Continuing Vocational Education in Germany: Foundations, Sponsors, the New Media, Quality Assurance

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 463 436 CE 083 079

AUTHOR Tapia, Ivan, Ed. TITLE Continuing Vocational Education in Germany: Foundations, Sponsors, the New Media, Quality Assurance. INSTITUTION Inter Nationes, Bonn (Germany). ISSN ISSN-0177-4212 PUB DATE 2001-09-00 NOTE 33p.; English translation, Janet Barton. Theme issue. English edition of B&W titled, "Education and Science." AVAILABLE FROM Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes, Division B2, Kennedyallee 91-103, D-53175 Bonn, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]. For full text: http://www.inter-nationes.de/download/bw/bw0301-e.pdf. PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT Bildung und Wissenschaft; n3 2001 EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Caregiver Training; Computer Literacy; Computer Uses in Education; *Continuing Education; Developed Nations; Educational Facilities; Educational Needs; *Educational Policy; *Educational Practices; Educational Quality; Employment Potential; Females; Foreign Countries; Industrial Training; *Information Technology; Labor Education; Learning Motivation; *Lifelong Learning; Multimedia Materials; Participant Characteristics; State Aid; *Vocational Education IDENTIFIERS *Germany

ABSTRACT This issue focuses on continuing vocational education (CVE) in Germany. Articles are: "Lifelong Learning in the Knowledge Society;" "The Foundations of CVE in Germany"; "Who Takes Part in Continuing Education?"; "Hail Maria! A Helping Hand for Female Academics Seeking Promotion"; "Sponsors and Forms of Continuing Education"; "The New Media the Current Issue for Continuing Education"; "An Instinctive Feel for Alternative Careers in Information Technology: Vocational Qualification by the Nuremberg University Team"; "Building Blocks for a New World: Multimedia 'Driving License'"; "Multimedia in Children's Rooms: Vocational Continuing Education for Teachers in Child Daycare Centers"; "Lifelong Learning As an Issue for Education Policy"; "'The Danger of Missing out' Interview with Matthias Berninger"; and "Quality Assurance in Continuing Education." (YLB)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. I

CZI Lk.,,Iv BILDUNG UNDB WISSENSCHAFT 3-2001 EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

OP'

Con 'nufmg Vocational Educa`.:_on Ge:bmany oundations Sponsors he New Media Quality Assurance

PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1

1' U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) /Thisdocument has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality.

8Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy.

I I 2 fEtST COPY AVA8 ABLE CONTENTS ou Continuing Vocational Education in Germany by Elisabeth Oehler

Lifelong Learning in the 2 Knowledge Society LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE

The Foundations of 5 KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY Continuing Vocational Education in Germany From Zen mediation for people needing relaxation to rhetoric courses for Enshrining in law and the 5 role of the state managers, from Qi Gong for people seeking the meaning of life to an introduc- Definition of the German 6 tion to Java script for electronic engineers: the German term Weiterbildung Education Council [continuing education] encompasses all possible forms of adult education. General and vocational 6 However, over the last few years the trend has been to associate contining continuing education Continuing education as 8 education less with the "soft" forms of adult education and much rather to compensation think of systematically planned, professionally organised educational events

Who Takes Part in 9 that in particular aim at professional qualifications. Continuing Education? The current situation of 9 In principle, this is certainly linked to the rising demands of the labour participation in continuing market, but specifically above all the digitisation of the world of work. education No other technical development has caused such restructuring within The participants 10 the short period of less than 20 years as this process, which has affected Motivation factors 10 not only our professional lives, but has had an equal impact on our private lives. However, at work it has created changes felt by practically every Barriers to continuing 12 education employed person, that even affect the very essence of people. Because without a knowledge of computers and skills in the field of electronic Hail MARIA! Women in 12 continuing education media, such as the internet and e-mail, prospects on the labour market are ever gloomier. Some job adverts are now tailored to applicants who Sponsors and Forms of 14 can contact the advertisers only via the digital path of e-mail. In some Continuing Education sectors, stating a postal address has already become completely out of Continuing education at work 15 the ordinary, there are even companies whose job adverts can only be Supplementary complemen- 18 found on relevant internet sites. tary or consolidating courses It is therefore hardly surprising that the so-called fourth sector of the German education system has become so much more important within The New Mediathe 19 Current Issue for Continuing the last few years, especially as far as vocational education is concerned. Education Because no matter how quickly digitisation has become part of modern An instinctive feel for 20 working life, the ponderous education sectors of initial and basic training, alternative careers in IT such as schools and the dual system whose curricula are subject to con- the work of the Nuremberg stant state inspection and licensing procedureshave not been able to University Team adapt to the new learning requirements. But even if this had happened "Building block for a new 22 within a very short period, the adults who were already working would world"- the multimedia not have benefited from the new learning material. They had to and still driving licence have to turn to offers in the continuing education sector not governed Multimedia in children's 23 by the state. Whether in the private sector or financed by individual roomsvocational continuing education for companies, IT courses are among the most popular continuing education kindergarten teachers courses. This rapid development has caused education polidcians in most major Lifelong Learning as an 25 German parties to examine the field of continuing education more closely Issue for Education Policy and to increase its importance in comparison to the other fields of edu- The continuing education 25 cation. For example, Krista Sager, Senator for Science and Research concept of the Alliance for Jobs (Grane Alternative Liste, GAL) [Green Alternative List] is convinced that "the knowledge intensity of products and services is growing, inno- Encouraging talented stu- 26 dents in vocational training vation cycles are speeding up and the amount of information that is available increasingly quickly is growing." She went on to say that this The European Union's 26 Leonardo da Vinci would require an increase in educational time, which would then have to Programme be spread across whole lives, unlike in the past. "Continuing education "The danger of missing out" 27 must increase in importance in comparison to initial training." interview with Matthias Berninger Quality Assurance in 30 Continuing Education

The Accreditation Council 31

The continuing education 31 innovation prize

Literature 32

Title photo: FIBAA e&v3-2001 PAGE 2 Although the education politicians from the variousral on the one hand: after all, we can't help but pro- parties broadly agree in this respect, there is to date cess new material and constantly continue to learn. no consensus on how continuing education can be On the other hand, only certain learning activities are better incorporated in the future. What is undisputed recognised and rewarded by society. An understand- among the politicians and 90% of the population is ing of this kind indicates that learning in everyday life that lifelong learning is indispensable today. "The and throughout a whole life may not only be experien- announcement of a willingness to take part in continu-ced as a pleasure and a positive challenge, but also as ing education has become a modern virtue: it goes a social compulsion. hand in hand with flexibility and creativity", is how Continuing education expert Karl-Heinz Heinemann Philipp Gonon, Professor for Educational Science and from the SUcldeutsche Zeitung criticises the fact that In-house Vocational Continuing Education at Trier the demand of "Education for All" has almost imper- University, describes the new phenomenon. But the ceptibly become a compulsion to learn. "Anyone who education expert does not see a risk to society here: does not constantly keep uP to date in his profession is "Learning throughout a whole life is completely natu- left by the wayside. Instead of self-determination the

B&W 3-2001PAGE435 exact opposite is the result of this type of self-con- prospects because they have relatively low qualifica- trolled learning. Determination from other sources, not tions. "Continuing educationas it works todayis only at work but also in the rest of one's life." not a compensation and harmonising instrument for Philipp Gonan does not therefore advocate perma- missed opportunities in basic training, much rather nent learning, which is what we do anyway, but to existing selection mechanisms are reinforced and "learn something that is recognised as learning." social inequalities are cemented", is the comment of However, that is easier said than done. Because with the Swiss Federal Office for Statistics with regard to over 35,000 providers of continuing education registe-the situation in continuing education and it goes on to red with the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW) talk about a "myth of the learning society" in this con- [Institute of German Business] in Cologne, it will pro- text. Continuing education is currently serving only an bably be difficult for every person interested in continu- elite of already well or extremely well educated classes ing education to find the right course for themselves of the population. here that will then be positively assessed or recog- The Hamburg Science Senator sees "one way of nised by a potential employer. The state deregulation addressing this problem in the creation of a right to of the continuing education sector is certainly the continuing education for semi-skilled and unskilled greatest problem in assessing the quality of continuingworkers." There is already a model for such a right: education measures. On the other hand, many edu- "The 1996 Aufstiegsfortbildungsgesetz (AFBG) cation experts expressly welcome the fact that the [Promotion Continuing Education Act], the so-called fourth educational sector, which carries on from com- "Meister-Bafeig" [Master's Grant] is an instrument that pleted, state governed training, is characterised by theshould allow vocational continuing education and con- plurality of its sponsors and different licensing tinuing education for promotion for skilled workers, requirements. Because only these properties could regardless of their financial circumstances. The legal guarantee the flexible reaction to entitlement laid down in the AFBG aims at a specific spontaneous needs for continuing professional group of journeymen and skilled workers education caused by the labour who want to continue their vocational qualifications. market and thus secure Germany However, from an education policy point of view, it is as a place to do business, argue hard to see why there should be a legal entitlement of -9 many entrepreneurs. this kind only for this group and not also for the group There have now been lively dis- of semi-skilled and unskilled workers." cussions about setting up a The Federal Govermnent, too, has set itself the "Stiftung Bildungstest" [Edu- objective of reducing the current education accumu- cation Test Foundation] along the lation among those who are already well educated in lines of the established and suc- favour of those with fewer qualifications. In the cessful "Stiftung Warentest" "Lifelong Learning for All" programme of action laun- [Product Test Foundation], which ched in January 2001 by Federal Education Minister should enforce recognised stan- Edelgard Bulmahn (SPD) it wants to promote lifelong dards in continuing education and learning for people with gaps in their initial training or thus ensure transparency, quality who have not participated or only participated to a GVAP'54'CA-\\- and consumer protection in conti- small degree in continuing education so far because of 7- r nuing education. Comparable to their situations. "The opportunities for the disadvan- the German Technischer Uber- taged in terms of social and education policy to get wachungs-Verein (TOV) higher qualifications should be extended, model [Technical Inspection Authorities], which does not projects to gain and develop skills for the unemployed stipulate what car one should drive, but controls road- and for people on parental leave should be carried out worthiness, the "Stiftung Bildungstest" should both within work (e.g. by means of job rotation) and prescribe minimum standards for continuing education in the social sphere (e.g. using new media) and vo- courses suitable for the labour market. cational and general continuing education options for However dubious the current largely uncontrolled older people, for example, should be extended. In offers of continuing education in Germany may be, addition, the linguistic skills of immigrants should be many education politicians are more concerned about encouraged and people with disabilities should be the fact that half of all adults of working age make no given greater opportunities for continuing education use whatsoever of (institutional) continuing educationby using new media." offers than they are about quality assurance. One of the biggest challenges for current education policy must be to increase participation in continuing education along the lines of the much-vaunted philosophy of lifelong learning. In a society that increasingly defines itself in terms of knowledge, the acquisition of information and skills should be encouraged in all groups of the population. However, the current statistics from the Federal Ministry for Education and Science show that it is in particular people who already have above average school and vocational education qualifications who use the further offers, but not those who especially need continuing education in order to be able to improve their career and social

B&W 3-2001PAGE 4 5 THE FONI.kTIOYS 0A CONT YANG VOCATIONAL E PUCATION IN GER A T designed to enable them to return R2itea to the labour market. The remain- entscheaterAtt Illeite-Ursen3b ing 5 billion comprise the expenditure of the Federation (around 1 billion), Lander and local authorities (around 2 billion each). A considerable, and rising, proportion of the financing of continuing education is borne by private individuals themselves. An amount of approx. DM 10 billion has been estimated for the private contribution to participation in vocational continuing education in 1994.

