Craft sector fortification in Freiburg through validation of vocational skills without the requirement of a diploma
In a significant move for the crafts sector, a new act - the Professional Education Validation and Digitalization Act - is being implemented in Germany. This act is an important step towards securing skilled workers in the crafts sector, according to the Chamber of Crafts.
The central management of the act's procedure is a new development. In Baden-Württemberg, the Validation Office of the Chamber of Crafts Stuttgart will be responsible for managing the procedure. The Chamber of Crafts Freiburg is also implementing the act, with a focus on digitalization and bureaucracy reduction measures.
Participation in this new system requires at least 1.5 times the regular training time in the relevant profession. The act aims to certify professional skills, allowing them to be officially recognised without a formal qualification.
The validation procedure underlying this act was tested nationwide in the pilot project "ValiKom". The act is significant for the crafts sector, as it seeks to modernise training and recognition of skills.
However, there is no publicly available detailed information or official documentation on a legislative act by this precise name or scope in Germany as of mid-2025. Germany has various initiatives to support vocational training and crafts, but there is no widely known single act titled "Professional Education Validation and Digitalization Act."
Efforts to secure skilled workers in crafts usually involve apprenticeship reforms, recognition of qualifications, and digital tools to modernise training, but these are spread across multiple laws and programs rather than consolidated into one act.
Despite the lack of a specific act, the announcement of the Professional Education Validation and Digitalization Act by the Chamber of Crafts is a positive step towards improving professional education validation, digitalization, and workforce development in the crafts sector. The Chamber President, Christof Burger, supports this implementation.
As the act is being implemented, it is expected to bring about a reduction in bureaucracy and a focus on digitalization, making the process of validating professional skills more efficient and accessible.
The Professional Education Validation and Digitalization Act, although not a widely known single act as of mid-2025, is a proposed implementation by the Chamber of Crafts that aims to modernize training and recognition of skills in the crafts sector. This act, when fully implemented, is expected to foster education-and-self-development and learning opportunities by focusing on digitalization, reducing bureaucracy, and certifying professional skills without the need for formal qualifications.
