Digitalisation of Apprenticeship in German Companies · 2 1 Have German companies already digitalised their apprenticeship training? 2 What kind of support do companies wish for?

7 October 2019 / Dr. Regina Flake

2019 joint Cedefop and OECD symposiumThe next steps for apprenticeship

Digitalisation of Apprenticeship in German Companies

2

1Have German companies already digitalised their apprenticeship training?

2 What kind of support do companies wish for?

3Does the apprenticeship system leave enough scope to keep pace with the digitalisation?

Agenda / Research Questions

Digitalisation of Apprenticeships in German Companies

Das Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln e. V.The German Economic Institute



› … is a private economic research institute

› … conducts research in the fields of economic and socialpolicy, labour market, education and society

› … implements projects on behalf of third parties(e.g. federal and state ministries, associations or foundations)

› … covers as a group with its subsidiaries the whole range ofscience, education, consulting and communication

› … is employer for around 350 employees

The German Economic Institute…

4

› Sponsors:

› Members: 110 associations and businesses in Germany

Organisation

5Digitalisation of Apprenticeships in German Companies

http://www.vda.de/de/index.html

http://www.vda.de/de/index.html



› 327 state-recognized training occupations(open, technology-neutral formulations of profiles)

Recent “History” of Training Occupations

…

1997 Introduction IT-occupations

1998 Introduction “Mechatronics Fitter“

…

2017 Introduction “Management Assistant for E-Commerce“

2017 /2018

Extension of existing curriculaIntroduction of new supplementary qualificaitons(e.g. in the metal and electrical engineering industries as well as in thechemical industry)

future ???Is more structural

change of theapprenticeship

necessary?


When? Mid-October until December 2017

Who? Companies with at least one employee

How many? 1,022

Representative? Weighting based on data from the German companyregister

IW-Personalpanel

Survey among German Companies

› 9 out of 10 companies use digital technologies

› Digital distribution channels

› Digital data exchange with suppliers, service providers, or costumers

› Digital services (e.g. cloud services)

› Networking and control of machines and plants via the internet


N=830.Source: IW-Personalpanel 2017; German Economic Institute.

5.0 8.413.8

22.221.0

25.1

39.4

47.8

52.3

32.722.7

8.1

1 to 49 50 to 249 250 ormore

employees

How intensively have you engaged in the digitalisation of apprenticeship?

1 of 4 Companies engage intensively in the Digitalisation of VET

5.7 6.3

23.8

16.2

17.8

39.6

33.6

46.5

30.3

50.0

27.5

ServiceSector

ConstructionIndustry

Industry

5.2

22.2

39.9

31.9

0.8

Very intensively

Rather intensively

Less intensively

Not at all

Not specified


N=839. Weighted results.Source: IW-Personalpanel 2017; German Economic Institute

3.4

3

5.7

3.6

5.5

4.2

12.1

13.6

12.8

14.7

18.9

18.2

17.3

19.4

18.9

27.6

25.4

31.6

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

New digital learning formats

Additional time and financial resources

Cooperations with companies and other partners

Training of trainers

Adaptation of training contents

Engagement of apprentices

What has already changed in your apprenticeships during the past five years due to digitalisation?

To a high degree To a moderate degree To a limited degree

8 of 10 companies have initiated at least one change process

Apprentices drive change


N=830. Weighted results.Source: IW-Personalpanel 2017; German Economic Institute.

32.2

34.6

50.1

63.7

47.7

43.7

30

16.5

17.3

19.4

17.4

17.5

2.9

2.4

2.4

2.3

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Support concerning digital teachingand learning approaches

Choice of training content

Further training offers for trainers

Better preparation of schoolgraduates

What kind of support does your company need in the organisation of your apprenticeships in the context of the

digitalisation?

Fully applies/ largely applies Does rather not apply / does not apply at all Don´t know Not specified

Need for Support in the Digitalisation of Apprenticeships


Source: IW-Personalpanel 2017; German Economic Institute.

