Recognition of vocational competences towards higher education programmes, using the example of the Systems Engineering degree programme

In the “ANKOM” project, procedures for crediting vocational knowledge, skills and competences towards higher education programmes are developed and tested. To this end, three chambers of industry and commerce in north-west Germany, representatives of the Universities of Oldenburg and Bremen, and other research and educational institutions have joined forces to form a regional qualification network. Among other things, the planned credit system provides for the award of ECTS points for skills, competences and knowledge that are certified by vocational further training qualifications and are to be acquired in the course of employment or in vocational education and further training. The credit procedure is to be developed on the basis of equivalence comparisons, taking into account not only subject-specific but also interdisciplinary knowledge and competences. The credit procedure is to be put into practice and evaluated in the part-time degree programme “Bachelor of Business Administration in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises” at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. The experience and insights gained will be disseminated in the higher education sector and via the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHT), among others.