Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs
Continuing Education and Training in Germany
Germany has a strong skill development system. The country’s 15‑year‑old students
performed above the OECD average in the last (2018) edition of the Programme for International
Student Assessment (PISA), continuing a trend of significant improvement since PISA’s
first edition in 2000. Its adult population also has above‑average literacy and numeracy
skills, according to the OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). A strong and well-respected
vocational education and training system is seen as one of the success factors behind
these achievements. However, participation in learning beyond initial education lags
behind other high-performing OECD countries and varies considerably across different
groups of the population. This is problematic in a rapidly changing labour market,
where participation in continuing education and training is a precondition for individuals,
enterprises and economies to harness the benefits of these changes. This report assesses
the current state of the German continuing education and training (CET) system. It
examines how effectively and efficiently the system prepares people and enterprises
for the changes occurring in the world of work, and identifies what changes are necessary
to make the CET system more future ready. The report makes recommendations for the
further development of the CET system based on international good practice.