Continued vocational education and training in Germany: Ready for change in the labour market?
05.02.2026
Digitalisation and automation, demographic changes and the ‘green’ transformation are noticeably changing occupations and qualification requirements. In her video presentation, Julia Olesen (GOVET) shows how continuing education and training (CET) in Germany is helping to prepare employees and companies for these shifts.
Digitalisation and automation, demographic changes and the green transition are shifting qualification requirements worldwide and this raises the question: How can the working population remain employable? In a new video, Julia Olesen, project manager at GOVET at BIBB, shows how continuing education and training (CET) in Germany can help prepare employees and companies for these upheavals.
The video was presented at the Professional Vocational Education Conference (University of Hong Kong) in December 2025 and is aimed at an international audience of experts.
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What is the video about?
It focuses on how the German system of continued vocational education and training is organised and which approaches help to systematically strengthen upskilling and reskilling, especially against the backdrop of profound changes in the labour market due to technology, demographics and transformation.
The key messages are:
- The labour market in transition: Qualifications must be developed more quickly and in a more targeted manner throughout the entire working life.
- Continued education as a location factor: Companies and employees benefit when continuing education is planned, accessible and compatible.
- Understanding structures: The article classifies key players, responsibilities and support logics in the German continuing education system.