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Matching supply and demand in the labour market in times of structural change will be the key challenge for economic and labour market policy. To make sure that the German economy will remain successful in the future and that everyone will take a share of our prosperity, skilled workers need the right skills and qualifications. A joint assessment of the situation is first required: what is the state of play, and what skill and vocational development needs can we foresee for the future? Trade unions, employers' associations and the Federal Government have sought to answer these questions together in the framework of the Partnership for Skilled Professionals. This resulting foresight study on the skill and vocational development needs over the period to 2030 highlights ways in which the working world is changing and sets out a vision of the future in 2030. It examines the trends regarding general and sector-specific shifts in skill needs. It additionally deduces development requirements and the conditions for the successful transformation of the labour market.

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This chapter discusses the potentials of learning factories for the development of multidisciplinary digital competence (MDC) for Industry 4.0. It investigates the perspectives of electrical engineering and mechatronics teachers about the impact of digitisation and Industry 4.0 on their technical vocational school and the potentials of learning factories for teaching and learning. The qualitative study focused on the following three research question: (1) Which role do digitisation and Industry 4.0 have for the technical vocational schools? (2) What MDC do the technical vocational teachers most value for Industry 4.0? (3) How do teachers integrate the learning factories 4.0 into their teaching? The findings of the study highlight the need for apprentices to be properly prepared for Industry 4.0 in vocational schools and occupational training.

The book from which this chapter is taken is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 143.278. Show less

This publication is an outcome of the global webinar on the Future of work in the digital economy: developing skills for Industry 4.0 on 25 June 2020, which was opened by the Australian Ambassador to Germany and hosted by RMIT Europe. In this report industry leaders and international academics examine the impact of [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 on the digital economy and analyse the critical skills required to drive this accelerated digital transformation.

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The contents are as follows: Foreword / Aleksander Subic; In focus: growth in the space industry sector through advanced manufacturing / Alexsandar Subic; Perspectives: a digital workforce is more important now than ever / Jeff Connolly; In focus: embedding digital skills in education / Jeff Connolly; Perspectives: the opportunity for Australia's manufacturing sector / Andrew Dettmer; In focus: a fair share for Australian manufacturing / Andrew Dettmer; Perspectives: engineers play a critical role in industrial transformation / Bronwyn Evans; In focus: data and water security / Bronwyn Evans; Perspectives: global partnerships are key for solutions to global challenges / Frank Wagner; In focus: Future Work Lab in Germany / Frank Wagner; Perspectives: cyber security underpins the success of Industry 4.0 / Michelle Price; In focus: Blackberry and the next generation of cyber professionals / Michelle Price. Show less

This focus of this chapter is on the assessment of professional knowledge of teachers at vocational schools in the area of automation and digitisation. It presents the results of two professional development training courses, one which focused on pedagogical content knowledge aspects of fault diagnosis of an automation system on a computer simulation, and another which covered different aspects of Industry 4.0 and digitised production. The evaluation of the two courses was measured by questionnaires based on the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model.

The book from which this chapter is taken is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 143.278. Show less

This research arose from work commissioned by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee - in the form of a cross sector project looking at the need for digital skills in a range of manufacturing and related industries. The project was managed by IBSA Manufacturing, a Skills Service Organisation, which provides support to the following Industry Reference Committees (IRCs): Aerospace; Furnishing; Manufacturing and Engineering; Process Manufacturing, Recreational Vehicles and Laboratory; Sustainability; and Textiles, Clothing and Footwear. During the course of the project, national consultations were undertaken with more than 40 representatives from large (often multinational) businesses, small and medium businesses, unions, training providers and other VET sector stakeholders.

Many of the individuals involved in the consultations raised questions about how well the VET sector was prepared for the substantial digital changes impacting on the workforce and the manufacturing sector in particular. They questioned whether Training Packages were sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of the manufacturing sector as it responds to growing levels of digital disruption (or what has been termed the 4th Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0). The research undertaken to support the project, also identified a vastly greater number of reports and papers focussed on the challenge of upskilling workers for an Industry 4.0 environment, than in relation to the need for specific digital skills for manufacturing and related workers. This report synthesises the research evidence - in relation to both digital skills and the broader challenges of skilling workers for the Industry 4.0 workplace.

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Context: The context for this paper is strongly underpinned by the significance of the integration of education and the world of work, which has been recognised as a key issue for policy, practice and research across Europe and beyond.

Approach: The four interrelated symposium papers focus on the complexities of work-based learning and explore its different configurations. The potential of a social ecological approach for exploring the relationships between work and learning will be considered. The papers will further draw on perspectives from three European countries: Germany, Latvia and the UK.

Findings: Through these three cross-national case studies, the context of the workplace has been considered as a crucial indicator of different dimensions of work-related learning. The papers identify some influential interdependent and embedded processes involved, such as the consolidation of theory and practice, digitalisation, personalised workplace learning patterns and crossing boundaries between different sectors, approaches and learning routes such as work-based and Higher Education. In these processes, the central place of agency of the learning individual, needs to be taken into account, and the social ecological approach provides a useful framework to capture the interdependent, relational and contextually embedded developments involved.

Conclusion: Through these three case studies, this paper aims to facilitate cross-national discussion of the complex nature and changing demands of contemporary work-based learning, particularly highlighting the significance of its inclusive perspective and embedded approaches.

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This study analyses examples of cooperation between vocational education and training (VET) and businesses. In addition to the 12 selected case studies, this study builds on expert interviews and a desk research component. Three dimensions have been identified to classify VET-business cooperation: (1) the VET process (curriculum development, VET delivery, feedback loop); (2) the topics of cooperation (matching supply and demand, work-based learning, digital skills, innovation - including digitalisation aspects not related to skills development, entrepreneurial skills, mobility, social inclusion, raising awareness); and (3) the level of cooperation (individual, local/regional, sectoral, national, European, global). Initiatives such as dual study programmes in Germany or the VET programme developed by the Danish retail chain Coop show how VET-business cooperation influences the quality and attractiveness of VET.

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In an increasingly digital world, the significance of cyber security for individuals, businesses, and governments has never been greater. Rising cyber attacks are challenging current defence and operational capabilities, highlighting a critical shortage of skilled cyber security professionals. This report delves into the demand for cyber security expertise by analysing online job postings in France, Germany and Poland in between 2018 and 2023. It examines trends in the demand for cyber security professionals, the geographical distribution of job opportunities, and the changing skill requirements in this field. Focusing on France, the report also explores cyber security education and training programmes, the characteristics of the programmes, the demographics of enrolled learners, and their outcomes. Additionally, it reviews French policies and initiatives aimed at broadening the cyber security workforce and enhancing educational opportunities in this field. This comprehensive analysis is part of a larger effort to understand the evolving landscape of cyber security policies and professional experiences worldwide.

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