Enshrining in law and the role of the state The term "continuing education" has a very broad meaning in general German usage. Many education experts have very individual defi- nitions of what is part of the sphere of continuing education and what "In view of the increasing acceleration not. This is undoubtedly because of the economic technological, social, continuing education, unlike basic ecological and cultural change in our training, is not governed by the society, continuing education is state. There is no right to conti- becoming ever more important. Although continuing edu- nuing education covering all areas. Continuing education is a suitable, cation is usually called the On the contrary: a look at statutory necessary and indispensable contribution fourth pillar of the German standardisation shows that it is towards coping with these processes of education system behind schools, assigned to various areas of policy. change in the interest of those affected. vocational training in the dual The Basic Law does not contain The abilities, skills and competencies system (vocational school and any direct references to the area of acquired in initial training will not be company) and higher-education continuing education. But the enough on their own in the long term." institutions, it is the largest edu- requirement for democracy means cation sector in Germany. Every that there is an obligation for the From the Preamble of the year the state, companies and par- state to ensure that there are edu- Rhineland-Palatinate ticipants spend over DM 70 billion cational offers that enable citizens continuing education initiative "Cornerstones and Individual on lifelong learning after initial to take an active part in life in Elements of Continuing Education", training. The lion's share of approx. society. As early as the 1970s Ministry for Science and Continuing Education DM 35 billion falls on the private various social politicians interpreted sector. The money spent from pub- education as a "civil right". Al- lic budgets in 1998 totalled around though Article 7 of the Basic Law DM 25 billion. They comprise the places the entire school system expenditure of the Federal under the supervision of the state, Institute for Employment, which continuing education is not subject subsidises measures for retraining to this state compulsion of recogni- and vocational continuing educationtion. Within the context of the pursuant to the Arbeitsfarde- general statutory provisions, pri- rungsgesetz [Labour Promotion vate organisations can offer conti- Act], and thus provides targeted continuing education opportunities for the unemployed that are

T:4 B&W 3-2001PAGE% nuing education. This is linked to training phase". "The end of the system the definition of continuing the state's decision of wanting to first education phase and thus the education that has established perform only a subsidiary function start of possible continuing educa- itself is the one that refers to in the sector of continuing edu- tion is usually marked by the start learning in courses or seminars cation. In other words, it takes on of full employment... Short-term after completion of basic training. the tasks of continuing education learning or introduction at work is that are considered to be neces- not part of continuing education", General and vocational conti- sary only where they cannot be states the declaration of the nuing education performed by groups and institu- German Education Council. This Alongside the different understan- tions in society. clearly means that only basic trai- ding of this narrower and broader Specifically this has been en- ning from kindergarten to higher term of continuing education there shrined in education legislation vocational training or a university are also different opinions on the and in labour and social legislation. qualification should be distin- definition of content. Whereas With respect to unifying the guished from continuing education.some people equate continuing continuing education sector, the Continuing education and adult education with vocational continu- splitting of legal responsibilities has education are often used synony- been frequently criticised and the mously nowadays. question of a Federal Framework In the discussion about continu- Act on Continuing Education has ing education there is still con- been thrown up. So far, however, troversy about whether less forma- an act of this kind has not yet beenlised expressions of the acquisition adopted. Although continuing of knowledge should also be re- education is recognised as part of garded as continuing education the state education system and alongside classic continuing edu- thus the voluntary undertaking for cation in the form of courses. For funding for continuing education example, these forms include visits from Land monies, there have so to specialist trade fairs or congres- far hardly been any specific ses, self-teaching by observing and objectives for designing continuing trying things out, self-controlled education at a political level be- learning with the help of the media, cause the substantial autonomy of reading specialist journals and the various sponsors of continuing books or taking part in quality education should not be ques- circles. Usually the official statis- tioned. Unlike the school system tics class only adults who have and in ambivalence of the demandstaken part in a continuing edu- for equal treatment in continuing cation course as people who have education alongside the other participated in continuing edu- sectors of the German education cation. This is obviously associated system, the state does not take on with the fact that participation in any guarantee obligation for the courses can be proved and this offers of continuing education. makes the information more cre- dible. The most comprehensive Definition of the German regular surveys on continuing Education Council education in Germany are docu- Continuing education is primarily ments in the "Mikrozensus" carried out by private providers of (Microcensus) of the Federal education who all have their own Statistics Office, Wiesbaden, and understanding of continuing edu- the "Berichtssystem Weiter- cation. It is therefore difficult to bildung" (Continuing Education delimit the term and the substanceReporting System) of the Federal of its meaning. However, as early Ministry for Education and as 1970 the Deutscher Bildungs- Research. In both of these reports, rat [German Education Council] the figures on the public's partici- defined continuing education as pation in continuing education are the "continuation and resumption based on the definition of continu- of organised learning after comple- ing education as a course. tion of various kinds of initial Although serious involvement with good educational software or a textbook can certainly lead to just as much success as participation in a seminar or distance learning course, in the German education

emv 3-2001PAGE 6 ing education and view it more in in which one wants or needs to household, education, family, lan- cormection with labour market and participate in continuing edu- guages, natural sciences, technolo- economic policy issues, others cation, the contents of the voca- gy, the arts, politics, leisure activi- emphasise personal development tional continuing education course ties and sport in the areas covered and social integration and thus the can either be fundamentally in general continuing education. In social function of continuing edu- general (e.g. the foundations of other words, everything that is part cation. For example, the European business economics for engineers) of so-called general education. Union White Paper is happy to or very specific (e.g. new measu- Unlike courses in vocational con- view continuing education as an ring techniques, programming tinuing education, the courses in effective means of combating the languages, etc.). general continuing education are employment problem or even as a However, the offers in the gene- only voluntary and are attended in requirement for the emergence of ral continuing education sector are free time. The participants bear new growth models to create morejust as, if not more, popular. the costs of the courses them- jobs. Continuing education should Education experts include courses selves. offer all people, irrespective of on health issues, legal matters, Primarily, vocational continuing their sex, age, education or social education belongs to that sort of status, the opportunity to acquire vocational training intended as an the knowledge and skills to cope introduction to new subject areas, with the social, economic and tech- adaptation to current changes at nological change of our society and work or personal promotion. to be able to help to shape it. In many plants and companies Behind this understanding of continuing education is primarily the acquisition of knowledge for use at work. Depending on the profession

y->

a B&W 3-2001PAGE/ regular continuing education offers to start employment is a special application for funding must be for staff are now company policy. aspect within vocational continuingmade to the competent employ- Unlike voluntary participation in education that is often also called ment exchange. In 2000 the general continuing education offers,"continuing education as compen- employment exchanges spent participation in vocational contin- sation" by education experts. approx. DM 14 billion on vocational uing education schemes can be an Participants in retraining schemes continuing education. obligation if it becomes a necessary are usually employed or unemploy- requirement for a professional ed people who are aiming for quali- activity. The employer usually bearsfications that will allow them to the costs of the courses. move to a new job. The costs of recognised retraining schemes and Continuing education as com- a maintenance allowance for the pensation duration of the retraining scheme Professional retrairdng to a re- are usually paid by the Federal cognised apprenticeship career or Institute for Employment. An

Participants in vocational continuing education schemes in Germany

Features Employed people 1998

Tota I of which participation since 1997

Total Female Total Female Total Male Female

Thousand Per cent Age from... to under ... years

15 20 1479 630 1080 458 19.7 11.4 8.4 20 25 3197 1421 1019 510 18.6 9.3 9.3 25 30 4489 2016 811 349 14.8 8.5 6.4 30 35 5847 2504 769 317 14.0 8.3 5.8 3540 5633 2443 581 255 10.6 6.0 4.7 4045 5244 2366 443 207 8.1 4.3 3.8 45 50 4929 2215 355 163 6.5 3.5 3.0 50 55 3812 1648 226 95 4.1 2.4 1.7 55 5633 2156 192 70 3.5 2.2 1.3 Total 40262 17399 5476 2425 100.0 55.9 44.4

Type of vocational continuing education

At work, 2450 1075 44.7 25.1 19.6 in company At a Chamber of 194 70 3.5 2.3 1.3 Industry and Commerce In special 1481 691 27.1 14.4 12.6 continuing education or retraining centres At a vocational 826 357 15.1 8.6 6.5 school or university By distance learning 76 29 1.4 0.8 0.5 In another way 375 171 6.8 3.7 3.1 No response 74 32 1.4 0.8 0.6 Total 5476 2425 100.0 55.7 44.2

Duration of vocational continuing education

Under 1 month 1278 530 23.3 14.8 9.7 1 to 6 months 270 122 4.9 2.7 2.2 6 to less than 12 months 173 97 3.2 1.4 1.8 1 year or longer 3689 1648 67.4 37.3 30.1 No response 66 28 1.2 0.7 0.5 Total 5476 2425 100.0 56.9 44.3

Source: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung [Federal Ministry for Education and Research]: Grund- und Strukturdaten 1999/2000 [Basic and Structural Data 1999/2000], Bonn 2000, p. 28

em3-2001 PAGE 8 Ns,

This means that in comparison to TAKES PART IN 1994, the rate of participation in I continuing education rose by six CONTINUING EDUCATION? percentage points. Nationwide, the statistics refer to 24.1 million parti- Among all of the different opportunities for learning in the cipants in continuing education in continuing education sector, from the individual method 1997, equating to an increase of around 4.2 million participants right up to the institutionalised, organised form of learning, since 1994. In particular, a look at adults with a high level of education are greatly over-repre- longer term developments clearly sented. This can be seen from a report by the Swiss Federal illustrates that continuing edu- Office for Statistics, to which the "Berichtssystem Weiter- cation is a rapidly growing area. Whereas in 1979 the participation bildung VII" [Continuing Education Report System VII] of rate hi continuing education was the Federal Ministry for Education and Research in 23 per cent, 18 years later it is Germany repeatedly refers. almost twice as high. In 1997 roughly one in three participants Three times as many people However, where men and women took part in two continuing edu- with a high level of education are in the same career situation, cation courses and one in eight take part in continuing edu- there is hardly any difference attended three or more events. cation courses as people without a between them with regard to Whereas in 1994 participation in relevant preliminary education. participation in career-oriented continuing education in the old Also, the groups of the population continuing education. Federal Lander (Bremen, that are already well trained benefit As far as age is concerned, it is Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, more from company promotional mainly 25 to 54 year-olds who take Lower Saxony, North Rhine- schemes than unskilled workers, to part in continuing education Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, whom access to company conti- schemes. For people under 25, Hesse, Saarland, Baden- nuing education is mostly denied. some of whom are still in their Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Berlin) was The needs for continuing educati- apprenticeship, and for those over higher than in the new Lander on vary according to each particu- 55, continuing education is not an (Brandenburg, Mecklenburg- lar situation. The proximity of the important issue. Western Pomerania, Saxony, person concerned to the labour Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia), there is market is decisive. The greater a The current situation of partici- now no notable difference in over- person is integrated in working life,pation in continuing education all continuing education partici- the more probable their partici- According to the current continu-pation rates between east and west pation in continuing education ing education report from the Germany. schemes. Since far fewer women Federal Ministry for Education and In 1997 31 per cent of 19-64 than men are employed full-time Research, published in May 2000, year-olds took part in general con- and occupy a high-level job, far almost every other 19-64 year-old tinuing education courses and fewer women take up continuing took advantage of continuing edu- offers nationwide. This means that education offers than men. cation offers in 1997 (48 per cent). the participation rate has risen by

