From August 1st, Dr. Sandra Garbade will head the Federal Institute for Vocational Training as President. The Federal Cabinet decided this today. This will be the first time that a woman will run the facility. Garbade takes over the position from Professor Friedrich Hubert Esser, who headed the BIBB for more than 15 years.
Federal Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) said that with Garbade, an “experienced and proven leader” would take over the management of the federal institute. She has extensive expertise in vocational training policy and many years of experience in management positions. Prien further explained: “Strong vocational training is a central prerequisite for securing skilled workers and thus for the future viability of our country. I am convinced that Dr. Garbade will provide important impetus for the further development of vocational training.”
Garbade’s biography fits the profile of the institution. She has both professional training and the necessary academic background: after training as a bank clerk and studying and earning a doctorate in business education, she initially worked in banking and management consulting.
In 2007, Garbade then moved to the Hamburg school service as a teacher at vocational schools. She then took on various management roles at the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Training (HIBB), where she has been developing vocational training in Hamburg as managing director since 2017. According to the Federal Ministry of Education, Garbade’s focus is on strengthening vocational training, promoting equal opportunities and the future-oriented further development of the vocational school system.
Garbade’s predecessor, Esser, had worked intensively for equality between professional and academic educational paths. Shortly before he left, we were able to visit him at his official residence in Bonn. Read more about this in our report.
Info
The Federal Institute for Vocational Training is the central research institute for vocational training in Germany. In addition to political advice, another task is regulatory work for vocational training.
Christina Petrick-Löhr is responsible for the Talent & Learning magazine section as well as reporting on training and further education. She is also responsible for the editorial planning of various special human resources publications as well as the German Human Resources Prize.
