KIBB, ReferNet & LDBB are central elements of the knowledge management system built up by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) to support the scientific community of VET Research in Germany and the EU. The national part of this system is the VET Communication and Information System "KIBB". It was developed to support the transfer of knowledge between research, practice and policy in Germany. Main objectives are to respond to questions from the political administration, to document results of VET research and to improve the cooperation of VET Researchers (in the German VET research network association AG BFN). The KIBB-portal includes the AG BFN-Website and provides a documentation of research results (Knowledge Map), current announcements concerning conferences, calls for tender (national and european) and job advertisements, a documentation of conference results and also a direct access to the LDBB (see below). ReferNet, the european part, is a structured and decentralized system for collecting data and information on vocational education and training (VET) and related issues. It was set up by CEDEFOP in 2002 in response to the growing demand for information that would make it possible to compare trends, developments and policies in the EU Member States. ReferNet is a network of national consortia representing key VET institutions/organizations of the 29 participating countries, led by a coordination body. In Germany, the BIBB serves as coordinating body of the national consortium, which primarily consists of members of the AG BFN. There are three main activity areas in the ReferNet work: 1. Analysis reports of national VET systems. 2. Analysis reports about the main Research activities in VET. 3. Documentation and dissemination of information. ReferNet disseminates literature from CEDEFOP and from other European countries the other way around. ReferNet transfers international literature about VET into the LDBB, the largest database on VET literature in Germany. The literature database LDBB offers up-to-date references with assessed relevance. It includes articles published in journals, a source, that are difficult to research via library catalogues. The LDBB currently comprises approximately 50,000 references from 1988 onwards, providing specialist material on all aspects of the thematic areas of "vocational education and training" and "VET research". The datasets contain bibliographical information, and content may be accessed via keywords, abstracts and via a classification system.

KIBB: Collecting data and information from the members of the scientific community AG BFN (VET Research in Germany), mainly by using forms and processing them to be used in a structured system of knowledge management. ReferNet: Collecting and documentation of data and information about the German VET System and Research for European reports to meet the growing demand for comparable information on policies and developments in the area of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the European Union. LDBB: Collection, analysis and documentation of information about literature on the VET System and Research in Germany and other countries.

In our presentation we want to explain how these three elements are constructed to achieve their objectives and how they are connected to work together as parts of a knowledge management system. We also want to point out good practice examples of knowledge management and dissemination of information on VET in Germany. But we not do only want to show, how the BIBB organises knowledge management on VET in Germany. We also hope to be participants in an exchange of informations with experts from other countries to share experiences that can help us to improve our own system and strengthen the connections between the different systems.