B &W 3-2001PAGE1 five percentage points since 1994. people questioned according to the differences between employed In 1997 30 per cent of the same sex, age, school-leaving qualifica- people in the old and the new age group took part in vocational tions, vocational training, profes- Lander are much smaller. continuing education schemes. sional status and branch of employ- The Swiss Federal Office for This is a rise of 6 percentage pointsment. For example, a lot more menStatistics has formulated the since 1994. (35 per cent) than women (26 per characteristics of a typical person Around 40 per cent of the total cent) take part in vocational con- active in continuing education as volume of vocational continuing tinuing education. People with a follows: "The typical participant in education in 1997 occurred in the university entrance qualification a course, a man or a woman, has a new Federal Lander This propor- are encountered more frequently professional or university qualifi- tion is around twice as high as the in continuing education courses cation, is [...] between 25 and 54 proportion of the population. The than people who attended general years old and is employed. He or volume view shows the extent of continuing education efforts among the population in the new Federal Lander who are reacting to the difficult situation on the labour market with greater participation in continuing education, more clearly than the participation rates. Whereas the average participants in the old Federal Lander invested only 101 hours in continuing education in 1997, the east German participants spent 212 hours, in other words more than twice as long. On average, however, the 19-64 year-olds in the Federal Republic spend only 39 hours per year on vocational continuing education. Because far from all 19-64 year- olds take part in continuing education offers. 70 per cent of all German citizens between 19 and 64 years of age do not take part at all. The remaining 30 per cent of all hag 19-64 year-olds spend 128 hours per participant on continuing edu- secondary schools (41 and 19 per she is undertaking continuing education schemes. Therefore, when cent respectively). However, peo- cation for career reasons. The typi- the statistics speak of 39 hours of ple who attended general secon- cal participant in career-oriented vocational continuing education dary schools spend considerably courses is a man with good basic per German citizen, this leads to a more time on continuing educationtraining, he is often an academic, distorted image. Because over half than people with university entran-[...] between 25 and 54 years old of adult German citizens does not ce qualifications, which is a result and employed. IT, management take part in any continuing edu- of the frequently time-intensive courses and foreign languages are cation offers at all and the time courses funded by the preferred subjects. He reads spe- spent on such a commitment differsArbeitsforderungsgesetz (AFG) cialist literature and takes part in greatly among the participants in [Labour Promotion Act]. Employed conferences and lectures." continuing education. people take part in continuing education much more frequently than Motivation factors The participants the unemployed, but they spend There are two fundamentally diffe- Various factors determine who much less time on it as partici- rent reasons why someone takes takes part in continuing education pants. However, in the new Federalup a continuing education offer. schemes, how often they do so andLander unemployed participants Either he voluntarily decides to how much time they spend on spend considerably more time on take part because he wants to them. In "Berichtssystern vocational continuing education satisfy his individual interests in Weiterbildung VII" [Continuing than unemployed participants in learning or, however, he feels sub- Education Report System VII] the old Federal Lander and, in ject to an external pressure for distinctions are made between the addition, they also take part in con-continuing education that he be- tinuing education more frequently. lieves he cannot escape. In particu- This means that the time spent per unemployed person in the new Lander is around five times higher than in the old Lander, whereas

1.(' em3-2001 PAGE 10 lar in the field of vocational con- search for "help in everyday life" or According to "Berichtssystem tinuing education it is sometimes interest in certain issues as motiva-Weiterbildung WI" [Continuing the case that participation in a con-tion, participants in vocational con-Education Report System VII] in tinuing education scheme is under-tinuing education schemes express 1997, something more than half of stood more as an obligation, espe- other motives for taking part. At all vocational continuing education cially when it is arranged or recom-the fore are job-related learning took place as a company decree or mended by an employer or the interests, such as: adaptation to on the suggestion of superiors. Just employment exchange. In some new developments or requirementsunder half were upon the initiative companies, for example, there are at work, avoiding deterioration at of the participants themselves. The "mandatory continuing education work as well as achieving career frequency of participation in vo- programmes" for people above a improvements. Much less frequent-cational continuing education upon certain level. The threat of job ly, participants in continuing one's own initiative, according to the continuing education report, varies considerably depending on socio-demographic and employment-related features. This means: employed people with a higher- education qualification take part in vocational training on their own initiative more frequently than employed people with a completed apprenticeship (61% v. 34%), women slightly more frequently than men (47% v. 40%), civil ser- vants much more frequently than blue-collar workers (52% v. 17%) and Germans more frequently than foreigners (43% v. 33%). On the whole, the attitude to continuing education is very positive in Germany. Nationwide, in 1997 92 per cent of all those questioned were of the opinion that everyone 1.. should be prepared to train further II constantly. 83 per cent consider continuing education to be an II IJ-1-1, a 6 6 a. important aid in coping better with everyday life. The proportion of losses or the feeling of no longer cation vocational courses cite an people who believe that they have being up to the demands at work interest in acquiring knowledge good opportunities at work even can be understood as an obligation that would allow them to start a without continuing education has to attend continuing education. new job (retraining). Interest in fallen continuously within the last Relevant surveys by education compensatory continuing edu- ten years. Whereas in 1988 45 per experts have shown that the cation is expressed mainly by cent of all those questioned still following motivations lead to people without professional qualifi- believed this, in 1997 this figure was participation in continuing edu- cations, whereas people with higheronly 34 per cent. But it is not only cation schemes: qualifications and younger people employed people who attach great are more interested in adaptation importance to continuing education, Meeting new people and expanding existing knowledge. but also companies. 97 per cent of Social acceptance and support Within the context of a compara- large companies, 96 per cent of Understanding of personal pro- tive study on regional continuing medium-sized and 95 per cent of blems education realities among women small companies believe continuing Improving relations in Germany, Italy and Spain, education to be very important or Change from everyday life and women cite the following reasons important, as revealed by a survey daily duties that have motivated them to take within the context of the Referenz- Consolidation and reinforcement part in continuing education: Betriebs-System [Reference of expertise and knowledge Company System] of the Gaining insight into human inter- A wish to return to work after Bundesinstituts fur Berufs- action bringing up children bildung (BIBB) [Federal Institute Wish or order from others A need to catch up because of for Vocational Training]. Thirst for knowledge outdated basic training Enjoyment of learning Fear of unemployment Whereas participants in general Improving promotion and career continuing education courses cite a opportunities A change in career

12 B&W 3-2001PAGE 11W Barriers to continuing education . . Even though continuing educa enjoys an expressly positive ge among the public, this by no way means that all adults take part in HAIL MARIA! offers of this kind. On the contrary: there are great differences in A helping hand for female academics seeking promotion actual participation in continuing education schemes. Whereas 65 4 4 didn't even know that I was PA to the management and had over- per cent of people with a university seen projects", explains 36-year old geography graduate Inge entrance qualification state that Preilg. Whereas until recently she had applied for internships stat- they take part in continuing edu- ing her experience as a clerical assistant and received one rejection after cation, the figure is only 34 per the other, her last application was successful. Thanks to the suggested cent for people with lesser academ- wording of her colleagues on the course she advanced from a clerical ic qualifications. The differences assistant to PA to the management. Without the involvement of the between people with a university others she would have long thrown in the towel, she says gratefully. degree and those without voca- Inge Preifg is one of eight participants on the women graduates' tional training are even greater. Management Course for International Marketing in Europe (MARIA) in Federal Education Minister Regensburg, a pilot project of the Berufliche Fortbildungszentren der Edelgard Bulmahn (SPD) finds this Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bfz) [Vocational Continuing Education Centres situation worrying because she is of Bavarian Industry], which is designed to encourage unemployed convinced that "it is especially women graduates and women graduates employed in jobs for which they important for those with fewer are overqualified to be advanced to responsible positions in industry qualifications [...] to gain more within the context of the EU Community Initiative "New Opportunities qualifications so that they can hold for Women". their own on the labour market in MARIA was developed by bfz educational research, which has been the long term." She therefore sees involved in a number of projects in vocational education for many years it as her task to eradicate "this split and cooperates with sponsors of education in all Member States of the of the population into participants European Union. In Bavaria the continuing education initiative is repre- in the continuing education pro- sented at 27 locations. The MARIA pilot project is currently running in cess and those who have not yet Erlangen and Regensburg with financial support from the EU. The aim of been addressed by continuing edu- the course is to prepare promotion-oriented women graduates with an cation offers". arts or social science background for managerial and decision-making A study of the continuing edu- activities in industry. For this reason, the nine-month compact course in cation conduct of adults in Switzer- particular includes business economy subjects such as marketing, per- land ("Warum Erwachsene sonnel management, communications and law. (nicht) lerrien" [Why adults In the continuing education, the six-week internship phases are to the (don't) learn], Schrader-Naef, fore. Every graduate of the course was assigned to a company by bfz for 1997) revealed various barriers to the entire duration of the course. The participants have the task of using taking part in continuing edu- the time in their companies for implementing major projects under their cation: a parental home where edu- own responsibility. Today, the MARIA participants are corning together cation was unimportant, trouble- after the second internship unit for a day of reflection intended to help some or negative experience of the exchange of experience. In particular, the participants in the course school, financial, mental and time will have the opportunity to speak to the mentors and course leaders pressures, partnership and family, about any problems in the companies. Their contacts are Brigitte personal priorities and satisfaction Malbauer and Regina Albrecht from bfz, as well as Gudrun Wanninger, with one's current situation at Commissioner for Women's Affairs at Regensburg employment exchange. work. After the initial problems with applications, Inge Preilg was more or As other studies show, the fear less able to hold her own in her internship company ITTS, a company for of being overtaxed in a course is electronic technology systems in Barbing. The first project for the geo- another barrier to continuing edu- graphy graduate was to organise the company's move from Neutraubling cation. Family obligations and the to the neighbouring town of Barbing. Not an easy task when 20 members lack of childcare opportunities can of staff are involved, as she had to admit. Especially when no one else in also be important. the company felt responsible for the move. Thanks to the detailed move However, only 37 per cent of plan that the intern had drawn up, the move then went off without a those questioned in Germany com- hitch. Nevertheless, she found it difficult to convince the company that plained about a lack of transparen- an intern with a university degree can do more than help out with simple cy on the continuing education office duties. market. A comparison between Irmgard Rosenmifiler also succeeded in this. The 27-year old fully east and west Germany shows that qualified lawyer was taken on at the IT systems company Bechtle. There there are still differences in the she took care of organising workshops where customers were to be intro- evaluation of barriers to continuing duced to new IT systems. Irmgard Rosenmilller has already been able to education. In the new Federal convince the management of her abilities and how indispensable she is. A

