Ansätze für die künftige Entwicklung berufsbildender Schulen vor dem Hintergrund der Herausforderungen der demografischen Entwicklung

Abstract

The debate concerning the demographic developments and the related contribution of vocational education system is taking place primarily in the context of the impending lack of specialized personnel, while the questions regarding the future development of the different kinds of vocational schools (part- and full-time) have been marginalized. Due to demographic developments within Germany and the resulting expected fall in numbers of the age groups crucial to the vocational education sector, the question of how the consequences of this on said sector can be dealt with. Particularly in peripheral and structurally weak regions, vocational schools are finding the retention of specialist classes for dual vocational education and training increasingly difficult due to the shrinking number of apprentices and trainees, which may also endanger the future existence of full-time vocational schools. Structural and organizational approaches to aligning the schools with the framework conditions are necessary in order to ensure that vocational schools can continue to provide differentiated educational offers as close to the places of work and residence as possible, as well as further develop the quality of their current offers. Against this backdrop, this paper offers a differentiated analysis of the demographic developments in Germany and their impact on the vocational education sector, as well as a systematic overview of structural approaches which have been developed by educational policy, educational administration and vocational and business education with the aim of securing the future availability of vocational education and training.