The ‘academization’ of the German qualification system

Recent developments in the relationships between vocational training and higher education in Germany

Bibliographic Data

ID8093363
AuthorsAndrä Wolter (Humboldt University Berlin, Germany, corresponding author), Christian Kerst (German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies)
Year2015
Volume10
Issue4
Pages510-524
Publication date2015-10-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueResearch in Comparative and International Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1745-4999 • E-ISSN: 1745-4999
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1745499915612188
OpenAlexW2258036488
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited9

The traditional German model of skill formation was based on the rather strict segmentation between vocational training and higher education. However, during recent years this differentiation has slowly dissolved, partly by politically motivated developments to increase the permeability between both sectors and partly as a result of latent changes in the participation in higher education leading to a higher degree of ‘academization’. After a short description and analysis of recent trends in higher education and vocational training, especially the expansion of higher education, the article focuses on two processes to achieve more permeability and cooperation between both parts of the German qualification system: (1) the introduction and extending of dual study programmes and (2) the opening of access to higher education for vocational qualified people without the usual school credentials (e.g. the Abitur). The article concludes with two scenarios regarding trends in the participation in higher education

Dual (grammatical number · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · German · Higher education · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · Vocational education · Higher Education Governance and Development · Higher Education Learning Practices · Psychology · Sociology and Education Studies

Tools

Open DOISci-HubOpen Access