egm 3-2001PAGE 12 job is being created for her after the end of her continuing education. Lander the continuing education The lawyer heard about MARIA shortly after the end of her legal intern- opportunities in the immediate ship. The offer of a supplementary business qualification appeared ideal vicinity and career opportunities to her because she could not imagine life as a lawyer or a judge. without continuing education were By way of contrast, Angela Muller van Ledden found the practical evaluated as much worse than in phase in her company to be especially difficult. The art historian did her the old Lander More people ques- internship in a restoration workshop near Regensburg. The 40-year old tioned in the east German Lander describes the state of the one-woman company as "disastrous". Her boss (46%) than in the west German was terribly "unorganised" and constantly mixed up business and per- Lander (34%) believed that they sonal affairs, meaning that at first it was almost impossible for the intern did not have a good overview of the with professional marketing skills to create a professional working atmos- continuing education offers. phere and to allow her knowledge to benefit the company. "Basically, my However, the difference here has internship company doesn't fit in the MARIA training profile", says fallen considerably since 1991 Angela van Ledden and admits that at first she was thoroughly horrified (66% v. 42%). about her internship. But now she considers it to be a challenge. From its surveys on the partici- The former art consultant used to take care of sponsoring projects for pation of Swiss adults in continuing major banks before she had to give up her job for family reasons. "I would education, the Swiss Federal Office never have expected the organisers of MARIA to make such a wrong for Statistics concludes that "the choice of company", she says. After all, the information brochures that level and degree of distribution of she had had from Regensburg employment exchange beforehand stated continuing education do not yet that women graduates were to be given the opportunity to "integrate in show any signs of a change in suitable positions". society." Continuing education Course leader Brigitte MUhlbauer explains that she does make every does not offer much opportunity to effort to find the right company for every participant when seeking break out of traditional roles. On internships. But she does admit that there is no time for more than tele- the contrary, continuing education phone acquisition. There are no personal talks with managers, never is implemented while observing mind visits to the company. traditional limits and is not a com- When she offers to send a bfz tutor to help mediate for Angela Muller pensation and harmonising instru- van Ledden, the offer is rejected. "I want to solve this on my own." ment for missed opportunities in Unfortunately, word has not yet spread sufficiently that companies bring basic training. Much rather, exis- in committed support when they take on a MARIA participant. Company ting selection mechanisms were acquisition is still very hard work reports Brigitte Mtihlberger. She sus- being reinforced and social ine- pects that many companies are frightened off by the European reference qualities cemented. The educatio- of the internship, but without this there would be no grants from the EU. nal and social status of parents, What is noticeable is that none of the course participants has children. and thus the educational climate in "That's a coincidence. There were three mothers on the last course", says the family greatly determined the Brigitte Milhlbauer, but she does concede that the mothers found it espe- educational success of children cially difficult because they also had to organise childcare. Although this and young people. For adults, the is a continuing education course for women, childcare is not taken care extent, quality and level of initial of. "There is a childcare supplement from the employment exchange", training had a major influence on says Brigitte Malbauer, but she does admit that the financial assistance continuing education conduct. is not enough when no care can be found during school holidays or when With her initiative "Lifelong a child is ill. Learning for All", Federal At the end of December the organisers will decide whether the project Education Minister Bulmahn is is successful enough to merit the offer of new courses. Success is primar- showing that she believes the ily measured in terms of the employment rate, and that is good. Six out of situation in Germany to be similar, eight participants in the last five MARIA courses in Regensburg and but intends to help break down Erlangen entered into permanent employment immediately after the end this deficit among the less qualified of the course. Nevertheless, Gudrun Wanninger from Regensburg with targeted programmes of employment exchange cannot yet make any predictions: "The future of action. It remains to be seen MARIA primarily depends on the European subsidies. Among other whether the objectives of the things, the course is an EU pilot project, the trial phase of which officially Social Democratic Education ends at the end of December." Minister can be successfully imple- If it was up to Irmgard Rosenmiiller, the course would continue to be mented. offered: "For university graduates like me, who have no knowledge of industry whatsoever at the end of their studies, MARIA is the ideal opportunity for getting a foot in a company's door."

B&W 3-2001PAGE 1310 external staff training courses should not be forgotten either. The most important adult education facilities in Germany are:

Academic societies and associations Universities and polytechnics Distance learning universities Private facilities Distance learning institutes Radio and television companies Churches Trade unions Vocational schools, technical schools, technical vocational schools Adult education centres Federal Institute for Employment The state and local authorities (administrative academies for the public sector) Economic associations Associations of economic interests Chambers of industry, commerce and skilled crafts Industry academies Economic enterprises.

The plethora of continuing education scheme offers in Germany is so great that any attempt for a sensible overview ultimately remains unsatisfactory. It makes most sense for each person interested in continuing education to acquire information about providers and offers from the competent regional offices. A first point of call is the employment exchange and its Current estimates that want to shed The description of the con- careers information centre. In light in the darkness of the confusing tinuing education landscape some places there are also con- according to sponsor areas tinuing education advice centres array of German continuing education primarily comprises the sponsors that are very familiar with the total around 35,000 sponsors of edu- of continuing education more or regional offer of continuing education. The term sponsor refers to or- less dependent on the major social cation providers and also know ganisations or institutions that offer organisations. Of these, 2,000 are about any funding opportunities. state recognised and publicly fund-Good points of call also include the their facilities for continuing education. ed facilities, 1,000 adult education advice centres of the chambers of centres and just as many church, industry, commerce and skilled trade union and public law facili- crafts. Suitable educational offers ties of the chambers of industry, can even be found from home via commerce and skilled crafts, as various databases on the internet: well as private basic and contin- e.g. KURS, the database of the uing education centres affiliated to Federal Institute for Employment them. Furthermore, there is a large or WIS, the continuing education network of private institutes, aca- information system of the cham- demies, seminar providers and per-bers of industry and commerce. sonal trainers who offer vocational Currently in Germany there are continuing education in the form ofseveral hundred recognised con- personal or distance teaching. tinuing education professions, from Moreover, the many in-house and "Sales and Advertising Executive" to "Socio-psychiatric supplementary training", which are either

'5 e&W 3-2001 PAGE 14 licensed by the Federal Government, the competent chambers or the Land governments. An overview of all of these continuing education courses is available from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce or the Chamber of Skilled Crafts. A major problem in the search for suitable continuing education schemes is the fact that apart from state recognition there is still no binding seal of quality for all continuing education schemes that provides reliable information on the seriousness and quality of a course. Only the indication that a course is supported and funded by the state that of an established provider, also any number of private sponsors can currently give someone inte- recognised by the state as worthy of continuing education schemes rested in continuing education any of funding. that are funded by the state and hint of the general recognition of The main continuing education have the relevant recognition. the course. This does not mean providers in the last category inclu- that all other continuing education de the adult education centres, pro- Continuing education at work courses are not serious. We should testant and catholic adult educati- The addressees of education at just bear in mind that the sub- on, the chambers of industry, com- work are people who work in the sequent market value of the certifi- merce and skilled crafts, the company. The subject of education cate of a continuing education Federal Institute for Employment at work is all possible demands scheme not funded by the state is and the state funded vocational and that may result from handling tech- much more difficult to assess than specialist academies. There are nownology, planning and realising

Facilities funded by local Facilities funded by the state The trade unions as sponsors of authorities Continuing education sponsored bycontinuing education facilities The most well-known continuing the state encompasses the conti- The emphases of the continuing education facilities include adult nuing education offers of technical education work of the Deutscher education centres. As local auth- schools, polytechrdcs and univer- Gewerkschaftsbund [Federation ority facilities or registered asso- sities. The towns and local auth- of German Trade Unions] lie in the ciations affiliated to the local orities maintain evening intermed- field of training for members and authorities in question, they are iate schools, grammar schools and employees and vocational conti- public institutions. Their sole colleges as facilities of the second nuing education. The offers are organisational goal, to which they educational route. Moreover, the oriented to the interests and edu- are publicly committed, is to pro- Bundeszentrale für politische cational needs of the employees. vide a comprehensive offer of Bildung [Federal Centre for Seminars and courses are carried continuing education. Their work Political Education] and Landes- out in the organisation's own edu- follows the principle of openness: zentrale far politische Bildung cational institutes and specialist i.e. their courses are open to all (Land Centre for Political schools. The costs of trade union who are interested in continuing Education] are also funded by the educational work are largely borne education as well as to all subjects state. They perform their tasks by by the Federation of German Trade and philosophical and political distributing media and continuing Unions and the individual trade opinions. The broad offer of con- education offers for "multipliers" ofunions. Participants' fees do not tents comprises language lessons, political education. play a significant role. career-related courses, creative The technical schools and poly- leisure opportunities and socio- technics are supposed to intensify cultural education. The adult edu- and extend vocational specialist cation centres and their work are education and further general edu- financed from participation fees, cation. Access is linked to certain grants from sponsors and funds entrance qualifications, such as from the Federal Lander completed vocational training or practical vocational experience.

B&W 3-2001PAGE 150 purchasing, sales and administration. All forms of work design, cooperation and management are also included in the subjects of continuing education, with which the employees have to cope through learning. 85 per cent of all German companies offer vocational continuing education to their employees. In 1993 just under one quarter of the employees from the sectors of commerce, catering, banks, insurance and the manufacturing industry took advantage of these offers by their companies and took part in at least one continuing education course or seminar. Other forms of continuing education at work, such comparison to other forms of con- cations. Large companies usually as information events, learning tinuing education. carry out special company or opportunities close to the worksta- The training courses for "normal supra-company management semi- tion and self-controlled learning employees" are usually concerned nars and courses for managerial were pursued by an average of 28 with passing on skills that are staff. The trigger for offering con- per cent of employees. needed for their immediate area of tinuing education courses can be Vocational continuing education,activity. These are therefore intro- very specific changes within a com- which costs the companies a lot of ductory courses relating to jobs pany, e.g. the introduction of new money but is a sensible investmentand subject matter, adaptation technologies or a change in the in the company's future, is the continuing education, technology computer system, tapping into new cheapest and most convenient way and know-how transfers, work trai- markets, changes in the law, large for employees to keep up to date inning and supplementary qualifi- numbers of complaints, etc.