19.5

20.2

21.3

29.8

40.1

34.6

36.9

36.3

38.7

43.5

40.1

32.4

1.8

1.8

1.8

1.7

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Technical equipment ofschools

Digital competencies ofteachers

Number of availableteachers

Preparation of apprentices

How satisfied are you with vocational schoolsin the following areas?

Very satisfied/ rahter satisfied Very unsatisfied / rather unsatisfied

Don´t know Not specified

Relation between companies and vocational schools

Cooperation of Learning Venues

› Limited satisfactionwith schools

› Large companiesmore satisfied

› Many companiesdon‘t feel able toassess vocationalschools lack of exchange?

› Anecdotally:technical and didactiv innovationoften depend on individual activetrainers / principals


N = 830. Weighted results.Source: IW-Personalpanel 2017; German Economic Institute.

73.2

71.8

32.5

12.1

13.1

41.2

12.5

12.92

24.1

2.2

2.3

2.3

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

New supplementary qualificationsshould be created.

The existing training occupationsshould be modernized.

New training occupations shouldbe created.

In the course of digitalisation, do you think structural changes are needed in the apprenticeship system?

Fully applies / largely applies Does rather not apply / does not apply at all Don`t know Not specified

Do we need new Training Occupations?


Picture: Pixabay.

Do the“digital forerunners“

support structural change?

Or do the“digital latecomers“

hope for orientation by newregulations?

15

Dep

end

entva

riab

le: New

train

ing o

ccup

ation

s sho

uld

be

created

(Yes = 1, No

= 0). **

*/**/*: sig

nificanto

n a

1-/ 5

-/ 10

-percen

t levelSo

urce: IW

-Perso

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anel2017; G

erman

Econ

om

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stitute.

Influential Factors on Companies‘ Desire for New Training OccupationsModel A: Model B: Model C: Model D:

Company size (reference: 1 to 49 employees )

50 to 249 employees 0,012 0,037 0,028 0,018

250 or more employees 0,062 0,057 0,072 0,051

Industry and construction sector (reference)

Service sectors 0,044 0,033 0,066 0,098

Digitalisation index (reference: 0 to 1 digital technologies)

2 digital technologies 0,021 0,033 0,021 0,011

3 to 4 digital technologies 0.294*** 0.307*** 0.326*** 0.330***

Dealing with digitalisation in vocational training (reference: less intensively)

Very intensivley -0,023 -0,044 -0,038 -0,019

Rather intensively 0,046 0,046 0,078 0,044

Not at all 0,271** 0,282*** 0,209* 0,208**

Need for support

Further training of trainers 0,204**

Better preparation of school graduates 0,273**

Support in the choice of training contents 0,266***

Support concerning digital teaching and learning approaches 0,226***

Constant 0,140 0,054 0,120 0,136

R² 0,126 0,126 0,158 0,133

Prob > F 0,00022 0,0116 0 0,0002

F 2,910 2,388 4,368 3,578

N 612 617 607 609



› Scope for a more strategic approach to the digitalisation of apprenticeship

› Cooperation between learning venues need to be improved

› Significant need for orientation / support (in particular by SMEs)

› Companies see a noteworthy need for modernisation

› Companies with a leading position concerning the digitalisation(Vision how modernisation could look like?)

› Latecomers with little digital experience(Hope for orientation? Other kind of support?)

› Dissemination of examples of good practice can motivate more companies to engage in the digitalisation of their apprenticeships

Conclusion

www.iwkoeln.de/en

[email protected]

+49 (0)221 4981-840

Economist Research Unit Vocational Education and Training

Dr. Regina Flake

How you can contact me:

http://www.iwkoeln.de/en


Digital transformation& VET

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Documents

Digitalisation of Apprenticeship in German Companies · 2 1 Have German companies already digitalised their apprenticeship training? 2 What kind of support do companies wish for?