Continuing Education and Training in Germany

Foreword
Table of contents
Acronyms and abbreviations
Glossary
Executive summary
1 Assessment and recommendations
	The world of work is changing and the COVID-19 crisis may accelerate pre-existing trends
	Participation in CET is above average, but highly unequal across different groups of the population
	Germany has one of the most complex governance structures for CET across the OECD
	Policy developments on career guidance, skill validation and partial qualifications require a more systematic approach
	CET makes up a small part of overall investment in education and training
	A complex landscape of financial incentives exists, which can be difficult to navigate
	More generous nation-wide education and training leave may increase participation
	By international standards, learning participation of low-skilled adults is low
	References
	Notes
2 The changing skill needs of the German labour market
	Introduction
	The changing demand for skills
		After an exceptional performance over the last decade, the German economy has been hit by the COVID-19 crisis
		To date, negative employment effects of the COVID-19 crisis have been mitigated by short-time work
		Beyond the COVID-19 crisis, long-term structural challenges loom…
		…as job polarisation entails critical skill shortages
	The skills and qualifications of the German adult population
		The basic skill levels of the German population are slightly above OECD average
		The majority of adults in Germany holds a VET qualification, but the share of higher education graduates is increasing
		The supply of STEM skills from graduates entering the labour market is limited
	CET participation
		CET participation in Germany is slightly above the OECD average…
		…with non-formal and informal learning making up the bulk of learning
		By international standards, Germany has large inequalities in CET participation
		Outcomes of participation
			Adult learners engaging in non-formal job-related learning in Germany seem to report less positive employment outcomes than adults in other countries…
			…but evidence from Germany shows that there are benefits of certain types of training, especially in the long-term…
			…and positive effects of CET participation go beyond the labour market
	References
	Notes
3 The continuing education and training landscape
	Introduction
	Status-quo and key challenges
		Governance
			Decentralisation and federalism shape the governance of CET
			Social and economic partners play a strong role in the CET landscape
			The National Skills Strategy improves co-ordination of actors in this fragmented policy area
			The CET landscape is regulated by a wide range of laws at federal and federal state level
		Provision and providers
			The adult learning landscape includes diverse learning offers at all levels
			The provider structure is complex and providers are only loosely regulated
	Assessment and policy directions
		Deepen co-operation between stakeholders in the context of the NWS
		Develop a German CET law that ensures a common framework across the territory
		Introduce minimum quality standards for providers
	References
	Notes
4 Guidance, validation and partial qualifications
	Introduction
	Status-quo and key challenges
		CET Guidance
			Comparatively few individuals seek information on CET in Germany
			The large number of actors involved in guidance requires co-ordination
			Federal states have taken different approaches to co-ordinating guidance offers...
			…and provision at national level is expanding
			Advice on CET for companies encourages the skill development of employees
		Validation
			Germany has no comprehensive system for the recognition of prior learning…
			…but there are various instruments for the documentation of skills
		Partial qualifications
			Partial qualifications can improve the permeability and flexibility of CET
			In Germany, distinct sets of partial qualifications have been developed in parallel by different institutions
	Assessment and policy directions
		Set-up a national initiative on guidance
		Develop a nationwide legal framework for the validation of prior learning
		Establish partial qualifications as a structural feature of the German CET landscape, by making them available nationwide and speeding up standardisation
		Establish a stakeholder working group that systematises the connections between guidance, validation and partial qualifications
	References
	Notes
5 Funding of CET and financial incentives
	Introduction
	Status-quo and key challenges
		Funding of CET
			Although data on investment in CET are scarce, it suggests that CET makes up only a small part of overall investment in education and training
			Costs are shared between individuals, enterprises and different levels of government
			The majority of the cost of CET is borne by individuals and enterprises
		Financial incentives for individuals
			Germany has a plethora of financial incentives for individuals, which can be difficult to navigate
		Education and training leave
		Financial incentives for companies
			The federation provides generous financial incentives for longer CET courses…
			…, while federal states offer a range of complementary funding opportunities for companies
	Assessment and policy directions
		Streamline financial incentives for CET and close funding gaps
		Introduce nationwide framework legislation on education and training leave
		Make use of existing opportunities to channel federal investments for CET to the federal states
		Increase overall investment in CET and explore additional funding streams
	References
	Notes
6 Engaging adults with low skills
	Introduction
	Status-quo and key challenges
		Incidence of adults with low skills
			Close to one in five adults in Germany have low basic skills…
			…and most adults with low skills are in employment
		Learning participation
			By international standards, learning participation of low-skilled adults is low...
			…and adults with low skills are less likely to participate in all types of learning than their higher skilled peers
		Barriers to learning participation
			Barriers to participation are higher and more complex for adults with low skills
			Two in three adults with low basic skills are not interested in participating in CET…
			… as many low-skilled adults have limited hopes that CET will improve their labour market chances
			Socio-economic disadvantages shape individuals’ opportunities and interest to train...
			…and so does working in jobs where CET opportunities are limited
			Lack of time is one of the key barriers for those who would like to participate
		CET opportunities for low-skilled adults
			Literacy and basic skills offers have low participation and limited reach
			CET provision for low-qualified adults is focused on full vocational qualifications
	Assessment and policy directions
		Develop a Bund-Länder initiative on up-skilling low-skilled adults
		Improve financial incentives for low-skilled adults
		Finance outreach activities to activate this target group
	References
	Notes