Comment: Highest priority for further training
Shortly before his departure from office as President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB), I was able to interview Professor Friedrich Hubert Esser in detail about his ideas regarding vocational training (see page 50). I found his suggestion to move away from the strict separation of training and further education particularly remarkable. Instead, there should be an “integrated career concept” with the opportunity to gain further qualifications – analogous to the academic model – up to the equivalent of a doctorate.
The idea is important in two respects: On the one hand, it underlines the equal value of both career paths, which is more than overdue. On the other hand, it shows the relevance and need for continuous qualification. This has been propagated lukewarmly for many years under the heading of “lifelong learning”. However, the AI-driven turbo transformation is making the topic of further training a hot question of survival: for individual companies, for many industries and for the economy of our country, which is poor in raw materials.
Basically, companies see it that way – but as the TÜV training study shows, there is a lack of implementation: contrary to better knowledge, too little money, too little time and too little strategic calculation is invested in further training. The bill for this will come – probably all too soon.
