Education is a key factor to equip people with the essential skills and competencies they need to deal with the upcoming economic and social challenges and to facilitate innovation and growth [9]. Analyses published by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) demonstrate that the occupational group of “technicians and associate professionals” holding a
post-secondary degree will be highly important in the future economy as nearly two-thirds of the future employment growth will be linked to this group [4]. In Germany, individuals beginning a post-secondary training before usually finished an initial vocational degree and gained several years of work experience. According to training regulations, post-secondary training enables participants to retain or to deepen their vocational competencies and facilitates job promotion. In fact, research documents that these individuals achieve leadership positions even more often than graduates holding a bachelor’s degree [6]. In addition, employees with post-secondary vocational certificates on average earn 25 percent more than employees holding certificates in initial VET [7] do. Although the labor market success of employees with a post-secondary degree is well documented, little is known about their vocational competencies.

Published in: Canada International Conference on Education, 2017

• Date of Conference: 26-29 June, 2017
• DOI: 10.2053/CICE.2017.0256
• Electronic ISBN: 978-1-908320-83-4
• Conference Location: University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada