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National Skills Strategy

Our joint strategy for a new culture of lifelong learning

The National Skills Strategy is unique: It is the first strategy of its kind in Germany that has the support of the Federation, the Länder, the private sector, trade unions and the Federal Employment Agency.

The strategy has two aims: making lifelong learning an integral part of professional and business development and establishing a shared culture of lifelong learning in Germany.

The National Skills Strategy is a long-term, cross-cutting partnership process designed to exchange views and share advice on lifelong learning. It will be implemented on an ongoing basis and adapted to new developments. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs leads the implementation of the strategic process together with the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

A strategy for job-seekers, workers and businesses

No matter whether you are a job-seeker, worker or business: Everybody benefits from the National Skills Strategy.

  • Continuing education and training opens up new job opportunities for job-seekers.
  • Workers can prepare themselves for the work of tomorrow through continuing education and training.
  • Tailored continuing education and training helps businesses find skilled workers. This is especially relevant for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro-enterprises.

All these groups are experiencing changes at work caused by the digital transformation, structural change and the transition to a climate-neutral economy. This is where the National Skills Strategy comes in. It provides impetus, sets out agreements reached between the partners and uses this as a backdrop for developing measures that promote continuing education and training.

The National Skills Strategy has become a platform for cooperation and coordination in Germany’s continuing education and training landscape. It provides important input for up-to-date structures and continuing vocational education and training programmes.

Publikationen

Best practices in implementation

”Mein NOW” - national online portal for continuing vocational education and training

A central digital portal for services and information on continuing vocational education and training. "mein NOW" helps employers, employees, and job seekers with professional development and further education. The online portal makes it easier to find information, counseling, funding, and education opportunities all in one place. It was created by the German Federal Employment Agency as part of the National Skill Strategy. This strategy aims to secure jobs and skilled workers, especially with the changes brought by digitalization, demographic shifts, and decarbonization.

Establishing and supporting lifelong learning alliances (in German)

Business networks and lifelong learning stakeholders have started to cooperate with each other. The idea is to organise continuing education and training across business boundaries.

The federal programme “Establishment of lifelong learning alliances” was launched in 2020 as a key project of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the context of the National Skills Strategy. The programme’s aims are greater participation of SMEs in continuing education and training and the reinforcement of regional business and innovation networks. In the framework of two funding rounds, the federal programme supported a total of 53 projects between 2020 and 2024. An external evaluation describes the project of lifelong learning alliances as a driver of innovation in Germany’s continuing education and training landscape. The evaluation also established that lifelong learning alliances have brought together businesses and continuing education and training stakeholders, which had previously not cooperated with each other. These cooperation structures simplify continuing education and training for businesses and support them in line with their needs, contributing to a sufficient pool of skilled labour.

The findings on the federal programme are fed into the establishment of continuing education and training agencies.

Establishing and supporting lifelong learning alliances (in German)

Service centre continuing education and training agencies (in German)

Strengthening guidance and counselling through networking and knowledge transfer

The joint goal of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Federal Employment Agency is to create a nationwide structure of central contact points for continuing education and training counselling modelled on the youth employment agencies in the form of continuing education and training agencies (CET-Agencies). They are central contact points for individuals and companies that link existing counselling services offered by the Federal Employment Agency with those offered by other regionally active stakeholders. The establishment and expansion of CET- agencies is supported by the comprehensive Service Point for Continuing Education and Training Agencies, which has been implemented on initiative of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training since December 2024 on the basis of an administrative agreement.

Service centre continuing education and training agencies (in German)

Work of Tomorrow Act (in German)

Legislation promoting continuing vocational education and training in times of structural change and reforming support for vocational education and training The legislation adopted in May 2020 makes adjustments to support tools in the field of labour market policies because lifelong learning and continuing education and training are keys to success.

Work of Tomorrow Act (in German)

Act on Strengthening the Promotion of Vocational Training and Skills (in German)

The Skills Act is a reaction to accelerating changes in the world of work. It promotes continuing education and training and helps secure a sufficient pool of skilled labour. This legislation of July 2023 makes adjustments to the support tools offered to workers and apprenticeship applicants in order to address the accelerating transformation of the world of work, avoid unemployment caused by structural change, strengthen lifelong learning and secure a sufficient pool of skilled labour. This also takes into account agreements reached as part of the National Skills Strategy.

Act on Strengthening the Promotion of Vocational Training and Skills (in German)