The changing relevance of the beruf

This chapter considers the changing relevance of the concept of ‘beruf’, which denotes a person’s occupational identity, status and capacity and which is at the centre of the German vocational education and training (VET) system. While the dual system has been credited for the generally high skills level and productivity in Germany, whether it is able to respond adequately to structural changes in the economy and the organisation of work, as well as to demographic developments and whether the qualifications produced are meeting emerging demands has been a topic of debate for some time. Tensions arising out of these changes have put the ‘beruf’ concept under pressure, pulling VET in the direction of academic education (knowledge) on the one hand, and towards more training for employability (skills) on the other. This chapter addresses the following questions: What is the significance of initial VET in the entire system? What is the meaning of ‘beruf’ as the organising principle of German VET? What are the specific features of an ‘ausbildungsberuf’, the main qualification type of the German qualification system? How are the qualifications of the dual system used in the labour market? What are the main challenges for the ‘beruf’ as the governing principle of VET from the labour market and educational point of view and how does the system react to these? What might be the impact of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) on national developments? Show less