Transfer and Cooperations

Brief description of the cooperation partners:

Université Picardie Jules Verne

The Université Picardie Jules Verne, a leading educational institution in Amiens, France, offers a wide range of study programs. It is known for its strong research orientation in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and health sciences and promotes innovative, interdisciplinary research projects.

Centre d'études et de recherches sur les qualifications (Céreq)

Céreq is the central French research institution specializing in training and qualification processes. It is a leading institution in vocational training research and makes important contributions to the development of labor market and education policies in France.

Thematic and methodological characterization of the cooperation:

The joint project examines the effects of ICT skills on individual wages, taking into account other variables such as gender, work experience, migration status, education type and occupation (STEM vs. non-STEM). The data is based on the "Startkohorte 6" of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) and the French Generation data collected by Cereq. The previous results of linear regression models show that ICT skills and STEM occupations have positive wage effects in both countries. Interestingly, migration status has different effects on wages in Germany and France. In addition, interaction effects and (un)conditional quantile regression models are also calculated for the analyses in order to gain more detailed insights into the wage distribution.

Results of the cooperation so far:

The results to date have been presented for discussion at various international conferences:

• JVET, 2023: ?Returns to education focusing on ICT skills – Empirical results beyond pay inequality“
• WERA, 2023: ?How do ICT-skills pay off in the labour market? Empirical results from Germany and France“
• NEPS-Konferenz, 2023: ?Returns to education focusing on ICT skills“

Further goals of the cooperation:

The cooperation aims to include the demand side in the model and to take contextual variables into account in order to enable a more comprehensive understanding of labor market success. It is planned to carry out longitudinal analyses with the Céreq (Generation) and NEPS data. Another goal is to develop an index for labor market success that goes beyond pure income indicators. It is also planned to include task areas instead of occupations in the analysis and to use more detailed information from the SC6 of the NEPS and the Generation data on further training.

Related Links:

• UPJV - Université de Picardie Jules Verne (u-picardie.fr)
• Accueil | Cereq
• Poster Session (neps-data.de)

Contact person at the professorship:

• Julia Hufnagl

Brief description of the cooperation partners:

The "Institut national de la recherche scientifique" (INRS) is a French-speaking government research organization with the status of a university based in Québec, Canada. The "Urbanisation Culture Société"  research center uses a multidisciplinary approach to analyze concrete and often complex real-world problems in an attempt to expand knowledge of social and cultural realities.

Thematic and methodological characterization of the cooperation:

In the current research project, Silvia Annen and Julia Hufnagl, together with Xavier St-Denis, are analyzing the connection between family background and an exit from overqualification in the UK and Germany. Overqualification is defined as a situation of vertical mismatch in which an employee has achieved a higher level of education than is required in their current occupation (Erdsiek 2016). The discrepancy between one's own skills and the professional requirements causes costs for employees, employers and society as a whole. The research question is: To what extent does socio-economic background influence the risk of overqualification and the likelihood of exiting from overqualification?

In a quantitative approach, the occurrence and persistence of overqualification in the UK and Germany between 2010 and 2020 are derived from analyses of data from the UKHLS and the NEPS (SC6). Logit regression models were calculated for both countries.

Results of the cooperation so far:

The results to date have been presented for discussion at various international conferences:

• RC28 conference in Paris
• 7th International NEPS Conference

Further goals of the cooperation:

So far, several options have been tried out to make the data from both countries comparable. One challenge so far has been to identify comparable measured values for mismatch and overqualification. This will be further improved in future analyses. In addition, the previous cross-sectional analyses are to be extended to longitudinal analyses in order to investigate the exit from skills mismatch and overqualification. In addition, the potential of a survival analysis to answer the research question is currently being considered. The next research project planned is a comparative analysis of overqualification using the PIAAC dataset.

Related Links:

• Xavier St-Denis
• RC28 conference in Paris
• 7th International NEPS Conference

Contact person at the professorship:

• Julia Hufnagl

Brief description of the cooperation partners:

The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) is an educational research institute affiliated with Canada's largest university, the University of Toronto. It is Canada's only graduate institute for teaching, learning and research and is recognized as the best school of education in Canada and the seventh best in the world. It focuses on education, personal development and professional practice in a global context.

Thematic and methodological characterization of the cooperation:

The focus of the collaboration is on comparative educational research in the field of vocational education and training, especially together with Leesa Wheelahan.

Silvia Annen completed a two-year research stay at the OISE from April 2017 to March 2019 as a visiting researcher. For many years, her research has focused on the recognition of skills and qualifications in a national and international context. The research project she carried out during her stay in Canada was also part of this subject area. As part of this project, she investigated the labor market usability of qualifications and skills acquired abroad. To this end, she evaluated quantitative data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). She also used a qualitative approach to analyze case studies in the IT and healthcare sectors with Canadian and German companies, focusing on their procedures and methods in the context of recognition decisions.

