GOVET in 2023

Which topics and developments shaped international vocational education and training cooperation in 2023?

The major transformations in education, work, and society are influencing vocational education. At the same time, we see vocational education and training itself as a formative factor for social change and innovation. Well-trained people with comprehensive vocational skills recognise more quickly where there is a need for change in work processes and are able to master these changes themselves.

Just as the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training has increasingly focused on the multiple transformations of our time, they also form the focal points of our international cooperation. Digitisation and AI, decarbonisation and sustainable economic practices require skilled professionals both in Germany and in partner countries. It's about balancing the social, economic and ecological dimension of technological change. All in all, it is about improving individual educational opportunities and prospects for work and participation.

International competence is indispensable in the globally interconnected economy. In light of global labour migration and the shortage of skilled workers in Germany, the challenge is how to combine international cooperation and the recruitment of foreign skilled workers in a fair and sustainable way. Training partnerships, which consider the labour markets of both the country of origin and Germany, can be one component of a complex approach.
 

What were GOVET's key achievements in 2023?

On the tenth anniversary of the German government's strategy for international cooperation in vocational education and training, we met for an experts’ convention with departments and stakeholders in Berlin. The interim results show: In ten years, a community has grown that works together to shape international cooperation in a trustful, well-coordinated and effective manner. GOVET connects the key players.

The conference also showed that international interest in German vocational education and training remains very strong. Core topics of consultancy about the dual system remain in high demand, such as evidence-based policy development, cooperation between state and industry, the development of training regulations, and strengthening the competences of trainers. At the same time, the aforementioned transformational topics are increasingly coming into focus. Here, we have the opportunity to learn from each other and to access know-how from our partner countries as well.

In 2023, we worked with partners from Costa Rica's National Training Institute on vocational training standards in the field of IT and cyber security. Several bilateral formats with South Africa focused on sustainability and vocational education and training. South Africa's contribution to the re:publica conference highlighted the significant challenges of a "just transition": How can the country master the ecological transition without further exacerbating the already dramatic youth unemployment rate?  In Ghana, GOVET provided impulses for the development of skills for sustainable water management. Cooperation on the National Vocational Training Report was also continued there. Also noteworthy is the development of the "VET Chain" tool, dedicated to grow competences for sustainable solutions along supply chains. It can now be used with partners both at home and in international cooperation contexts.
 

GOVET's conclusion for 2023 in one sentence

The world is changing - political and geo-economic conditions have become more challenging.
In order to keep up with the international competition, we need the innovative power of vocational education and training more than ever. At the same time, we need international cooperation to support partner countries, to get inspiration from abroad for the transformation of education and work in our own country, and to strengthen diplomatic bridges.
We are tackling this - with the good track record of ten years of GOVET behind us.