PROFILE: Professionally qualified
Imke Buß; Jutta Rump; Janina Kaiser; Melanie Schiedhelm; Petra Schorat-Waly
Definition and initial situation
Professionally qualified students (BQ) generally refer to all students who have begun their studies without a school-based qualification for university entrance. Since March 2009, the possibility of this has been defined by a resolution of the Conference of Education Ministers (Resolution of the Conference of Education Ministers of March 6, 2009) and is legally structured differently by the federal states. In Rhineland-Palatinate, for example, university admission is granted without an Abitur if the prospective student has a vocational qualification with a grade of at least 2.5 and at least two years of professional experience. The master craftsman examination or equivalent qualifications are also accepted. In Rhineland-Palatinate, these students must attend a mandatory counseling session at the university before enrolling. In Ludwigshafen, they can either visit the Advice Center for Professionally Qualified Students in the Departments of Studies and Education (general advice on study orientation, financing, etc.) or the responsible persons in the Departments (subject-specific advice).
Currently, 2.9% of first-year students in Rhineland-Palatinate have a vocational qualification for university entrance. In summer 2015, 6.6% of students at the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society were entitled to study at a university on the basis of their vocational qualification. The majority qualified for a university degree by completing an apprenticeship followed by at least two years of professional experience (71%). A fifth of those with vocational qualifications were technicians or specialists (19.4%) and 6.5% were admitted on the basis of their master craftsman's certificate (Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society 2015). Professionally qualified students are particularly frequently enrolled in social and healthcare degree programs.
Effects on the study situation and academic success
Challenges in studying arise for those with vocational qualifications, particularly in the first semesters. Typical challenges include catching up on knowledge (e.g. math or English skills) and getting to grips with academic work. However, students with other approaches to studying also cite the latter as a particular difficulty in the "Student Barometer" survey (Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society 2015). In addition to these challenges, those with vocational qualifications can draw on numerous resources from their professional experience. On the one hand, BQs have made a very conscious decision to study and thus generally give up a current job. They are therefore determined in their studies; around 70% of those surveyed in a Rhineland-Palatinate pilot project stated that they wanted to graduate quickly and with good grades. Reasons for studying include the acquisition of specialist knowledge (Berg et al. 2014) or specialist interests, career advancement or financial improvements (Wolter et al. 2015). At the same time, BQs can contribute skills in self-organization and time management as well as practical experience from their professional activities to their studies. If BQs have to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the vocational qualification (HZB), 14% still predominantly see disadvantages in the first semester. In the third semester, this proportion drops to around 2%, while 39% see advantages and 58% see no differences. This self-report indicates that after the introductory phase, BQs no longer have any disadvantages compared to students with other HZBs. Grade analyses confirm this, as no differences can be identified after a few semesters (Berg et al. 2014).
With regard to dropping out, Schmidtmann and Preusse (2015) use data from the University of Hagen to show that BQ students are no more likely to leave university without a degree than students with a school-based qualification for university entrance.
Literature
Berg, H.; Grendel, T.; Haußmann, I.; Lübbe, H.; Marx, A. (2014): The transition of vocationally qualified persons to higher education - results of a pilot project in Rhineland-Palatinate. In: Mainz contributions to higher education development (20). Available online at www.studieren-ohne-abitur.de,last checked on 03.02.2016.
Resolution of the Conference of Culture Ministers of 06.03.2009 (2009): Access to higher education for professionally qualified applicants without a school-based qualification for university entrance. Available online at www.kmk.org/fileadmin/veroeffentlichungen_beschluesse/2009/2009_03_06-Hochschulzugang-erful-qualifizierte-Bewerber.pdf, last checked on 17.06.2020.
Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (2015): Student barometer. University-wide student survey. Winter semester 2014/2015. Unpublished documents. In collaboration with Keller, A. Evaluation officer of the university. Ludwigshafen on the Rhine.
Schmidtmann, H.; Preusse, J. (2015): Socio-demographics, study motives and study success of vocationally qualified students: Findings at the FernUniversität in Hagen. In: U. Elsholz (ed.): Professionally qualified students. Analyses and concepts for the third educational pathway. 1st ed. Bielefeld: Bertelsmann.
Wolter, A.; Dahm, G.; Kamm, C.; Christian Kerst, C.; Alexander Otto, A. (2015): Non-traditional students in Germany: careers and motivation to study. In: U. Elsholz (ed.): Professionally qualified students. Analyses and concepts for the third educational pathway. 1st ed. Bielefeld: Bertelsmann.
Citation
Buß, Imke; Rump, Jutta; Kaiser, Janina; Schiedhelm, Melanie; Schorat-Waly, Petra (2017): Profile: Professionally qualified students. In: Rump, Jutta; Buß, Imke; Kaiser, Janina; Schiedhelm, Melanie; Schorat-Waly, Petra: Toolbox for good education in a diverse student body. Working Papers of the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society, No. 6. www. hwg-lu.de/arbeitspapiere
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