iMOVE – The gateway to the German education and training sector

The Indian government as well as the Indian industry and Indian training providers make a point of finding action- and market-oriented know-how ,specifically in Germany. They cooperate with German training providers who are network members of iMOVE, the export initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. iMOVE aims at promoting international collaboration and the initiation of cooperation and business relationships in vocational training and continuing education. In this article, Silvia Niediek, Regional Manager for South Asia at iMOVE shares various details about their initiatives in vocational education and training and opportunities for partnerships.

German training providers offer a variety of training measures which answer several issues pertaining to the Indian training sector. While some partners in India wish to upgrade their curricula and syllabi, others aim at digitalizing training content or setting up new training centers. Current partnerships comprise:

• The development of training structures within regional industry clusters
• The design of bridging courses to facilitate vocational training of young Indians in Germany
• The implementation of internet platform for the exchange of know-how and for e-learning purposes in Indian training institutions.

Germany has a long-standing tradition in technology and enjoys a high reputation for the demand-driven and practical orientation of its qualification programs. The integration of professional, social and methodological competencies characterizes the kind of knowledge German partners can provide.

The high quality of vocational education and training in Germany is not least reflected in the high quality of German products, which enjoy a high degree of esteem worldwide: innovative goods, state-of-the-art technologies and the results of solid and high-class craftsmanship that offer a high degree of precision and a long product life.

The German Training Industry

Training Units/Academies of Manufacturing Firms and Industry Associations
Vocational Training Centers (of Chambers)
Technical Colleges
Schools for Master Craftspeople
Training Equipment Suppliers
Publishing Houses for Learning Material
Distance Training Providers (E-learning)

There are around 25,000 providers of initial and continuing vocational training in Germany. The range of their services includes craft trades, commercial, technical and medical training provision, occupationally-related advanced training in the field of management and also extends to encompass e-learning software and other teaching and learning tools. Business-related training areas are a particular strength of German providers.

German Training Provisions

Consultancy on setting-up and managing training institutions and centers
Workshop design and equipping
Training and instructional material and media
Design and adaptation of industry-oriented curricula and syllabi
Vocational education and training programs
Upskilling of the existing workforce
Train-the-trainer programs
Development and installation of quality assurance systems in VET
Introduction of internationally recognized certification standards

The easiest way to gain access to German training providers is via iMOVE. iMOVE is the training export initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). iMOVE promotes and facilitates global business and cooperation between German training providers and international public and private organizations.

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International companies, chambers and industry federations and associations are supported in their fight against skills shortage. Training institutions find cooperation partners from Germany to upgrade their training offers. Public authorities gain direct access to German training expertise.

iMOVE services also include a multilingual database which contains the business profiles of around 250 German training providers and an interactive B2B marketplace where interested parties worldwide can publish their training demands and requests in order to find a suitable German partner. Personal guidance and assistance are provided on demand.

Currently, various stakeholders in the Indian training industry seek to cooperate with German training providers in order to identify young Indians who wish to receive vocational training in Germany and to prepare them regarding language and cultural skills. The iMOVE office in India acts as the central facilitator to bring Indian and German partners together. An iMOVE expert in India collects all requests on the Indian side, advises on how to phrase offers and demands, and helps finding the appropriate cooperation partners.

iMOVE’s presence in India

Since 2011 iMOVE has an office in India. It provides a range of services to support the Indo-German cooperation in the area of initial and continuing vocational education and training. These include:

• Establishing contact with German providers
• Expertise in all issues relating to “Training – Made in Germany”
• Advice on cooperation with the German education and training industry
• Distribution of the “eUpdate”, a quarterly newsletter for India in English

In order to explore potential partnerships with German training providers, consult the iMOVE website www.imove-germany.de. There you will find the latest news on VET in Germany as well as success stories and best-practice examples of Indo-German collaboration. Access the provider database for the contact profiles and offers of almost 250 training companies. You can also submit your cooperation request in iMOVE’s B2B marketplace. Both services are free of costs.

For further information, contact the Head of the iMOVE Office India, Mr. Arunachalam Karthikeyan, phone: +91 120 4375572 or mobile: +91 9910513666.

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