Bilateral activities

From 25 - 29 June 2018, a delegation of the trade union CISL Veneto from the Italian region Veneto visited Berlin for a study visit in the framework of the Unions4VET project.

The aim of the visit was to learn about innovations and developments in the digitisation of work. The biographies of employees are increasingly marked by changes in professional activities and changes of their work. This is often accompanied by longer periods of learning and training, retraining and phases of unemployment. Models and approaches developed and implemented by companies, trade unions and actors in vocational training and integration to meet these challenges were presented during the study visit.

The delegation was able to gain an impression of the German vocational training system and in particular of the dual training system. Vocational education and training in the Veneto region is to be further strengthened and promoted in the coming years. The social partners are also involved in the development and implementation of quality criteria for good vocational education and training. The study visit provided the delegation with numerous important ideas, for example:

• Vocational training is a necessary condition for employability and competitiveness.
• Participation and cooperation of social partners and actors at all levels and in all key areas of VET in order to develop vocational training with broad consensus and acceptance.
• Vocational education and training should be practical, of high quality and standardised and be geared to the current needs of companies.
• The value of learning during the work process must be taken into account.
• Trainers must be qualified.
• Aacquired skills and competences must be certified.

The European Quality Framework for good VET, developed by the European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC), was also presented during the study visit. This should now be involved by the trade unions in the preparation of the forthcoming negotiations in Veneto. The companies visited also presented possibilities for integrating refugees through vocational education and training.

The study visit was conducted by the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) and the bfw - Unternehmen für Bildung in cooperation with CISL Veneto and the training institution ANAPIA REGIONALE DEL VENETO - Ente Di Formazione Professionale.

Please download the program here.

Presentation of the Chamber of Crafts.

German-Italian Dialogue on VET in the framework of the project Unions4VET - Study visits in April and May 2018

Within the framework of the Unions4VET project, exchange study visits by trade union representatives to Italy and Germany took place in April and May 2018. These were organised by the German Trade Union Federation (DGB) and the bfw - Unternehmen für Bildung.

From 16. to 19. April, a delegation from Germany visited companies and training centers in the Italian regions Piedmont and the Tuscany. The German delegation consisted of representatives of the trade unions and works councils who are engaged in the vocational education and training. They visited vocational schools and training centers, among others of the hotel sector. In addition, various companies have been visited, including the state-owned energy company ENEL, whose training project was awarded by the European Alliance for Training. Together with the Italian trade unions CGIL, CISL, UIL and other stakeholders in vocational education and training, an exchange took place about the different VET systems and ways to improve VET, discussing how to enable a high-quality vocational training to young people.

From 06. to 09. May an Italian delegation of trade union representatives visited Germany. Trade unionists and works councillors of CISL, CGIL and UIL from the Italian regions of Tuscany and Piedmont visited companies and training centers in Cologne, Frankfurt on the Main and other cities in Hesse. Among them were the companies Deutz AG and Pfungstädter Privatbrauerei. Furthermore, an inter-company training center has been visited in Weiterstadt and a discussion with young people who will be trained as roofers or painters was possible.

Thomas Giessler of the DGB and Sara Julia Blöchle of GOVET (BIBB) presented the system of vocational education and training in Germany and discussed its strength and weaknesses together with the Italian colleagues. Representatives of employees, employers and vocational schools who engage in the Vocational Education and Training Committee of the Cologne Chamber of Industry and Commerce presented their joint work and gave an insight into the cooperation in this committee, which manages vocational education and training at local Level.

Materials of the study visit to view and download

• Presentation of the DGB: VET Dual Role of the social partners in Germany
• Presentation of GOVET: Il motore della Formazione professionale duale Cooperazione di attori di economia, Stato e società (in Italian)
• GOVET's explanatory film on dual training:
• German
• Italian
• English

On 15 September 2015 CISL, CGIL and UIL representatives as well as those of union-affiliated education and training institutions came together for an internal workshop to discuss the future approach to cooperation with the project.

The particular focus here was on vocational education and training dialogue and on the role of trade unions in the region of Piedmont.

It was decided to hold a conference at the end of the following month involving trade unions, social partners, ministries, project coordinators and other relevant stakeholders to analyse the issue more closely and to formulate proposals for improvement.