrants and informs their parents about all issues relating to dual VET. In 2017, KAUSA regional service centres opened in three federal states. In 2018, the KAUSA service centres were integrated in the Educational chains initiative. The focus of KAUSA is on raising the awareness of self-employed people with a migration background for vocational training and also to provide apprenticeship training places for refugees;
- the BA, the umbrella organisation of crafts chambers (ZDH) and the BMBF provided career guidance to more than 2 000 refugees under the initiative, Paths into apprenticeship for refugees (started in 2016);
- the network 'Companies integrate refugees, which started in 2016 and is funded be the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs (BMWi) and the umbrella organisation of the chambers of industry and commerce (DIHK), is aimed at companies that are involved or want to get involved in brining refugees into training and employment. The network offers the opportunity to exchange experiences and practical information on the employment of refugees to its member companies, three quarters of which are SMEs;
- the chambers' Welcome guides (Willkommenslotsen) are available to small and large companies as one-stop shop for all questions related to the integration of refugees in training, internships or employment. Since the start of the programme in March 2016until mid-2018, the Welcome guides had achieved around 16 600 placements of refugees in employment, training or internship;
- by means of a matching process, the online internship platform JOIN offered since 2016 opportunities for companies and refugees to find and get to know each other through internship placements. This joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and business provided refugees the possibility of employment in a timely manner and provided a first proof of their qualification, even before they received a residence permit and a work permit.
Around 3 300 immigrants have taken advantage of the BOF courses nationwide thus far. Around half of those completing the programme were successfully placed in training or introductory training afterwards. New funding guidelines published at the end of December 2019 enable BOF courses to be implemented until the end of 2021.
With the support of the IvAF networks, around 55 000 asylum seekers and refugees have been integrated into the labour market since 2015.
20 regional KAUSA service points have received follow-up financing until 2021/22.
- In September 2020, BIBB published the final report of a research project Chances of access to vocational education and training for young refugees who are entitled to stay: Potentials and obstacles in guidance and support;
- BOF vocational orientation programme for refugees: there were about 1 060 participants in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BOF guidance is now also provided online to keep the contact alive. The example of an online BOF course in Würzburg shows that integration can also work in digital form;
- KAUSA transfer projects: the 20 KAUSA service centres continued to operate;
- ESF integration programme IvAF: the duration of IvAF projects was extended until 31 December 2021 with an amendment to the funding guideline in July 2020. From 2015 up to December 2020, around 63 000 asylum seekers and refugees were integrated into the training or labour market supported by IvAF networks. In June 2020, ESF published the brochure Mind the gap! Refugees at the transition from school to work - practical and solution approaches of the IvAF networks;
- Welcome Guides: in the first half of 2020, 1 958 companies received individual guidance from the Welcome guides: during this period, the facilitators helped fill 437 apprenticeship placements, 152 introductory training placements and 151 jobs, despite the pandemic. In 2020, around 110 guides were active at 93 chambers and business organisations throughout Germany.
To allow transfer of successful concepts and instruments to increase the participation in vocational training of people with a migration background, KAUSA transfer projects will be funded from 2021 in accordance with new funding guidelines focusing on the dissemination of KAUSA concepts. Entrepreneurs with a migration background are a growing group in the economy.
The BMBF published a leaflet in English and French about the Career Orientation for Refugees (BOF) programme. The leaflet is aimed at VET institutions, schools, policy makers and multipliers. It describes the core elements of the programme: workshop days, company-based training, courses on job-specific skills, specialist language teaching and an individual mentoring system.
Funding for the Welcome guides project was extended until 2023; the funding period for the IvAF integration programme (Integration of asylum seekers and refugees) was extended until the end of 2022.
In 2022, the BMBF continued to support the integration of refugees with one major package of measures - from learning German to taking up vocational training. Here are some examples:
For six years now, courses have been offered in vocational training centres (ÜBS) throughout Germany as part of the Vocational orientation for refugees (BOF) programme to prepare people for vocational training. This is currently taking place at over 50 locations with a total of 6 550 in the last six years. In the first years, only a very small proportion of women (up to 3%) attended a BOF course, but in the meantime their participation has increased to 36%. The main reason for the increase was an expansion of the range of occupations offered, which has led to more interest amongst women. Since 2019, BOF has not only offered insights into skilled trades, but also, for example, into apprenticeships in the occupational fields of health/education and sales. Last but not least, the possibility to participate in a BOF course on a part-time basis has increased the demand amongst women. In 2022, participants came from 84 different countries, mainly from Syria (22%), Afghanistan (12%), Ukraine (10%), Iran (8%) and Iraq (6%). In 2022, a BOF flyer was published in Ukrainian.
Since 2022, a new BMBF funding line allows the transfer of successful KAUSA tools to provide advice to self-employed people and young people with a migrant background on all aspects of VET within eight transfer projects.
Two BIBB publications focused on dual VET for refugees:
(1) Qualification concept for preparing and supporting the training of young people with a refugee background in the company - Further training for training staff
(2) Integration of refugees in training and employment: opportunities for refugees and challenges for the education system. The BIBB portal now provides information on VET for refugees from Ukraine.
In 2022, around 75 Welcome Guides are working nationwide and are located at 60 Chambers and other business organisations and therefore easily accessible. Due to the current influx of Ukrainian refugees, chambers and business organisations are being given the opportunity to apply for a new Welcome Guide position in the short term. This is intended to quickly meet the increased need for guidance in some regions.
Since 2022, the ESF Plus programme My Turn - Women with migration experience are ready to get started is funding projects providing longer-term, continuous and individual support over and above existing funding opportunities for migrant women with a low level of formal qualifications.
In February 2023, there were 42 KAUSA training and migration service centres throughout Germany. The network Companies integrate refugees (in training and employment) has now 3 456 members, three quarters of which are SMEs (02/2023).
Bodies responsible
- Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF)
- Federal Employment Agency (BA)
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
- Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) (until December 2021)
- Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
- Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) (until December 2021)
- German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH)
- Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK)
- Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI)
- German Adult Education Association (DVV)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners with migrant background, including refugees
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 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 covers all developments related to work-based learning (WBL) elements in VET programmes and apprenticeships which continue to be important in the policy agenda. It includes measures to stabilise the offer of apprenticeships, the implementation of the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships, and using the EU on-demand support services and policy learning initiatives among the Member States. It also covers further expansion of apprenticeships and WBL to continuing VET (CVET), for transition to work and inclusion of vulnerable groups, and for improving citizens’ qualification levels.
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.
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 all kinds of incentives that encourage learners to take part in VET and lifelong learning; VET providers to improve, broaden and update their offer; companies to provide places for apprenticeship and work-based learning, and to stimulate and support learning of their employees. It also includes measures addressing specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) willing to create work-based learning opportunities in different sectors. Incentives can be financial (e.g. grants, allowances, tax incentives, levy/grant mechanisms, vouchers, training credits, individual learning accounts) and non-financial (e.g. information/advice on funding opportunities, technical support, mentoring).
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.
This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET promoting equality of opportunities
Osnabrück Declaration
- Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET