copy the linklink copied!1. Overview: Unlocking the potential of migrants through vocational education and training in Germany

Demand and supply for apprenticeships

The Federal Institute for VET (BIBB, 2018[23]) provides yearly statistics on supply and demand in the dual apprenticeship market. Contrary to the common notation in labour economics, supply (of VET) denotes in German statistics the numbers of apprenticeship places offered by employers, whereas the demand (for VET) denotes school-leavers who want to attend an apprenticeship. Table 1.2 shows these figures for apprenticeships.

The supply of apprenticeships has remained fairly stable in recent years. There are two types of dual apprenticeships: firm-based VET (betrieblich), and non-firm apprenticeships at publicly funded training centres (außerbetrieblich). The latter is funded by the Länder. Both share and number of non-firm apprenticeships declined from around 40 000 (or 7%) in 2010 to less than 15 000 (or 2.5%) in 2018 while demand from firms has grown.

The demand for apprenticeship places is larger than the supply, but decreased in recent years, mainly due to decreasing youth cohort sizes, but also due to a shift of the preferences towards general education programmes. Reflecting growing migration inflows, however, the demand increased in 2017 for the first time since 2011.

Matching demand (apprentices) and supply (employers)

While decreasing demand has relaxed the situation for some school-leavers who could not find a suitable apprenticeship place, many still struggle to do so. The number of unsuccessful applicants has remained stable at around roughly 80 000. Furthermore, about 270 000 students are in the transitional system, largely because they could not find an apprenticeship. There is a mismatch between supply and demand observable in Germany (BIBB, 2019[24]). Data show that the reasons for this mismatch are at least threefold:

• Mismatch in terms of regions: Both the share of unsuccessful applicants and the share of vacant positions differ considerably between regions. For instance, less than 5% of all applicants are unsuccessful in Eastern Bavaria, while this share is over 20% in some central and northern regions.

• Mismatch in terms of occupations: For some occupations, such as designers, animal keepers, or computer specialists, there are far more interested school-leavers than available employers. On the other hand, firms in other occupations often have severe difficulties in finding skilled and motivated candidates.

• Mismatch in terms of skills: An increasing number of apprentices have a university entrance qualification [in 2010: 21%, in 2016 28.7%, (BIBB, 2018[23])]. Consequently, it is increasingly difficult for graduates of the basic track at the lower secondary level (Hauptschulabschluss) to find apprenticeships.

Dispersal and settlement policies for asylum seekers and refugees in Germany

Germany uses a distribution “key” that disperses asylum seekers across its different regional states (Länder), taking into account the population size and tax revenue of each region. In 2017, most asylum seekers were hosted in North-Rhine Westphalia, followed by Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Together, these three states hosted around 50% of all asylum seekers in 2017.

On a regional level, it is up to the regional government how to disperse asylum seekers across municipalities. These regional dispersal mechanisms mostly consider municipalities’ population size. Thus, usually local labour market conditions, such as unemployment rates or specific skills needs, are not considered.

Once asylum seekers receive refugee status they are required to live in the region to which they were allocated for three years. This is a recent policy change in 2016 with the aim of reducing secondary migration to regions that are (perceived as) more attractive and to facilitate planning for municipalities. This policy change leaves it up to the regional government to decide whether they want to restrict freedom of settlement within the region even further, e.g. requiring refugees to remain in the municipality or county to which they were allocated. As of June 2018, seven states out of 16 have implemented further restrictions, including North-Rhine Westphalia, Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg and Hessen.

Settlement restrictions can be lifted when refugees have found a job or apprenticeship elsewhere or when they are accepted into university. In addition, a move can be granted for joining family members and exceptions can be made in particular cases of hardship. Refugees have to request a permission to move from the local Foreigners’ Office, which decides whether one of the exceptional conditions applies. Where permission to move is granted the immigration authorities in the receiving municipality also have to agree.

However, given the decentralised nature of decision making in local immigration authorities, there is no data available on how often permissions are actually granted. Thus, there is currently no way of assessing to what extent mobility for work and education-related purposes is occurring in practice. Anecdotal evidence, however, shows that practices of local Immigration Authorities can differ widely, depending on the state and how widely local officials used their margin of discretion when deciding on individual cases.

The educational background of young asylum seekers and refugees

Much of the public debate and policy attention has focused on the educational background of new arrivals as an indication of their chances of ultimately succeeding in the German labour market and education system. Particularly for young refugee adults, continuing education or participating in upskilling measures that build on previous educational achievement and work experience is critical to facilitate their transition into stable employment.

Data from asylum seekers who arrived in 2015 indicate that the 18-34 age group has somewhat higher educational backgrounds than older asylum seekers, but data also show that educational attainment is highly varied, with a high proportion of asylum seekers possessing only primary education or no formal education at all (Table 1.4).

To arrive at an estimate of the educational background of prospective refugees, data was weighted according to the recognition rate of asylum seekers’ country of origin. Weighted averages indicate that close to 50% have attended upper secondary school or university in the 18-24 age group. At the same time, around 20% have had no formal education at all or had only attended primary school.

However, these data should be interpreted with caution, as categories are broad and refer to attendance rather than completion of qualifications. Furthermore, the quality of education obtained is unlikely to be comparable to the German system. Measuring migrants’ skills levels can therefore be necessary to get a clearer picture of the asylum seekers actual educational background.

Educational aspirations

Educational aspirations among asylum seekers and refugees vary by age and gender. Survey data show that young asylum seekers and refugees generally have high educational aspirations (Romiti et al., 2016[27]).4 Among the 18-25 year-olds, 84% indicate that they probably or certainly want to continue their education in order to receive a vocational qualification. Of these, around 40% would like to obtain a university degree. With increasing age, the wish to continue education declines; among 26-35 year-olds, the share decreases to 69% and further drops to 41% among those 36 and older.

Women’s educational aspirations are slightly lower. Around 60% of all female respondents declared that they would want to obtain a professional qualification, compared to 69% of all male respondents. Lower educational aspirations compared to men are correlated with having children (Romiti et al., 2016[27]).

While educational aspiration among young asylum seekers and refugees is high, this should not be equated with actual educational decisions; starting VET is an effective financial investment that many asylum seeker and refugees may not be willing or able to make, particularly if they have to support family members.

Different scenarios were developed that take into account the recognition rates for 12-25 year-old asylum applicants, their educational aspirations, and different estimates for the preparatory time needed before entering VET [see (Winnige, Maier and Steeg, 2017[28]) for a description of the methodology]. Demand for VET is estimated to grow steadily. Between 2017 and 2018, the number of asylum seekers and refugees applying for apprenticeships increased by almost 45% from around 26 500 to 38 300. (Matthes et al., 2019[29]).

Legal frameworks for accessing VET and VET-related support measures

For refugees, there are no legal barriers preventing participation in vocational education (whether school-based or apprenticeships), internships or VET-specific support measures. However, restrictions apply for asylum seekers and persons with a toleration status. With the exception of school-based VET, local immigration authorities have to give permission on a case-by-case basis. In general, asylum seekers from so-called “safe countries of origin” (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, Kosovo, Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Senegal and Serbia) are not allowed to start VET or an internship as they are less likely to be granted asylum. All other asylum seekers can start VET and internships after having been in the country for three months. For persons who have received a toleration status there is no waiting period. Persons with a toleration status may not be permitted to pursue an economic activity like apprenticeship under certain circumstances related to the veracity of personal information supplied to the German authorities. The Public Employment Service (PES), which would have to grant permission for taking up employment, does not have to be consulted for VET or for internships that do not last longer than three months (Table 1.5).

There is a range of VET-specific measures that seek to prepare students who need additional support before starting VET as well as programmes that support students during their apprenticeships. While this provision is generally accessible for refugee VET students, for asylum seekers it depends on their country of origin. In addition, waiting periods apply (Table 1.7).

The educational background of young natives with immigrant parents

Despite having grown up in Germany, this group faces considerable obstacles both in the school and then in the labour market. For the most part, weaker educational and labour market outcomes than among young people with native parents reflect that young people from migrant backgrounds disproportionally grew up in families of low socio-economic status, which has a considerable impact of children’s educational trajectories in Germany.

Among the 15-35 year-olds who are not in education anymore, differences among natives with immigrant parents and those with native-born parents are most pronounced at the upper and lower end of the educational spectrum (Table 1.7). Whereas shares of those with a Realschule certificate are the same, native students with immigrant parents more often only have a Hauptschule certificate and graduate less frequently from upper secondary education. Among young natives with a migration background, close to one in four leave the education system with a lower secondary qualification.

In addition, natives with immigrant parents perform less well than those without a migrant background when assessing their reading literacy. In 2015, natives with immigrant parents scored around 50 points lower in OECD PISA testing at age 15; a difference that translates to more than a year of schooling. This gap is twice as high as the EU-average. In addition, close to one-quarter lacked basic reading skills at age 15, compared to one in ten students with native-born parents5 (OECD, 2018[8]).

Educational aspirations

Despite generally lower educational outcomes, there is a large literature showing that parents and students with a migrant background have high educational aspirations. Among low-income immigrant families, educational aspirations as tested in PISA data are often found to be higher than among native families of comparable socio-economic background (OECD, 2017[11]). This is also the case in Germany, where immigrant parents are more likely than German-born parents to expect that their children will attend university, and this likelihood further increases when controlling for the parents’ socio-economic background (OECD, 2015[34]).

Research on students in Germany indicates that students with an immigrant background who hold a school-leaving certificate of a lower or intermediary secondary school (Hauptschule or Realschule) are less likely to be interested in pursuing VET than their peers with German-born parents. However, the opposite holds for students in upper secondary education.6 Students with a migration background who could also access tertiary education are significantly more likely to be interested in VET (32%) than those with German-born parents (25%) (Beicht and Walden, 2014[35]). These findings somewhat contradict previous findings that found that immigrant parents and students are more oriented towards tertiary education than families without a migration background [see for instance Autorengruppe Bildungsbereichterstattung (2016[33])].

Building on a strong VET system

Germans are understandably proud of their VET system. It is a system that demonstrably provides learners with skills demanded by employers: the employment rates of VET graduates is the highest within the EU. The system incorporates work-based learning with students spending the majority of their training in a workplace and has a successful history of helping weaker learners to benefit from VET through preparatory programmes. The social partners are closely involved in VET policy-making, and they have a strong sense of ownership of the education and training system, occupying clearly defined roles at all levels and by sector. Such a structure represents a major advantage for Germany. In privileging, as it does, the importance of workplace exposure, employer engagement and stronger support measures for those in need, it lays a strong foundation for enabling the sustained integration of migrants.

Germany has made impressive and creative efforts to date in addressing barriers preventing migrant access to VET

Over recent years, many new measures have been implemented at a federal, Länder and local level, aimed at supporting the integration of migrants. Responding to a complex situation, very significant efforts have been made involving a board part of society. Authorities, employers, trade unions, civic organisations and numerous individual volunteers have all played important roles, responding to the needs of migrant youth, especially recent refugees and asylum seekers. Many initial measures, notably in terms of language acquisition, were specifically targeted at migrants. Migrants are now increasingly enrolling in measures that are available to all struggling learners. Work-based learning is a common thread across all such measures. It is an approach which has proven track record in supporting vulnerable youth, of all backgrounds, to achieve within the VET systems. The close engagement of employers helps to ensure that preparatory provision is aligned with real labour market demand and practice. Not all countries recognise the importance of work-based learning in migrant integration and many will benefit from consideration of its role within German provision.

Chapter 2: Getting informed about VET

Ensure that existing career guidance services are pro-active, personalised and co-ordinated.

The OECD welcomes current efforts in improving the co-ordination of career guidance. As such services are already strong in Germany, opportunity exists to continue building on these structures and make sure that the policy is better aligned in order to increase efficiencies by avoiding overlap and increase quality by expanding successful provision. It is important that guidance counsellors have the right skills to meet the migrants’ complex needs.

With many migrants arriving in Germany from countries where VET is an unattractive educational pathway, further consideration can be given to ensuring that the career guidance services are pro-active, personalised and accessible both for migrant students and adults. Provision should allow them to consider the breadth of education and training options and challenge stereotyping that may exist about VET options. Direct encounters with workplaces are essential to effective career guidance.

Chapter 2: Building the necessary skills to enter VET

Ensure that recent arrivals have access to high quality language learning at an early point and throughout their training. Consideration should be given to scaling up provision that focuses on combining language learning and VET as this is a particularly effective mechanism for both learning and integration.

Language acquisition is essential to integration into German economic life and the sooner it is achieved, the better the results for individuals and society. It is important, consequently, to make sure that migrants in need have access to high-quality language learning at an early stage and throughout their VET training. Building up quality assurance mechanisms are necessary to ensure that the standard of the language training is satisfactory.

Ensure that there is sufficient evidence on the effectiveness of existing preparatory programmes through evaluations.

Preparatory classes for recent arrivals demand greater evaluation with the educational and employment trajectories of participants tracked, identifying success factors and assessing their impact on finding apprenticeships and/or employment.

Ensure that existing preparatory programmes are consistently available across Länder.

Preparatory programmes in VET schools are essential to enabling access to apprenticeships. They increase the knowledge and skills of learners and thereby reduce risks to employers. Poorly prepared learners take longer to develop the productive skills which ensure that the cost of an apprenticeship is outweighed by the benefits of provision.

Consider increasing access to successful preparatory programmes to learners over 18 years old.

In order to fully secure the opportunities presented by such successful provision, the age limit for preparatory classes in VET schools should be increased, so that a greater number of young migrants can benefit from such measures. Eligibility up to the age of 25 years, as is already the case in some Länder, might be considered throughout Germany.

Increase peer-learning between the Länder on successful programmes.

Finally, peer-learning across Länder on providing quality preparatory courses for recent arrivals should be strengthened, for instance by creating a co-ordinating body for the transition system across the regions. Opportunity exists to improve quality and to increase economies of scale through greater co-ordination.

Chapter 3 Getting into VET

In order to ease access into VET, consideration should be given to policy options that will:

• Further roll out introductory training (Einstiegsqualifizierungen - EQ) in co-operation with employers as this has proven to be a successful stepping stone into apprenticeship training.

• Ensure a consistent implementation of the 3+2 scheme across Germany with access to the status granted from the moment an apprenticeship contract is signed.

• Provide diversity training for recruiters, focusing particularly on SMEs to address the issue of discrimination.

• Reduce unconscious stereotyping towards, and build the social capital of, humanitarian migrants and other youth with migrant parents, by enabling more opportunities to engage with potential recruiters, e.g. through job fairs, short work placements during school and visits to companies.

Chapter 4 Support during VET

The dropout rates from apprenticeships of youth with migrant parents are a matter of concern. It is towards the end of an apprenticeship when an employer recoups early investment in training. Greater action to reduce dropout will build employer confidence.

Strengthen the availability of existing support measures during VET, such as assisted vocational training (Assistierte Ausbildung, AsA), to provide employers and humanitarian migrants, as any other learner at risk of poor outcomes, with necessary help so that they can complete upper secondary VET.

Ensure that collaboration and communication locally between apprentices, employers, schools and social services is strong. There is a need to identify, and respond to, potential challenges as early as possible in order to increase the chances of migrants completing VET.

Chapter 5 Governing the system

Chapter 6 Exploring increased flexibility in the VET system

Drawing upon experience of local initiatives and other OECD countries, consider developing in close alignment with employers more flexible pathways targets both youths and adults within the VET system.

Exploring flexible approaches in the regular VET system can help in meeting the specific needs of youth and adults who struggle to enter or complete VET including, but not exclusively, migrants and the native-born children of migrant parents. Increased flexibility can enhance student success rates in developing certified skills that enable self-sufficiency and contribute to the economy as a whole.

More flexible solutions can take many forms. Three main approaches include: shorter linked apprenticeships; longer apprenticeships; modular approaches.

Such approaches have been seen to be effective in enabling the progression of youth at risk of poor outcomes without compromising their employability. By monitoring the migrants’ performance within VET, assessing local pilots that are experimenting with flexible solutions and learning from international practice, opportunity exists to give serious consideration to the development of more flexible models in Germany. This is particularly important should progression rates through the VET systems fail to significantly increase.

In considering policy options, perhaps greatest priority relates to embedding stronger mechanisms for evaluation and peer learning. Over recent years Germany has responded to significant new demands on its VET system with determination and creativity. Building on excellent foundations, opportunity exists to better review, identify and expand more effective provision based on deeper understanding of the extent of challenges faced by different learners. Such practice not only underpins effective provision, but also enables strategic leadership and nurtures a culture of continual improvement of relevance to all VET learners.