Institutionalised research and consultation

Educational and labour market research provide important impetuses for developments in VET and labour market policy. Labour market research observes and analyses the development of the labour market with regard to occupations, branches of trade and industry and regions and draws up short-term and long-term projections. It investigates the impacts of labour market and social policy instruments and also analyses the experiences of other countries in this area.

The task of VET research is to initiate, help shape and evaluate innovations in the field of vocational education and training. Its activities include recognising the skills requirements of trade and industry at an early stage, making a contribution towards quality assurance in vocational education and training, clarifying educational economics issues relating to costs and benefits, investigating educational processes and conducting research into new learning concepts. VET research provides the foundations for educational planning decisions and is involved in the preparation of such decisions. Research results are used to inform the dialogue which takes place between the state, trade and industry and the social partners. All of this enables VET research to exert a constructive influence on the further development of vocational education and training.

The benefits at a glance:

• Educational and labour market research acts as a vehicle for the early recognition of the skills requirements of trade and industry, for the clarification of these requirements via cost-benefits analyses based on educational economics and for the development of practical solutions.
• The inflow of research results into policy and educational practice secures the quality of vocational education and training.
• Labour market information provides an important basis for comprehensive advisory services and for initial and continuing training provision in line with requirements.

Perspectives for cooperation:

Many of our partner countries have recognised the crucial significance of structured labour market and VET research for the development of human resources and for the economic development of their country and wish to back this up in the form of academic research findings. Consultancy which takes place at the interfaces between the general educational, vocational education and employment system is also being accorded increasing relevance in many partner countries and is considered to constitute an important contribution towards the raising of employability skills on the part of those who complete training. German VET cooperation brings comprehensive experience to bear in these areas. It is able to make a contribution towards securing economic sustainability and the sustainability of VET systems by providing expert consultancy for the establishment of such institutions and services in the partner countries.