The churches as sponsors of Industry as a sponsor of Commercial sponsors continuing education facilities continuing education facilities From the "solo fighter as a specia- Values resulting from the Christian In addition to companies, the cham- list" to the "large-scale provider as understanding of the world and bers of industry and commerce, the an all-rounder", in this sponsorship people are decisive for the edu- chambers of skilled crafts and field of continuing education there cational work of the protestant andcountless business, employers' and are the most varied organisational catholic churches. Offers on theo- professional associations are active structures. A widespread organi- logical, musical-cultural, social and as sponsors of continuing edu- sational form is the one-woman/ political subject matters are sup- cation. They maintain separate one-man business acting as a posed to contribute towards the departments or institutes for this training institute. They offer com- life orientation of the participants. purpose. Around half of all training pany-specific seminar and training The focus of church continuing schemes in industry can be assig- concepts as services as well as con- education work is in the field of ned to company continuing edu- sultancy services at management personal and social education. cation, around two thirds of which level in the field of organisational At Federal level all church con- is carried out within the companies' and personal development. The tinuing education facilities are own facilities. At supra-company central issues are working tech- brought together in Federal wor- level a large number of educational niques, management, sales and king parties: 'Deutsche Evange- institutes from the chambers, communication techniques. The lische Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur guilds, industry associations and commercial providers are under a Erwachsenenbildung (DEAE)" supra-company affiliations carry great compulsion to make their [German Protestant Working Party out training schemes. Vocational- mark because they usually cannot for Adult Education] and company continuing education make such inexpensive and broad- "Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft far conveys vocational skills demandedbased offers as the public law katholische Erwachsenenbildungby the technical and economic sponsors who receive grants from (BAG)" [Federal Working Party for changes and the increased the public sector and financial Catholic Adult Education]. Church demands of employees' COMIT1Urti- support from member companies. adult education is financed by cations and management conduct. grants from the churches, partici- The continuing education in this pants' fees and state grants. sponsorship sphere is largely financed by the economic enterprises, associations and chambers.

e&W 3-2001 PAGE 16 o_ Finance Court in Munich, a postgraduate course of this kind can be offset against tax. People with MBAs are in demand for management consultancy in accountancy firms, in the finance departments of internationally expanding companies, in foreign companies who are expanding in Germany or in companies that are reorganising and cutting specialist staff, among others. According to estimates of the Federal Association of German Employers, around 220 MBA programmes are on offer in Europe alone, but the nature and quality of Vocational continuing education conditions are stringent: a very them differs greatly. In order to is usually carried out in an organi- good degree, an excellent knowled-find which offer is suitable, inte- sed form in industry and the admi- ge of English and, above all, profes-rested parties should contact the nistration. It aims at maintaining sional experience of one to three Foundation for International and developing personal perfor- years are the usual requirements Business Administration mance among the employees and for admission. MBA courses in par- Accreditation (FIBAA) and have leads to a further development of ticular are offered by numerous the relevant rankings sent to them. the companies and administrations public and private educational esta- The Hochschutrektorenkon- when the acquired skills are blishments. Postgraduate courses ferenz [Conference of University applied. In the long term, a com- with an international orientation Vice-Chancellors] regularly pub- pany performs only to the extent may be of interest to more than justlishes updated comprehensive that its employees are willing and economists, business economists, overviews of postgraduate courses able to perform. Although vo- engineers and natural scientists. in Germany (including distance cational training safeguards the They are also offered for graduates learning). A complete overview of acquisition of fundamental vo- in the social sciences and the arts the large number of offers can be cational skills, it is only continuing and, in these cases, pass on social found on the internet at: education that guarantees the spe- science or cultural skills. http://hochschulkompass.hrk.de. cific, activity-related qualification The "Master of Business of the employees. Technical change,Administration (MBA)" is a post- a change in products and improve- graduate course of study in the ments in production methods field of management. It is an inter- require on-going continuing edu- national postgraduate qualification cation. This fact results in the cen- with an economic orientation. It is tral importance of vocational con- an alternative to a PhD or other tinuing education to a company's postgraduate courses that is not personnel policy. just suitable for economics graduates but also for all other academics Supplementary, complementary who want to acquire the relevant or consolidating courses qualification to progress into top The offer of postgraduate courses management. In the experience of is growing in Germany from year tocontinuing education specialists, year and is spreading to ever more people who complete MBA courses disciplines. Consolidating courses are usually faced with outstanding for university graduates lead to career prospects. qualifications such as "Bachelor" or However, the teaching concept diploma, a master's degree, e.g. of the MBA leaves it up to the stu- "Master of Engineering", "Master ofdents to see how they finance their Science" or "Master of Business postgraduate studies. Those whose Administration (MBA)". Most of companies contribute to the trai- these supplementary courses have ning and release them for it are an international orientation and arelucky. You have to calculate be- taught in English. The acceptance tween DM 30,000 and DM 70,000 for a course of studies for one to two years. There are practically no grants. However, according to a recent judgement from the Federal

19 e&W 3-2001 PAGE 18 THE NEW MEDIA THE CURRENT ISSUE FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION No subject dominates the continuing education market currently as much as the new media. As the Swiss Federal Office for Statistics calculated, 27 per cent of all participants in vocational continuing education in Switzerland attend courses that teach skills in the field of IT.

The continuing education report of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research also con- firms the importance of acquiring skills in the field of the new media. "The online trend is now making massive inroads in the education system", notes the expert in vocational and adult education Martin Massow and cites the nationwide project "Schulen ans Netz" [Schools Online], called into being by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research in order to enable multimedia and telematic learning for all schoolchildren in Germany (cf. Education and Science 3/2000). The Education Ministry in Saxony has gone so far as to set,up a training and advice centre for educationalists in which teachers can get fit for modern multimedia technology. After all, the German school and education experts are convinced that without the use of information and communications technologies at school, the apprentices and students of the future will not be able to prepare themselves adequately for the labour market. This makes the current labour market situation all the more difficult for apprentices and graduates who have not been made familiar with the new media world and information technology at school or during their studies. It is therefore hardly surprising that continuing education offers in multimedia are springing up like mushrooms.

B&W 3-2001PAGE 190 AN INSTINCTIVE FEEL FOR ALTERNATIVE Nuremberg University team develops and realises around eight CAREERS IN IT innovative qualification profiles for academics. Added to this are usual- Vocational qualification by the Nuremberg University Team ly two other profiles contributed by their colleagues in general employ- The University Team at the Federal for eleven years. With their close ment arranging. In four years that is Institute for Employment in Nurem- linking of continuing education and forty new professional qualifications berg considers academics to be an finding jobs in the University Team, for academics. "especially sensitive group" among which was established four years It is not surprising that the those seeking employment. Not, ago, they have set standards for University Teams from other re- however, because they are highly the whole country. Each year the gions are now basing their way of qualified and nevertheless hard to fmd jobs for, as Roland Lutz, coordi- nator of the ten-person team, explains. It is just the opposite because their opportunities on the current labour market are better than ever before. For people finding jobs for academics, this, in turn, means that someone who is assigned a managerial position by the Em- ployment Office today is a contact for new applicants tomorrow.

Contrary to the generally pre- vailing opinion that even applicants with university degrees are having problems on today's labour market, Roland Lutz An interview with two experts who not only and his colleagues believe that encourage unemployed academics, but also make even students who have failed to them specific proposals for qualifications. complete their courses are in demand more than ever. Provided The labour market for academics is better than it that they have completed a continu- has been for a long time according to you from the ing education course that qualifies University Team in Nuremberg. Why are you them as specialists for the relevant making all these efforts in the field of continuing sectors of the future. In the opi- education, then? nion of his colleague Herbert Auer, who was a businessman and a con- Lutz: The world of work for academics has changed struction entrepreneur before his rapidly in recent years. The days when a medical time at the employment exchange, student became a doctor immediately after his studies these sectors primarily include IT and a student of German became a German teacher and the health market. With this are long gone. Nevertheless, the thorough academic assessment, they are following training of a graduate, regardless of what they have forecasts by the Rheinisch-West- studied, continues to be in demand. What most of fdlisches Institut fur Wirtschafts- them do not have today are specialist qualifications forschung [Rhine-Westphalian that allow them to enter the new booming branches of Institute for Economic Research], industry. This is where we offer qualification bridges which predicted that the current with relevant continuing education offers. number of jobs in the IT sector would double to almost 800,000 in How do you intend to draw attention to the next ten years. Of the 395,000 alternatives? people currently employed in the IT sector, 35 to 40 per cent receiv- Auer: In November 2000 we organised the trade fair ed their qualifications via conti- "Wachstumsmarkt Gesundheit" [Growth Market nuing education schemes from the Health], where we exhibited alternative jobs for medi- Federal Institute, emphasises cine graduates, pharmacy graduates, scientists, com- Roland Lutz. puter scientists and engineers together with many dif- Roland Lutz and his academic ferent companies. work consultant Herbert Auer have now been working together in the Federal Institute for Employment

9 g

e&W 3-2001PAGE 20 t, 0 working on that of Nuremberg. has brought into being in addition Launching Careers] in Nuremberg With an arrangement rate of 70 perto these many continuing educati- in June 2000. "We got extremely cent, Roland Lutz and his team on offers to gain professional quali- positive feedback from the compa- help between 630 and 840 acade- fications include the fora for new nies", says Herbert Auer proudly mics to find employment after a recruits to the labour market with and in his down-to-earth way continuing education or retraining integrated company contact fairs, sweeps away all clichés of dusty scheme. 70 per cent of all of these IT consulting and graduate fairs. work mentality. "I enjoy getting rid schemes are in the IT sector, 85 to For example, around 140 compa- of the bureaucratic stuffiness" he 100 per cent of whose graduates gonies from all sectors and spheres explains as he opens his office win- on to find a job. were represented at "Akademika dow. The most successful projects 2000", a "Job-Messe filr den that the Middle Franconican team Karrierestart" [Jobs Fair for

If even these graduates need a helping hand to Where do you see the opportunities for lawyers enter the world of work, what are the chances for and students who have failed to complete their an arts graduate? courses on today's labour market?

Lutz: Even for arts graduates whole new professional Auer: There are more opportunities than many see at opportunities have opened up thanks to the develop- first glance. We try to qualify lawyers with a know- ment of the New Media, however most of them cannot ledge of business economics for managerial positions be pursued without relevant continuing education. and, above all, to equip them with the qualities of spe- For this reason we are trying to attract arts graduates cialist lawyers. Especially in family and bankruptcy to jobs in the IT sector and are also offering relevant law because these two fields are increasing in im- continuing education courses for online editors or portance due to social and economic developments. online researchers. Unfortunately, many arts gradu- Another field that is also gaining in importance is e- ates are still a little afraid of anything to do with tech- commerce. Where are the lawyers in Germany with a nology or computers although not every IT company thorough knowledge of legal issues relating to trade is looking for programmers, and are often seeking over the internet? Such people are in demand. One of people with marked communicative skills. our many continuing education offers is therefore a six-month course to become an e-commerce manager. Are you also among the critics of the university curricula, which mostly have nothing to do with Students who fail to complete their courses seem to work? be a special concern of yours.

