As a consequence of a shortage of suitable skilled workforce, demographic change, and growing workplace requirements, many companies are facing a qualification gap the closing of which they find increasingly difficult. Considering the decisive role qualified staff plays for the economic success of a business, efforts need to be taken at all levels to ensure secure long-term supply of adequate personnel. Former practices of providing staff development measures only at the level of skilled and managerial staff have thus been rendered obsolete in view of today’s situation. A possible solution to this problem, which is still being widely disregarded, though, is the provision of training to semi-skilled and unskilled workers, both employed and unemployed, with or without a migration background. This group holds a potential that might contribute, by way of customised provision of training, to closing the skilled-labour gap. Currently, 16.1 per cent of young adults aged between 20 and 29 do not have a vocational qualification. That means that there is an untapped qualification potential of more than 1.5 million young people.
In order to unleash these potentials, information and consulting services should be made accessible to companies that would point out the chances inherent in the late qualification of both semi-skilled and unskilled workers, as well as show ways of planning, implementing and organising the respective steps. Adequate structures facilitating late training programmes need to be established or expanded at a regional level. It is for that very purpose that the “Certificate-Oriented Modular Training” funding initiative launched by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research within the new programme “Vocational Qualification Prospects” has been devised.
Collaborating with regional labour market actors (employment agencies, study groups, educational providers, chambers, migrants’ organisations, companies, etc.) of selected regions, the Funding Initiative 2 pursues the following aims
The scope of scientific guidance services provided by f-bb to regional projects within the “Certificate-Oriented Modular Training” initiative comprises the provision of both expert advice in implementing the project and assistance in the development of sustainability strategies; it also envisages the coordination of networks at the federal level. In addition, f-bb will ensure that the approaches can be generalised and transferred to other regions, and will contribute to the transfer within the programme framework.
More information on the issue of vocational training on the job may be found under “Publications and Articles”. For more information on the “Vocational Qualification Prospects” programme and the initiatives launched within its framework, see www.perspektive-berufsabschluss.de.
This project is financed through the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the European Social Fund.
Ursula KringsPhone: +49 911 27779-25krings.ursula(at)f-bb.de
Natascha KnollPhone: +49 911 27779-16knoll.natascha(at)f-bb.de