In Germany, vocational education and training (VET) plays an important role in preparing the ground for young people’s entry to the labour market. In particular, the dual system of apprenticeship training, combining on-the-job learning at training companies and school-based learning at vocational colleges, has been a remarkably big and stable educational sector in Germany. This contribution raises the question whether this system is still fulfilling its traditional role of facilitating school-work transitions in times of fast and far-reaching changes in the world of work caused by the effects of digitalisation. Research shows that digitalisation results in the need for a more highly skilled workforce (Zika at al., 2017; 2018). However, it is much less clear how relevant skills can be developed and what contributions different educational sectors (school education, VET, higher education) can make to the skills mix in digitalised economies. This contribution draws on research conducted by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) into the three connected aspects. The first is the macro-economic change that is happening as a result of digitalisation and how this change is affecting the types, numbers, and levels of jobs that will be needed in the future labour market. The second aspect is the effects digital work environments have on different types of occupations, and the training programmes and processes associated with these occupations in the German system. The third aspect is the pedagogic implications digital change has on training processes and the competencies required by training staff. By drawing these perspectives together, indications for necessary changes to the training system emerge. These include a more important role of further training and a need for specific media-didactic competences of in-company trainers and teachers at vocational colleges.

BIBB (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung, Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training) (2018): Datenreport zum Berufsbildungsbericht 2018. Informationen und Analysen zur Entwicklung der beruflichen Bildung (Bonn: BIBB). BMBF (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Federal Ministry for Education and Research) (2019): Berufsbildungsbericht 2019. Bonn: BMBF. Zika, G., Maier, T., Helmrich, R., Hummel, M., Kalinowski, M., Mönnig, A., Wolter, M. (2017): Qualifikations- und Berufsfeldprojektion bis 2035 - Regionale Unterschiede prägen die beruflichen Arbeitsmärkte: BIBB Report 3/2017 (Bonn: BIBB). Zika, G., Helmrich, R., Maier T., Weber E., Wolter M. (2018): Arbeitsmarkteffekte der Digitalisierung 2035 - Regionale Branchenstruktur spielt eine wichtige Rolle, IAB Kurzbericht 9/2018 (Nuremberg: IAB).