Lutz: No. What characterises us as a University Team Auer: Yes, because they are an enormous potential of is the instinctive feel that means we don't want to young people who think in terms of networks that make a student of German into an economic scientist industry is actively seeking. Unfortunately, they are while he is still at university. We don't feel it is our job frequently stigmatised as failures. Wrongly, as many to scare the horses. After all, every sort of thorough companies now know. After all, as our experience academic training is justified and is expected as a shows, alternative careers can frequently be the bet- requirement by most companies in the IT sector. ter ones. And we have really fantastic alternatives for Ignoring the often demanding contents that have to these young people. We would love to approach this fill the internet, a CD-ROM or any other new medium, group much more directly. But it is naturally a very the communications and team skills taught at univer- delicate matter to gain access to universities to tell sities are what the IT sector expects from its appli- potential "drop outs" about their career opportunities. cants. What training alternatives can you offer to students who fail to complete their courses?

Auer: For example, a nine-month course to become a Multimedia Advertising Businessman or Sound and Vision Web Designer. Together with the Institut fiir Freie Berufe [Institute for the Free Professions] we are also currently working on developing a course for lawyers that gives them digital skills as needed in specialist legal publishing houses.

9 n B&W 3-2001 PAGE21 4:7 rBUILDING BLOCKS FOR A NEW WORLD education of the course participants. "Usually, the enthusiasm of Multimedia "driving licence" a 21-year old is more carefree than that of a 34-year old. But that has Based on Finnish models, at the is the CD-ROM animation of one of nothing to do with who has the beginning of the year 2000 the their predecessors. "Using the better specialist or technical prior Hanseatic City of Hamburg called Director program that I'm going to knowledge. After all, as the oldest into being the "Multimedia driving show you today you will be able to in the group I haven't brought licence", a continuing education write such or similar scripts." Somemuch more than an affinity for the model that is designed to prepare of the participants look at Uwe New Media, either." new recruits on the labour market Adlung somewhat incredulously The Hamburg Chamber of Com- for the demands of the multimedia over their monitors. merce specified that the course sector. The initiators of this joint The 41-year old is only one of should be open to school-leavers, project include public institutions, many different course heads who isstudents who fail to complete their companies in Hamburg and private to prepare the participants in the courses and university graduates sponsors of education, who have one-year multimedia driving li- to acquire the multimedia driving come together to form "Initiative cence course for practice in every- licence. This is also the body that Hamburg newmedia@work". A day life at work in theoretical defines the framework conditions twelve-month course will familia- teaching modules. The basics of for this course and issues the certi- rise school-leavers, students who the Flash, Photoshop and Free- ficates. Every sponsor of education fail to complete their courses and hand programs have already been that wants to offer the multimedia university graduates who want to taught to the course before Uwe driving licence course, like the start work in the multimedia sectorAdlung introduced the "Director" AEP, must have it recognised and with the most important basic program today. Other building approved by the Chamber of knowledge. blocks of the course are web page Commerce. However, the Chamber design with standard HTML edi- of Commerce expressly empha- Arabbit is lying asleep under tors, image processing, graphics, sises that the acquisition of the a thick eiderdown. The audio processing, video processing,multimedia driving licence is not rhythmic rise and fall of his Java Script, project management self-contained vocational training quilt tells the observer that he is and design. within the meaning of the snoring heavily. Behind his rustic "We deliberately keep the theo- Vocational Training Act. For parti- wooden bed four coloured, inscrib- retical teaching units short," cipants who have only school- ed circles, not unlike speech bub- explains Andreas Giese, lecturer in leaving qualifications this course is bles in comics, rise into the air. multimedia at AEP, "because the intended as a transition to an They get stuck under the ceiling: focus of this driving licence is apprenticeship in the dual system. Game 1, Super Dream, Game 2 andexpressly on practice." The partici-Maret Muddenbohm and Fraisy Awful Dream are the choices. pants therefore spend two thirds ofManjali Varghese consider it as "Super Dream, Super Dream!" the one-year training period as such. Whereas Maret Buddenbohm The participants in the multimedia interns in selected companies and studied Indian Studies, driving licence course at the only one third in lessons at the Educational Science and Academy for Electronic Publishing Academy on Kieler Strafge. Egyptology for three semesters (AEP) in Hamburg have made up Johannes 'Wising, for example, is before she decided to give up her their minds quickly. Course head spending his practical training studies because of the "disastrous Uwe Ad lung clicks his mouse on period in the PR and online editor'sjob prospects" and took up the the Super Dream bubble to the left office of the multimedia agency multimedia course at AEP, Fraisy of the picture. Suddenly the rabbit "Elephant Seve". There, he writes has come along straight from appears on the screen as a sleep- sector newsletters and familiarises school with her university entrance walking rabbit that can fly. himself with everyday work in the qualifications. Both want to start Grinning broadly and dressed in PR department. At 34 he is the an apprenticeship as media design- pyjamas he glides over a field of oldest participant on the course. er for digital and print media after ripe, enticingly gleaming carrots. After the long training period to completing the course. When "How sweet!", "Great". Full of become a fully qualified lawyer he Fraisy was asked why she didn't admiration Uwe Ad lung's pupils decided finally to professionally start the apprenticeship immedia- note that this cartoon for children pursue the fascination he has de- tely after school, she spoke about veloped for the New Media, especi- her frustrating experiences of ally the internet. He found out thatapplications. "Without any previous an applicant with no qualifications knowledge you don't get an in the sector he had absolutely no internship in a company, and with- chance of finding a job in multimedia. He is relaxed when answer- ing a question as to whether he is bothered about the great discrep- ancies in the ages and previous

0 9s emv 3-2001PAGE 22 out any experience as an intern MULTIMEDIA IN CHILDREN'S ROOMS you don't get an apprenticeship. Vocational continuing education for teachers It's a vicious circle." Neither of them can confirm the prejudice in child daycare centres that the very young multimedia sector is open to absolute begin- Although there are hardly any "You can try that for as long as you ners. And they know why: "The children's bedrooms without some want", seminar leader Hans-JUrgen sector is booming. No one has any sort of computer games lying Palme finally tells the two teachers time to teach interns." around nowadays and many at the Munich child day care Nicole Bornemann from parents are unsure about how to centre: "You can't get to the next Hamburg newrnedia@work, one of deal with their children's enthusi- game until tomorrow because of the initiators of the multimedia asm for the media, teaching how tothe in-built day limit." driving licence, is well aware that deal appropriately with the new The two kindergarten teachers the project cannot yet be one media is not yet part of state are two of forty educationalists to hundred per cent fully developed. recognised training for kindergar- gather initial experience with corn- She views the multimedia driving ten teachers. Many kindergarten licence as a pilot project that will teachers therefore now feel that have to be gradually adapted to the they are no longer up to the every- needs of participants and compa- day demands in kindergartens nies. At the same time she empha- because they have hardly any sises that the course should not be experience with the medium of the misunderstood as a replacement computer or don't know who they for basic training. On the contrary: can help parents and children in this initiative should encourage the dealing with it. Experts in media multimedia sector, which is very education such as Ulrike Six from timid about training, to think about the University of Koblenz-Landau training opportunities and to offer warn that children who are not them. She is convinced that the trained to deal with computers, needs of the multimedia sector on television, video recorders, etc. at the one hand and the timidity of an early age are exposed to mental potential apprentices on the other and even physical risks. They are urgently need an initiative of this therefore committed to media edu-puter games for kindergarten kind. cation being included in the children and to get fit for media training process of kindergarten skills in the kindergarten in the teachers so that the children are "Multimedia at the Kindergarten" taught about the benefits and risks continuing education project. The of the media world even in kinder- continuing education project has garten and uncertain parents can been running since 1999 under the gain expert advice at the kinder- auspices of the Munich association garten. "Studio im Netz" (SIN) [Studio in the Net] and the Gustav- 4 4 crub, scrub, scrub!" The Stresemann-Institute in Bonn, a small, grey, mouse-like recognised continuing education fellow on the scrubbing facility of the Land North Rhine- brush has now been surfing into Westphalia. The project is suppor- every corner and angle of Findus ted by the North Rhine- the inventor's kitchen for ten min- Westphalian Ministry for Schools utes, squealing with pleasure. But and Continuing Education. the longer he dances over the The founder of the Munich as- floorboards, the more impatient sociation is the course leader and Marianne Beer and Michaela media educationalist Hans-Jurgen Krembs are becoming with their Panne, who has been advocating a shared computer game "Findus "computer play area" in as many wartet auf Weihnachten" (Findus child care centres as possible since is waiting for Christmas). "There 1997. must be some way of getting the First of all, it is very important chap out of the kitchen", swears for him for a child to understand Marianne Beer to her colleague and get to know computers as toys from the Bayerische and not as work machines, as Landesschule fur Korper- adults do. behinderte [Bavarian Land School for the Physically Handicapped], who is resolutely trying out all sorts of tricks with the mouse.

2t0 B&W 3-2001PAGE 2310 40\

" ji t=r;' g". çck

)

As a result of these convictions, ,1*- Hans-Jurgen Palme and his association "Studio im Netz" advocates that children should be introduced w to the multimedia world while they 71.10,Air are still at kindergarten. This aim, Palme is convinced, can be achiev- ed only with continued and continuing education of educationalists in child and youth cultural work. However, most kindergartens, in Because usually you can't install Palme's experience with the parti- even the simplest computer game cipants in his continuing education for children on the old computers. courses, do not have a so-called This is because computer games "computer play area". It is there- usually comprise data-rich draw- fore his objective not only to teach ings, graphics, tunes and narrated work of his participants. "You will kindergarten teachers how to stories. And that is precisely wherebe most successful if you involve introduce children to the new Hans-Jurgen Palme sees the attrac-the parents in the project from the medium responsibly, but above all tion of a computer game for child- very start. Organise parent's eve- to make sure that their facility get ren: many of the children's senses nings on the subject of multimedia a "computer play area". are addressed and, unlike with at kindergarten, invite them to Thomas Hohmann, teacher at television, the children can activelyproject days where the parents can the German Red Cross "Kumulus" react to this and intervene in the play on the computer. And you will kindergarten in Düsseldorf actually game. be amazed how many critical succeeded in this. Immediately But the participants of Hans- parents rapidly drop their prejudi- after attending a continuing edu- Jtirgen Palme's continuing edu- ces." As an aside, Palme points out cation seminar organised by Hans- cation seminar in the Gustav- that this subject is especially suited Jurgen Palme in Bonn he did Stresemann-Institute in Bonn are to finally get fathersusually everything to convince his sponsoralso visibly fascinated by the com- conspicuous by their absence to procure a new computer for the puter games for children. Even into kindergartens. children. Because, and this may when the official part of the first initially be surprising, many games seminar day is long over, many can only be played on the newest teachers are still sitting in the computers. Palme and Hohmann computer room and trying out the therefore warn their teaching col- many games with names like "Oma leagues against accepting discard- allein far mich" [Grandma to ed old computers from supposedly myself], Das Zauberhaus" [The generous companies who want to Magic House], "LOwenzahn" save expensive disposal costs. [Dandelion], etc. It is precisely in this fascination that these games arouse in adults even where media educationalist sees the great opportunity for the conviction