Further goals of the cooperation:

During a research stay of Silvia Annen and Julia Hufnagl in summer 2024, a research project for a comparative study on the implementation of transformative education in Germany and Canada will be initiated both methodologically and in terms of content. The project builds on a research paper that answered the question of how a comparative approach can add value to the discussion around transformation in VET, with a focus on the implementation process (Hufnagl, 2024). This research project expands the discourse on transformative education for sustainable development in VET.

The aim of the research stay is to develop case studies for the module "International VET Management" in addition to the research project described above. The case studies will cover a wide range of topics such as program development, student support, faculty management, industry partnerships and the impact of globalization on VET. By presenting real-life examples and challenges, these case studies will help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are critical to success in VET management.

Related Links:

• Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
• Leesa Wheelahan

Contact person at the professorship:

• Julia Hufnagl

Brief description of the cooperation partners:

The "Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung" (BIBB) is an institution for the research and further development of initial and continuing vocational education and training. BIBB identifies future tasks in vocational education and training, promotes innovations in national and international vocational education and training and develops new practice-oriented solutions for initial and continuing vocational education and training through research, development and advisory work.

Thematic and methodological characterization of the cooperation:

Together with Anett Friedrich and Sandra Hirtz, Silvia Annen and Julia Hufnagl are investigating gender-, occupation- and sector-specific wage variations in a mixed methods approach as part of the BIBB research program "Ausbildungsmarkt und Besch?ftigungssystem". The aim of the project is to work out the reasons for differences in the returns of employees working in the same occupation. Following on from this, the objective is to find out what characterizes occupations with stronger or weaker differences in the returns achieved. The stratification characteristics uniformity of job titles (1), gender composition (2) and affiliation to sectors (3) form the three central analysis foci of the project. As part of a mixed-methods approach, the problem is addressed both quantitatively and qualitatively. While the quantitative analyses focus primarily on the outcome (especially wages), the qualitative analyses focus primarily on the process of wage and salary negotiations.

Further goals of the cooperation:

The project is currently in the conception phase. The application will be submitted as part of the BIBB Annual Research Program 2024.

Related Links:

• Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)
• Anett Friedrich
• Sandra Hirtz

Contact person at the professorship:

• Julia Hufnagl
• Silvia Annen

Brief description of the cooperation partners:

The EDEKA Junior Group is an initiative within the EDEKA Group that focuses on the promotion and development of young talent within the company. Their central aim is to shape a sustainable and successful future for the EDEKA Group by working to inspire, develop and connect young professionals and managers. The activities of the EDEKA Junior Group include various programs and events aimed at supporting the professional development of young employees. These include, for example, training courses, workshops and networking events. The group is also committed to sharing knowledge and experience among members to create a dynamic learning environment.

In addition, the EDEKA Junior Group is involved in social projects and is committed to social responsibility. The promotion of teamwork, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking is at the center of its activities. Overall, the EDEKA Junior Group plays an important role in creating an inspiring and supportive environment for young talent within the EDEKA network.

Thematic and methodological characterization of the cooperation:

The cooperation between the University of Bamberg and the EDEKA Junior Group, which has existed since 2022, deals with the visualization, recognition and transfer of formally and informally acquired skills in the retail sector. As part of the cooperation, an industry-specific competency model is being designed for EDEKA, which will be used as a meta-framework for internal qualification and further development, but also for the visualization of competencies. The cooperation ranges from the theoretical conceptualization of industry-specific competencies to the empirical monitoring of the implementation of the developed instruments. A mixed methods approach is used on two levels: Firstly, in relation to the direct implementation and measurement of competencies based on the model, and secondly, through the scientific monitoring of the implementation of the model.

Based on this project, a sub-project was implemented that focuses on the use of AI to generate individual training recommendations both in terms of maintaining the employability and further development of EDEKA employees. The project builds on Philipp Schubert's dissertation on internal knowledge management and interactive learning paths and has an empirical focus in terms of identifying educational opportunities with the help of learning analytics and AI.

Results of the cooperation so far:

The first key result is the EDEKA competency model developed as part of this cooperation, which offers connectivity to the German Qualifications Framework. The content of the competencies developed in a seminar context as well as the initial measurement instruments are currently in the test phase. A joint project application to promote informal learning in the retail sector has been submitted and is currently being assessed.

Further goals of the cooperation:

The competency model is already in the implementation phase and is expected to lead to a national roll-out in 2024-2025. There are moreover plans to test the skills measurement tools and establish an internal, AI-supported knowledge management system and interactive learning paths (including informally acquired skills). In this regard, empirical support will also be provided for the implementation of a competency model in terms of change management and the establishment of AI-controlled learning content and learning paths.

Related Links:

• Nachwuchsf?rderung: EDEKA Juniorengruppe e.V. (in German)

Contact person at the professorship:

• Sabrina Sailer-Frank
• Philipp Schubert