Companies and employees face fast-changing demands: digitalization, AI and decorbonisation all require new skills and deeper expertise. Because of this continuing vocational education and training (CVET) is growing in importance, yet navigating among the wide range of available courses is challenging. CVET agencies act as a single point of contact, bringing together the CVET programmes offered by various institutions in their region and providing advice on tailored continuing training programmes for individuals and businesses. To improve the knowledge transfer between these agencies and to foster regional cooperation, the service center of the agencies launched an online portal in 2026 and the first nationwide networking meeting took place, facilitating the exchange at national level.
Continuing vocational education agencies: regional advice and nationwide support
CVET agencies are familiar with both the provision and the needs for CVET in their regions. They link the Federal Employment Agency’s advisory services with those of local stakeholders. This creates regional networks that serve as central contact points in their regions, offer coordinated and needs-based continuing vocational education advice. Implemented nationwide under the National Continuing Education Strategy, these agencies were systematically unified under one name and structure only in 2024, building on earlier regional networks and advisory centers.
Since December 2024, these regional networks have been supported by the service center for the continuing vocational education agencies, an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs implemented by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). A key objective is to raise the profile of successful approaches to continuing vocational education guidance nationwide and to support the professionalisation of regional guidance networks. It also supports the nationwide establishment and expansion of regional continuing vocational training agencies and offers a platform for supra-regional exchange and networking.
New online portal connects CVET stakeholders and shares best practices
In May 2026, the service centre for CVET agencies launched an online portal, that serves as a central platform for information, knowledge and networking among continuing vocational education agencies and other CVET stakeholders. The portal brings together specialist information, provides practical examples and funding information, and offers opportunities for exchange. In future, the portal will be expanded in stages with features such as a knowledge library and community tool. In this way, it will help to disseminate successful advisory approaches.
Shaping the future of CVET guidance: first nationwide networking meeting
At the first nationwide networking meeting in June 2026 at the BIBB in Bonn, representatives from CVET agencies networks, academia and politics discussed how continuing vocational education guidance can effectively support employees, companies and regions undergoing structural change. Under the guiding principle ‘Staying one step ahead of change: shaping continuing vocational training guidance for the future together‘, the focus was on the exchange of good practice, the development of joint solutions and the further networking of guidance stakeholders. In BIBB’s view, regional guidance networks play a key role in providing guidance within an increasingly complex CVET landscape and actively supporting structural change.
| Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Germany, & Cedefop (2026, August 31). Germany: strengthening CVET guidance: new portal and nationwide networking. National news on VET |