Contractual Regulations on Continuing Vocational Education and Training in Germany

The report is part of a project under the auspices of the FORCE programme "Further Training in Europe" of the EC Commission. Reports have been collated on contractual regulations of continuing vocational education and training (CVET), intended to serve as a basis for the Social Dialogue at European level. In contrast to initial training, which has been subject of multiple international comparisons, the area of CVET, constituting a significant challenge for competitiveness, has been neglected. There is no controversy about the importance of professional training for the competitive capability of employees, enterprises, industries, and national economies. However, the opinions on the adequate level of regulation of CVET are controversial: the overriding question presents itself as to the appropriate shares of governmental regulation, social self-regulation, and managerial prerogative.