pe e&W 3-2001 PAGE 24 25 LIFELONG LEARNING AS AN ISSUE FOR EDUCATION POLICY In January 2001 the Federal Ministry for Education and will be given priority encourage- Research launched a "Lifelong Learning for All" action pro- ment: gramme, with which the Government intends to identify interdisciplinary interlinldng of clear goals and fields of action for the way towards a the various spheres of education "learning society". and sponsors at regional and supra-regional level T44ifelong learning must not at kindergarten the stage must be quality assurance in transparent remain a buzzword", explains set for learning how to learn. and comparable methods the Federal Minister for Disadvantages must be dismantled certification or recognition of Education and Science, Edelgard and new barriers to access to edu- qualifications and skills that can Bulinahn (SPD), and adds: "With cational offers must be prevented. be used at work, even those that this action programme we want to Moreover, she feels it is important are acquired in informal learning make continuing education attract-for all educational offers to meet processes, i.e. outside special ive to all people. Only with con- high quality demands. "The new facilities stant learning will it be possible to knowledge should be certified for increasing the transparency of shape everyday life, keep a job or the labour market and be recogni- continuing education offers embark on a career." Funding for sed by employers." Another new new teaching and learning cultu- continuing education has been challenge for continuing education res (e.g. self-controlled learning) increased by one third since 1998, were New Media and the inter- using new media from around DM 100 million to DM nationalisation of everyday and encouraging the willingness of 150 million now. Added to this are working life. people in specific circumstances European Union funds obtained by The Federal Government's new to take part in education, also at the Federation in the amount of programme of action should bring work just under DM 50 million per year. together the Federation's research, strategies to pass on skills to the The Minister believes that an development and pilot measures unemployed understanding of the importance ofinto the individual educational intensifying exchange and inter- lifelong learning cannot and must areas that serve to promote lifelong national cooperation not be forced on the people. Even learning. In future, the following international skills Federal Minister Edelgard Bulmahn is convinced that con- "In a time of rapid change, lifelong learning tinuous continuing education after is used not only to overcome personal deficits. good basic training serves all It is the response to the question as to how the talents and personal development. required innovation potential can be secured in It is an important foundation for an ageing society. All educational facilities in actively overcoming the structural a learning society therefore work together, change, securing innovation in each with their own contribution to continuing society and is thus the most education. The guiding principle includes new important capital for encouraging means of self-controlled learning and associated employment. "Lifelong learning consultancy methods in learning agencies. does not end with completion of We are in favour of a plurality of sponsors vocational training. Continuing in the field of continuing education. education is essential in all phases The CDU calls for the establishment of life." of an independent "Stiftung Bildungstest" to create transparency, openness, quality and The continuing education con- consumer protection in continuing education. cept of the Alliance for Jobs It should enforce recognised standards in In February 2000 the working continuing education." group on basic and continuing education of the Alliance for Jobs de- Annette Schavan (CDU), Education Minister cided on a joint concept with of Baden-Wurttemberg, on the introduction of officially recognised standards in continuing education specific steps for the expansion and qualitative further develop-

B&W 3-2001PAGE 25 ment of vocational continuing edu-also have the advantage that tional performance competition or cation. The Alliance for Jobs is an potential employers would be bet- a justified proposal from a com- affiance of unions, employers and ter able to assess the applications pany or a vocational school. The representatives of the Federal of job seekers from different re- grant recipients choose their sche- Government that has set itself the gions and use them for themselves.me themselves, the competent objective of greatly increasing Chamber decides on whether they participation in vocational training Encouraging talented students are suitable for assistance. For up in order to be at the top in interna- in vocational training to three years the Federal Ministry tional competition. All employed The Federal Ministry of Education for Education and Research pays people, especially adults without and Research's encouragement DM 3,000 per annum to finance vocational qualifications as well as programme "Begabtenförderung continuing education accompany- people for whom training at work berufliche Bildung" [Encouraging ing work. On the spot the pro- has so far been unusual or unfami- talented students in vocational gramme is implemented by those liar, should benefit from the contin-training] has been in place since offices responsible for vocational uing education concept. But the 1991. Its aim is to get closer to the training, usually the Chambers. Federal Government also wants to equality of general and vocational increase opportunities for the training. Because Federal Minister The European Union's Leonardo unemployed and people who are Edelgard Bulmahn is convinced that da Vinci Programme temporarily not working for other there are "talented young people Great importance is attached to reasons, e.g. men and women on not only at grammar schools and continuing education at European parental leave, to get back into the universities, but also in companies, level, was can be seen in particular developments in the world of work hospitals, surgeries and admini- in the European Union's vocational more easily. strations". Special performance in training programme "Leonardo da The Alliance initiative has set professional experience is just as Vinci", which is now entering its several emphases. Due to the con- important as in academic or artisticsecond phase. This means that it stantly increasing transboundary work and deserves equal recogniti- has been extended by a further mobility on the international labouron and encouragement. period of six years from 2000 to market, German continuing edu- "BegabtenfOrderung berufliche2006. Its funding volume amounts cation qualifications should be- Bildung" encourages talented to 1.15 billion. come more transparent in future. young skilled workers who want to Behind this programme is the The contents of and qualifications qualify for their jobs through con- idea of education politicians to from the courses should be describ-tinuing education. Today the pro- create a European educational area ed in a way that is internationally gramme helps a good 13,000 grant in which all citizens can learn and comprehensible and transparent. recipients. It supports young train further for all their lives. In In this connection, the Federal people who decided on a career the second phase of "Leonardo da Government also intends to extendwith an apprenticeship in the com- Vinci" the tendency has been esta- the exchange of skilled workers petition of the educational paths. blished for vocational training to be within the European Union. Surveys have shown that a good placed in an employment policy In future, unemployed people third of those helped have achiev- context in future. The three object- should be offered the opportunity ed improvements in status and ives of the programme make this to gather work experience in income after two to three years of new direction clear: several companies thanks to "job continuing education. Many have rotation" so that they get to know taken on more interesting and 1. Improving the abilities and skills the world of work and become demanding jobs after the help. of young people in vocational train- attractive for the labour market There are reports that in the last ing to encourage employability again. Moreover, all those inter- few years former grant recipients 2. Improving the quality of contin- ested in continuing education have taken part in twice as much uing education and access to the should be given the opportunity forvocational continuing education as lifelong acquisition of skills to independent learning with the newis usual for working people of the increase adaptability to technologi- media. Another important concern same age. This means that encour- cal change for the Alliance for Jobs is quality agement for talented students pro-3. Encouraging the contribution of assurance in vocational continuing motes the willingness for lifelong vocational training to the innova- education. In the interests of more learning. tion process in order to reinforce transparency, similar chamber Qualified graduates of dual vo- competitiveness and the entrepre- regulations of continuing educationcational training who are younger neurial spirit sponsors should be replaced by than 25 when they start the Federal ordinances. This would scheme can receive help. Appli- cants for a grant must have a vocational qualification of better than (cont. on p. 29) "good", particularly successful participation in a supra-regional voca-

27 e&W 3-2001 PAGE 26 D GER OF MISSING OUT" Interview with Matthias Bernmger

Continuing education is experiencing a new heyday. Continuing education is the engine in a society that wants to learn for its whole life. The online editor of Forum Bildung [Education Forum] in Cologne talked to Matthias Berninger, member of the German Bundestag for Handnis 90/Die Griinen [Alliance 90/The Greens] about saving for education, job rotation and the role of the internet in continuing education. How important is continuing education today?

Berninger: Very important. I believe that people under 35-40 years of age will already be affected by changes in the world of work. They will have serious problems without intensive continuing education. The precon- dition for all changes in the world of work and economic success is the fact that we give people continuing education. The second important point is demographic development. In 20 years time the majority of all employees will be older than 40, one third older than 50. Neither must we forget that in Germany people with a high level of education use continuing education much more than those with a low level of education. That is why practical offers should be made to people on low incomes. That also need to be financed. What do you mean by saving for education?

Berninger : In our opinion saving for education should occupy the same status as schemes for saving for a house and capital-forming payments. These are wel- fare payments for people earning up to DM 70,000 per annum. This group is already the group that shuns education and also runs the risk of "missing the boat" with continuing education, too. The problem with saving for education is that every party seems to understand something different by it?

Berninger : I can tell you precisely what the Greens mean by it. Saving for education is designed for a period of a few years. The employee's contribution amounts to DM 780, the employer's to DM 624 per year and the state then adds 30% of the total. Basically, our proposal is like the schemes for saving for a house, only with a higher state contribution and a shorter term.

VI 4

B&W 3-2001 PAGE 27D As a saver for education can I choose where I In the IT sector; for example, it will probably be dif- spend my money? ficult to find alternatives for the specialists?

Berninger: I would like a continuing education market Berninger: Job rotation is not practical for high poten- where the providers identify themselves with a certifi-tials, only for people with fewer qualifications. cate stating that they can use the money from the saving for education scheme. Will job rotation and continuing education go hand in hand in the future or are there other ...and the certificate would come from the fic- options, too? titious "Stiftung Bildungstest"? Berninger: Job rotation will not be the only way, Berninger: A "Stiftung Bildungstest" would have the because realistically most people will not be able to task of drawing up quality criteria for the continuing leave their job for continuing education. The internet education market as a whole. It would also have to be will become very important in this contextbecause specified what education sponsors actually make employees are free from time and location restrictions sensewhether pottery or a pilot's licence, for exam- there. However, the potential of the internet is far ple, are appropriate as continuing education schemes.from being exhausted in the educational sphere. As a Ultimately, the consumer should have relatively Govermnent, we are spending a lot of money on note- simple criteria according to which he can choose. book universities and developing new teaching soft- What is good about saving for education is that the ware. The internet will be the key medium for pract- individual also feels great responsibility because he or ical continuing education. she has also saved. I believe that this saving philosophy is very important. The interview was conducted by Udo Loeffler for Forum Bildung online The Greens also demand that job rotation be made a regular measure. What is this?

Berninger: Job rotation makes it easier for companies to do without employees who are doing continuing education for a long time. The state funds transitional jobs and thus also allows the replacement people to do continuing education. Model projects in Rhineland- Palatinate have been very successful.

