The Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) will cooperate with WorldSkills International and WorldSkills Germany. The aim is to strengthen world-wide the awareness for the decisive contribution of vocational education to development and the achieving of economic and personal success.

In order to cover the health industry's future demand for commercially educated managers with organisational skills, the state-recognised further training towards becoming a "Business Administrator in the Health and Social Sector" was introduced on January 1, 2012.

The number of businesses providing placements for dual study courses in cooperation with a university or university of cooperative education has grown rapidly.

The German Federal Minister of Education and Research, Annette Schavan, appreciated the results of the new training funding report as a "good sign for the future capability of our country and a clear signal in combating educational poverty and the skilled labour shortage."

In spite of the significant decline in applicant numbers, the apprenticeship market continues to expand: At the end of November, the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce recorded about 344,000 new apprenticeship contracts.

In the course of an awards ceremony, the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Ernst Burgbacher, honoured the best trainees to graduate in 2011 from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) and the authorities in his area of responsibility.

Learning more abroad: The European Commission intends to double the number of people participating in the EU educational programmes. The "Erasmus for All" programme is to allow for up to five million people to receive part of their education abroad.

Some 200 pupils at the vocational school Gewerbliche Schule (GBS) Ehingen attending three-year vocational training courses have come within reach of the end of their school days. They have passed the written part of the final examination.