Bremen Automotive Industry Further Training Network

Background and Problem

Given their economic relevance, the transformation of Germany's key industries, including the automotive industry, is on everyone's lips. The National Continuing Education Strategy of the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs from 2022 suggests actively supporting companies, and in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, in this transformation by enabling and supporting tailored continuing training for employees. The automotive industry is also of economic significance in the federal state of Bremen: in 2020, more than 22,000 people were employed in the sector. Against the background of the social-ecological transformation of the automotive industry in the federal state of Bremen and its surrounding region, the continuing training network (Weiterbildungsverbund, WBV) aims to identify the skills needs of employees and to implement and coordinate continuing training. Together with companies, works councils, experts and academia, both current and future requirements with regard to qualifications and skilled labour needs are analysed, and conclusions are drawn for qualification and continuing training offerings.

The WBV project is led by bfw/IIFTP. The ITB is a consortium partner together with the Bildungswerk der Wirtschaft im Unterwesergebiet e.V.

Research question

• Which (changing) competence requirements are articulated by business owners and by employees?

• To what extent is continuing training a key to addressing the transformation of the automotive industry and the motor vehicle trades?

Approach

The project's social partnership approach envisaged seeking access to companies via works councils as well as via management and HR managers. The latter route proved successful in this project. Following successful recruitment, five systematic company case studies were produced. The survey methods included a skills needs analysis in companies of the Bremen automotive industry. These were designed as interviews with management, works councils and employees, focusing on technological potential and the potential for change in the qualification structure. Topics such as the company's continuing training culture, current and anticipated competence requirements and employees' wishes for support were also part of this qualitative survey. A quantitative survey with similar thematic priorities was conducted and analysed.

After the needs-based survey of continuing training requirements, educational offerings that were as individualised as possible were brokered. To this end, the Forum of Bremen Education Providers (Forum der Bremer Bildungsanbieter) was launched, since networking regional education providers was also one of the tasks of the WBV, in order to be able to match the regional range of educational offerings with the companies of the automotive sector.

Various thematic priorities such as hydrogen technologies, language skills, the development of an in-company continuing training culture or mental health in the workplace were identified as needs in several companies. In order to achieve synergies, the aim was to think about continuing training from a network perspective: companies were able to network and join forces in order to convey the topics mentioned to their employees in workshops and training formats.

Results

Before the project began, a concentration on technological skills needs was expected. However, the companies additionally articulated a need for transversal competences (e.g. language skills; leadership skills), which currently represented the greatest need and the clearest urgency. This indicated that the technological transformation is accompanied by a social transformation that should also be supported and actively shaped.

The task of the WBV was to give companies a detailed picture of their current situation and to broker (continuing training) solutions, where possible through publicly funded educational offerings. However, the work of the WBV went beyond this: networking was undertaken, work processes and structures were reflected upon, and in-company training was initiated.

On the one hand, the companies were aware of the need for action with regard to vocational and in-company continuing training; on the other hand, this awareness did not (yet) lead to the implementation of in-company continuing training decisions. Here the WBV provided organisational consultancy. A long-term continuation or institutionalisation of this advisory service was desirable, also from the companies' point of view.

Dissemination and Transfer Activities

• Presentation at the specialist forum ‘Skilled Workforce Development as a Driver of Innovation’ (18 June 2024) in Bremen

• Kick-off event on 8 November 2022, including a video report on buten und binnen

• Midterm event on 16 November 2023

• Collaborative project event on 1 October 2024