2 cm, 3-2001PAGE 28 "Leonardo da Vinci II" should the EU within the context of the support and supplement the vo- "Socrates" programme between cational training schemes of the 1995 and 1997 include a scheme individual states. All public or pri- that deals with adult education in vate organisations and institutions prisons. The extension of linguistic that take part in vocational training and communications skills should measures have access to this pro- improve the resocialisation oppor- gramme. The projects are chosen tunities of foreign prisoners and once a year by the Member States. reintegrate them in life outside the For example, continuing education prison walls. courses to encourage people's Furthermore, "Euromed" was mobility in their careers, pilot pro- supported, an adult education fa- jects to encourage innovation and cility that organises seminars to quality in vocational training or the increase European awareness of establishment of transnational net- the history of Europe. Euromed works that help in the exchange of tries "to overcome the past with experience and work practices are educational media and to shape the being supported. future in Europe". Unlike "Leonardo", which mainly The third example is "Basic". deals with work-related questions "Basic" gives a general basic edu- of basic and continuing education, cation to the semi-literate and the European Union's "Socrates" takes on literacy measures. programme deals with more gene- Furthermore, it develops models ral themes of adult education, suchfor autonomous learning and for as languages, academic exchanges encouraging personal development and youth education. "Socrates" recognised in Europe to aid the pursues the aim of encouraging integration of the illiterate in cooperation between adult edu- society and at work. cation institutions in the European Member States and, thus, the quality of European adult education. The examples of German adult education projects supported by

B&W 3-2001 PAGE 29 \( QUALITY ASSURANCE IN CONTINUING EDUCATION Due to the lack of state regulation of the German continuing education sector, this sector is characterised by the lack of a uniform certification system that could offer both participants and providers of continuing education schemes a qualitative basis for comparison.

Auniform certification system exists only within an association (e.g. the adult education centres) or other groupings. The degree of usefulness of the qualifications is therefore not always guaranteed. But it is not only within Germany that the lack of transparency in the quality of continuing education offers is a problem. The globalisation of labour markets makes new, internationally useful and comparable certificates essential if employees want to have a chance on the international market with their continuing education qualifications in the future. Whether at the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft [Institute of German Business] in Cologne, the Board of the Gewerkschaft Erziehung unct Wissenschaft (GEW) [Education and Science Trade Union] in Frankfurt or the Bundesverband Deutscher Arbeitgeberverbande (BDA) [Federation of German Employers' Associations] in Dtisseldorf, people agree everywhere: something will have to be done about quality assurance of continuing education in Germany. The weak points are the quality of teaching staff, equipment, curricula and teaching media, the comparability of qualifications and the links between initial training and continuing education. However, there is still controversy about which way is the right one for quality assurance. Critics such as Green politician Armin Oertel believe that regulation in law is indispensable: a Federal Framework Act should lay down minimum standards in order to systemise continuing education and make it more consumer friend- ly. In contrast, Jobst Hagedorn from the Bundesverband

31 fit&W3-2001PAGE 30 Deutscher Arbeitgeber (BDA) is versities or, in the case of non-statecreates important transfer not at all happy about the idea of universities, by their sponsors. opportunities for vocational regulation of the market by law. State approval of a course is not training in service professions. Legal intervention would destroy affected by its accreditation. The "Web Master" remote any dynamism that is decisive on Neither should accreditation lead learning offer organised by the continuing education market. to a standardisation of the services Studiengemeinschaft Darmstadt In the long term, this would jeo- and offers of universities that offer [Darmstadt Study Community] pardise Germany as a place to do these postgraduate courses, but addresses mainly young people business. just identify the transparency and new to the subject without a relev- Whatever form the political comparability of these services, ant university qualification who debates on this issue take: within according to the resolutions of the want to acquire qualifications in the last few years various bodies Accreditation Council. When a the expanding employment fields made up of education experts, aca-Bachelor or Master course is being of the internet and e-commerce. It demics and companies have for- assessed, the training function and is the task of the web masters to med that have developed quality ability to study should also be prepare and manage company criteria for certain areas of con- tested, especially with regard to tinuing education. the employability of the graduates 1211erbitdunqs° and how they can be deployed in 'cn/ations-Preis The Accreditation Council possible professions. 20 After passing the amended Universities Framework Act of The Continuing Education August 1998, which makes provi- Innovation Prize sion for the trial introduction of The name of the Weiterbildungs- postgraduate courses leading to Innovationspreis (WIP) "Bachelor" and "Master" qualifi- [Continuing Education Innovation cations in order to facilitate access Prize] of the Bundesinstitut far to the international labour market Berufsbildung [Federal Institute for German university graduates, for Vocational Training] and the the Conference of Education magazine "managerSeare" says Ministers decided to establish an it all: visionary continuing edu- Accreditation Council in Bonn. Thecation schemes that get employees Fr, body comprises 14 members fit for the changing world of work (representatives of the Federal are sought. The prize was awarded Lando; the universities, students for the first time in May 2000. internet sites in such a way that and work practice) and is to deve- Around 200 training providers tookthe company can present potential lop a quality-assuring accreditationpart in the competition with their customers with a professionally process for the newly introduced concepts. However, because of the designed offer. What the WIP jury courses to guarantee high-standard"equal merit of the submitted con- especially praised about this con- postgraduate courses in line with tributions" the jury decided not to tinuing education scheme was the the international labour market for award the first prize worth DM pioneering teaching method mix of students, employers and universi- 10,000. Instead of this, two second virtual learning arrangement assoc- ties. prizes of DM 7,500 each, one third iated with multimedia learning and The aim of the Accreditation prize (DM 5,000), two fourth prizesintegrated learning using print Council is to contribute to securing(DM 3,000 each) and one fifth materials as well as intensive per- quality in teaching and studies by prize (DM 1,000) were awarded. sonal mentoring. drawing up minimum standards for The second prizes were won by The third prize in the compe- the above-mentioned courses. It "wheelchair training" and a "Web tition went to the continuing edu- defines the new courses, coordina- Master" distance learning course. cation course to be a dental con- tes technical-substantial assess- The concept of the wheelchair sultant offered by INtern trainer ment by agents taken on specifi- training entails letting people who group in Mamiheim. It is the task of cally for this task. The agents com- have to prepare wheelchair occup- a dental consultant to determine a missioned by the Accreditation ants for a life in a wheelchair patient's needs by talking with Council are authorised to issue the really "experience" the demands them, to offer them possible so- Accreditation Council's certificate. made by everyday life in a lutions in line with their needs and The academic and organisational wheelchair and the problems that to explain the proposed dental realisation of the courses is to be wheelchair occupants have to copetreatment. The objective is to proved by the universities making with day in, day out. The course provide relief for the dentist. The the application, as well as the fact sees itself as a supplementary qua- requirement for this course is that they can be financed, which lification for therapists, wheelchair completed training as a dental must also be confirmed by the manufacturers, physiotherapists, nurse, dental technician or in Lander as sponsors of the uni- nursing staff and personal carers clerical or administrative professi- for the disabled. The WIP jury ons within dental surgeries. The classified this continuing education concept by prize winner Sabine Hilbner as a forward-looking innovation because the approach of learning by experience (of self)

32 B&W 3-2001 PAGE 31 WIP jury justified its award to the continuing education as a dental of this consultant because the course Becker, Manfred: Aufgaben und Organisa- full text increases the attractiveness of the tion der betrieblichen Weiterbildung, The isavailable \ healthcare professions. Further- Hanser: Munich 1999 magazinesupplementary onlinewith institutions more, it opens up a new field of linlo toall the Bundesanstalt fur Arbeit: Fbrderung der named: employment that is oriented to beruflichen Bildung, Report Year 1998 and customers and services. 1999, Nuremberg www.inter-nattones.del diPublbWidl The background to the idea of a bw.html prize for innovative continuing Bundesinstitut fur Berufsbildung : Checkliste Qualitat beruflicher Weiterbildung, education courses was the initia- Berlin/Bonn 1992 tors' thought that ever more classic professions are considered to be Bundesministerium fur Bildung und For- outdated and new fields of employ- schung (Ed.): Berichtssystem Weiterbildung ment, such as the internet and e- VII, Bonn 2000 commerce, emerge over night Deutsches Institut fur Erwachsenenbildung without it being possible to provide (Ed.): Lernen fur die Zukunft, Frankfurt am them with appropriately trained Main 1999 skilled staff in time. Nowadays, the Deutscher Industrie- und Handelstag: initial training of an employed per- Berufsbildung, Weiterbildung, Bildungs- son can pass on core qualifications politik 1998/99, Berlin 1999 at best. In the course of his thirty to forty years of working life, ibid: Zukunftsfahigkeit durch Weiterbildung however, he constantly has to face in Europa, Mainz 1999 up to the constantly changing ibid: Bildung und Lernen von Erwachsenen world of employment. An innov- in Europa, Frankfurt/Main1999 ative development of continuing education is therefore indispens- Diemer, Vera/Peters, Otto: Bildunsgbereich able. The Bundesinstitut fur Weiterbildung, Juventa: Munich 1998 Berufsbildung therefore intends Dohmen, Gunther: Das lebenslange Lernen to encourage pioneering concepts Leitlinien einer modernen Bildungspolitik, hrsg. and present them to the general Vom Bundesministerium fur Bildung, Wissen- public with the Continuing Edu- schaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn 1996 cation Innovation Prize. Federighi, Paolo/ Nuissl Ekkehard (Ed.): 11, "Continuing education offers Weiterbildung in EuropaBegriffe und that are still the exception today Konzepte, Frankfurt/Main 1999 and can give an indication of what Holzamer, Hans-Herbert/ Wollowski, Chris- will be standard in vocational con- tine (Ed.): Qualitatssicherung in der Weiter- tinuing education tomorrow", is bildung, Suddeutsche Zeitung: Munich 1999 how BIBB Secretary-General Helmut Piitz summarises the pur- Massow, Martin: Der Weiterbildungsatlas, pose of the prize. In the medium Econ : Dusseldorf 1997 term he hopes to get market in- M011enbeck, Regine: Weiterbildung zum formation on future qualification Erfolg, Cornelsen: Berlin 1997 requirements on time before time- consuming "qualification after the Statistisches Bundesamt: Bildung und Kultur Berufliche Bildung, Fachserie 11, Reihe 3, event" for workers will be neces- Wiesbaden 1998 sary. The next Continuing Education Innovation Prize was Petersen, ThieB: Handbuch zur beruflichen announced in July 2001 and will be Weiterbildung, Peter Lang: Frankfurt/Main awarded in February 2002. 2000 Weiterbildung Hamburg e.V.(Ed.): Frauen und Weiterbildung, Hamburg 1999

CPublished by: Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes Kennedyallee 91 103 0-53175 Bonn [email protected] www.inter-nationes.de Author: Elisabeth Oehler Editor: Ivan Tapia, Georg M. Blochmann Editorial Assistant: Cecile Debreux Layout: Graphicteam Kbln Translation: Janet Barton Production: Ilona Orthen Printed by: SDV Saarbrücker Druckerei und Verlag GmbH Date of going to press: 33 1 September 2001 c. 3-2001 PAGE 32 U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) National Library of Education (NLE) ERIC Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

NOTICE

Reproduction Basis

This document is covered by a signed "Reproduction Release (Blanket)" form (on file within the ERIC system), encompassing all or classes of documents from its source organization and, therefore, does not require a "Specific Document" Release form.

This document is Federally-funded, or carries its own permission to Li reproduce, or is otherwise in the public domain and, therefore, may be reproduced by ERIC without a signed Reproduction Release form (either "Specific Document" or "Blanket").

EFF-089 (3/2000)