The IT Continuing Training System and Its International Dimension
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This volume examines the IT continuing training system, introduced in Germany in 2002, Hans Borch, Hans Weißmann, Peter Wordelmann (Eds.) and uses comparisons with the French, Danish and Dutch systems as a vehicle for placing it within a European context. A presentation is provided of the various activities of EU institutions, specialist associations and organisations dealing with IT continuing training at a European level. This results in the identification of pertinent points relating to current The IT Continuing Training System vocational policy debate centring on “enhanced competence orientation”, “certification of informal learning” and “institutionalisation of lifelong learning”. Will the future bring competition between vocational education and training and higher education or will and its International Dimension there be a greater level of permeability? What is the value of national qualifications within Europe, and which approaches will foster horizontal and vertical mobility and thus support sustained employment opportunities? These are just some of the issues addressed by the authors, who also highlight areas where further research is required. The IT Continuing Training System and its International Dimension W. Bertelsmann Verlag Bielefeld Federal Institute for Vacational Education and Training Publication, Bonn BIBB_IT_Weiterb_e.indd 1 17.11.2006 9:43:11 Uhr IT_1.teil_engl_RZ 09.12.2006 12:30 Uhr Seite 1 HANS BORCH, HANS WEIßMANN, PETER WORDELMANN (Eds.) The IT Continuing Training System and its International Dimension Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training Publication Bonn IT_1.teil_engl_RZ 09.12.2006 12:30 Uhr Seite 2 Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de ISBN 3-7639-1084-0 Distributed by: W. Bertelsmann Verlag GmbH & Co. KG P.O.Box 10 06 33, D-33506 Bielefeld Phone: (+49-521) 9 11 01 11 Fax: (+49-521) 9 11 01 19 E-mail: [email protected] Order no.: 110.477 © 2007 by Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung, Bonn Edited by: Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung, D-53142 Bonn Internet: www.bibb.de E-mail: [email protected] Cover: MIC GmbH, Köln Layout: Hoch3 GmbH, Berlin Printed by: Medienhaus Plump, Rheinbreitbach Published by: W. Bertelsmann Verlag, Bielefeld ISBN 3-7639-1084-0 IT_1.teil_engl_RZ 09.12.2006 12:30 Uhr Seite 3 Contents Preface .................................................................................................................... 5 Hans Borch, Hans Weißmann, Peter Wordelmann The development of the IT continuing training system and its international dimension ...................................................................................... 7 Armin Jäger, Holger Reinisch, Nadine Volkert Models and concepts for the linking of company oriented and higher education continuing training .................................................................. 31 Andreas Diettrich, Matthias Kohl Supranational activities in IT continuing training on the part of the EU, the specialist associations and industry .............................................................. 107 Søren Kristensen Continuing vocational training of IT professionals and the interplay between vocational training and university education in Denmark ................ 189 Dietmar Frommberger IT continuing training and networking with higher education in the Netherlands ................................................................................................ 237 Jutta Breyer IT continuing training and networking with higher education in France ........ 315 Authors ................................................................................................................. 384 IT_1.teil_engl_RZ 09.12.2006 12:30 Uhr Seite 4 4 IT_1.teil_engl_RZ 09.12.2006 12:30 Uhr Seite 5 5 Preface The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training has been commissio- ned by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research to monitor and evaluate the practical implementation of the IT continuing training system. One of the aims of the evaluation is for it to relate to the innovative educational policy elements within the system, such as the procedure for personal certification, the new didac- tic concept or permeability. In addition to this, there were explicit attendant international objectives in the development of the IT continuing training system, including the following: • the Operative and Strategic Professional qualifications should correspond to the internationally recognised qualifications of “Bachelor” and “Masters”; • the accreditation/certification procedure itself is international, the certificate being awarded pursuant to the international norm DIN EN ISO/IEC 17024 on successful completion of the examination; • educational achievements are recognised within the system itself (from Spe- cialist to Professional), the aim being for them to be internationally accredi- table (credits); • the system itself is in competition with the standard international manufac- turer certificates. Against this background, the BIBB project group has taken the decision to analy- se the main focuses of the international dimension of the IT continuing training system. This collection provides documentation of the various studies commissio- ned, an introductory commentary on the system also being included. Responsibi- lity for the individual articles remains with their respective authors. Hans Borch Hans Weißmann Peter Wordelmann March 2006 IT_1.teil_engl_RZ 09.12.2006 12:30 Uhr Seite 6 6 THE IT CONTINUING TRAINING SYSTEM AND ITS INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION IT_1.teil_engl_RZ 09.12.2006 12:30 Uhr Seite 7 7 The development of the IT continuing training system and its international dimension HANS BORCH, HANS WEIßMANN, PETER WORDELMANN 1. The requirement for skilled IT workers 2. The genesis of the IT continuing training system 3. The implementation of the IT continuing training system 4. The international dimension of the IT continuing training system 4.1 The international contents of the IT continuing training system 4.2 Equivalence of Professionals with Bachelor and Masters qualifications 4.3 The certification procedure on the basis of an international norm 4.4 Alignment of the IT continuing training system within the development of a European Education Area 4.5 Positioning of the IT continuing training system within the European framework 4.6 Comparisons with other European continuing training systems 2002 saw the enactment of the Advanced IT Training Ordinance, the first certify- ing body being accredited and the first examinations being held in 2003. The IT continuing training system has thus “gone to market”. The IT continuing training system contains a whole series of innovative elements, ranging from the didactic concept of workplace related learning to certifying procedures, and extending to include the international dimension of the qualifications. The BIBB is monitoring the process of implementation of this system by means of an evaluation project. The aim of the following remarks is to provide an overview of the development, current status and international dimension of the system. IT_1.teil_engl_RZ 09.12.2006 12:30 Uhr Seite 8 8 THE IT CONTINUING TRAINING SYSTEM AND ITS INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION 1. The requirement for skilled IT workers Information technology (IT) has developed into a key technology over the course of recent decades. Without information and communication technology, opera- ting processes across all areas of trade and industry and public administration would be unthinkable. IT enables • new production concepts using flat hierarchies, process optimisation and ac- celeration of operating procedures; • customer specific solutions, even in volume production; • regional and global division of labour and added value networks. Employment potential estimates for the year 20001 were based on around 12 mil- lion users and approximately 800,000 IT skilled workers, the latter being employ- ed both in the ICT sector itself as well as in applications companies. This enables the communications sector to provide more jobs than individual traditional sectors of industry such as the automobile branch, which employs around 600,000 people. All this goes to make it even more astonishing that no attention was paid to the issue of regulated initial and advanced vocational education and training for the IT labour market until the middle of the nineteen-nineties. Up to this point, as many as 80% of skilled IT workers had been lateral entrants to the sector without relevant prior learning. At the level of skilled worker, only the training occupations of Data Processing Management Assistant and Mathematical Technical Assistant had been available, these running alongside the original electrical occupation of Communications Elec- tronics Technician, which was allocated to the telecommunications area. Anyone wishing to undergo continuing training in the IT sector was confronted by a bewildering jungle of provision. More than 300 advanced qualifications were available on the market, ranging from Chat Room Manager to e-commerce Expert. The Chambers of Industry and Commerce and Chambers of Crafts and Trades alone recognised and examined 45 qualifications. Both those completing such qua- lifications and the companies themselves were faced with the problem that iden- tical occupational designations could conceal a myriad of different profiles and examination