Every year, a quarter of a million young people enter the transition area of vocational education and training. An equally wide variety of educational content is dealt with in an enormous variety of measures, for which the federal states and the Federal Employment Agency in particular assume responsibility. The most common feature is that it does not achieve qualified professional qualifications, but rather that the measures are intended to prepare for the commencement of vocational training.

All expectations in recent decades that the transition area is only a temporary anomaly in the classical understanding of the transition from school to vocational training have not been met. Instead, new social and pedagogical challenges are emerging, for which the transition area is intended to offer solutions.

Together with our guest Michael Heister, we will discuss in the context of the Labora Lecture how the current challenges, including the integration of refugees and the digitalization of education, can be dealt with constructively.

In his input, Michael Heister addresses the following topics in particular:

  • For the almost 3 million people between the ages of 20 and 34 without a school leaving certificate, we have to come up with solutions.
  • Even with the integration of refugees into the training market, we as a society are not good enough.
  • Do apprenticeships in Germany last too long?
  • AI and adaptive learning will change (vocational) education and can help people without a vocational qualification and refugees.

This is supplemented by short inputs from the studies as well as the practical and consulting work of Minor and discussed in the circle of invited experts.

To our guest

Prof. Dr. Michael Heister has headed the "Initiatives for Vocational Education and Training" department at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training since 2009.   His work focuses, among other things, on permeability in terms of vocational and academic education as well as vocational education and training and AI.

After studying economics at the University of Cologne, he received his doctorate in social policy. From 1992 to 2009 he worked at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, most recently as Head of Unit for Programmes from the European Social Fund.

He is also an honorary professor at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences with a focus on human resources management and a member of the ACATECH Learning Systems Platform.

To the Labora Lectures

With the Labora lectures brings the Minor – Labora experts from science, politics and practice into an intensive exchange on issues and social developments that affect the shaping of the future of our society. We aim at mutual learning on innovative ideas, methods and approaches to improve the situation of marginalized or disadvantaged groups. We welcome the guests with a special wine, other drinks and some food that accompanies the evening in the fireplace room. The Labora lectures are organised and implemented in cooperation with Minor – Project Kontor for Education and Research, Minor – Science Society and La Red – Networking and Integration. 

The Labora lectures It's called Chatham House Rules.