HRK President reiterates Bundesrat statement on professional titles

1. July 2019

Following the statement of the Bundesrat on the draft of the amendment to the Vocational Training Act (BBiG), the President of the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), Prof Dr Peter-André Alt, made the following comments today in Berlin:

"I'm delighted that the Bundesrat has requested in the legislative process that professional titles are developed that cannot be confused with academic qualifications. Its statement strengthens our conviction that new titles such as Bachelor Professional and Vocational Master would be counterproductive. Rather than strengthening vocational education as envisaged, they would lead to confusion, devalue vocational education and undermine the German education system as a whole.

The goal of highlighting the attractiveness and quality of vocational education programmes is quite correct. Our vocational education is excellent and offers graduates top career opportunities. We are confident that in the further stages of the legislative process, this strength will also be successfully conveyed in independent, unmistakeable qualification designations."