Networked expertise: the one-stop shop from GOVET as the central service of German VET cooperation

Strong and consistent international VET cooperation between the many different German stakeholders depends on the reliability of information and the maintenance of the network. GOVET acts in this case as a central contact of the Federal Government and combines the competencies of the iBBZ community for domestic and foreign stakeholders. The one-stop shop advises and connects German and foreign stakeholders and provides information on the global stage about the German system of vocational education and training. In the 2025 reporting year it was possible to once again increase performance, as the current key figures demonstrate.

In-demand contact on all continents

GOVET enquiry management is a reliable gauge of worldwide interest in the German VET system. Since its founding, GOVET has answered a total of 6,396 enquiries regarding VET in Germany and iBBZ – 444 of these enquiries in 2025 alone, from around 60 countries on all continents. The enquires reflect the German system’s high global relevance. GOVET received 226 enquiries from abroad, whereby Asia formed the main geographic focus with 84 questions from 21 countries.

At the same time, 218 German stakeholders called on the expertise of GOVET for information on 60 different countries and world regions. 2025 saw a particular focus on skilled worker immigration. With 53 enquiries from 20 countries on migration for working and training purposes, GOVET’s specific information contributed to securing skilled workers for the German labour market.

Visitor groups and specialist dialogue: exchange on equal terms

Despite the strength of digital channels, in-person specialist dialogue remains a vital part of GOVET’s work. The demand for specialist networking noticeably increased in 2025 and culminated in a total of 77 information events, 12 of which were specialist dialogues and four of which were specialist seminars with more than 1,150 participants from 55 countries. Specialist dialogue usually serves to prepare German experts for a specific assignment at iBBZ, and specialist seminars are offered for intensive engagement with a specific specialist topic. The demand for different information formats significantly exceeded that of the previous year. Topics ranged from the basics of dual training to complex questions about governance and data-based VET policy. 

Of particular note is the advising of delegations from regions of high geostrategic interest, including for example India, Central Asia, and North Africa.

The format of the predominantly virtual specialist dialogue has established itself as an efficient tool to provide needs-appropriate information to employees of German delegations abroad.

Digital reach: New record values for website and social media

The GOVET web presence recorded over 45,000 hits in 2025, which represents an increase of 10 per cent compared to the previous year and the highest number of hits to date. The portal has seen a global response. Users from 181 countries accessed the service, with the most common countries of origin being, alongside Germany, the US, China, India, Austria, Ghana, and South Africa – with especially notable increases from Ghana and South Africa. Despite technical obstacles in the statistical recording, such as the increasing use of do-not-track settings, almost 10,000 downloads from the download portal show the high relevance of the documents provided there.

The social media strategy has also proven successful. The LinkedIn profile, launched in May 2024, was able to almost double its number of followers to 1,300. With 144 specialist articles, 87,000 impressions were recorded and almost 40,000 users reached. The increased interaction of the expert audience with the articles (engagement rate) shows that the content is relevant for the target audience.

This is complemented with the YouTube channel that was revamped in 2025 and generated almost 40,000 hits. The most-watched video of the year was “Dual VET in Germany” with over 15,000 hits, followed by the English-language version with almost 10,000 hits.

Knowledge management: Up-to-date, multilingual, and needs-oriented

In order to meet the needs of the expert public, GOVET updated all presentations in 2025. Specialist presentations on the topics of “Certification, accreditation and recognition in the German vocational education and training system”, “Institutionalised VET research”, “Data reporting in initial and continuing vocational education and training” and “Career orientation in the German VET system” – each in German, English, French, and Spanish.

Another important emphasis was on developing a localised version of the Leando trainer guide, which supports specialist advice on the qualification of company training staff, for the cooperation with Costa Rica. Leando is the main contact point at BIBB for training and examination staff and provides information, networking opportunities and materials for structuring everyday training and on the examination system.

The 2025 balance sheet shows: GOVET is more than just an information point. With a combination of expert advice, in-person specialist networking, and modern digital communication GOVET is both strengthening international cooperation and contributing to securing the availability of skilled workers.