DGB Head Lead Advocates for Skills Development Drive - Leader of DGB (unspecified)
In Rhineland-Palatinate, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) has expressed concern over the low number of employees taking advantage of further education opportunities. DGB Chief Susanne Wingertszahn, based in Mainz, has criticised the imbalance in the use of further education, particularly for those without a qualification.
According to a survey by the Institute for Employment Research, academics and employees with a vocational qualification were offered support for further education more frequently than those without a qualification. This disparity has prompted the DGB to advocate for a strengthened role for employees and works councils in further education, as part of its mission to promote equal opportunities.
The DGB believes that easier access to further education would benefit companies, as it would help workers adapt to changing labor market demands, improve job prospects, and support lifelong learning. The union is calling for bureaucratic hurdles to be reduced to enable more people to participate in further education.
In 2021/2022, 118,588 people participated in recognized further education programs in Rhineland-Palatinate. However, only 1.8% of employees took paid leave for further education in 2023/2024, with more than 84% of those who did working full-time. This has led the DGB to advocate for a legal claim to leave for the duration of further education for all employees.
The majority of recognized further education events in Rhineland-Palatinate were in the field of vocational training, with sociopolitical further education accounting for around 20%. The DGB is urging companies to offer a wider range of further education opportunities to cater to the diverse needs of their workforce.
Wingertszahn has also highlighted the underutilization of further education by part-time employees, who used these opportunities much less frequently than their full-time counterparts. The DGB is working to address this issue and ensure that all employees have equal opportunities for further education.
The focus of the DGB's advocacy in Rhineland-Palatinate is on the labor market, with Wingertszahn urging companies to take responsibility for creating further education opportunities. As the labor market continues to evolve, the DGB remains committed to promoting equal opportunities, supporting lifelong learning, and advocating for the needs of workers in Rhineland-Palatinate.
In the context of Rhineland-Palatinate, the DGB is urging for a wider range of vocational training opportunities to be offered by companies, as part of their mission for promoting equal opportunities, personal growth, and career development. To address the underutilization of further education by part-time employees, the DGB is working to ensure that all employees, regardless of their working hours, have equal opportunities for self-development and education-and-self-development, particularly through vocational training.
){kind=link}