Integration of the vocational and the higher education system to realize lifelong learning: Higher education policy and practical experiences

The actual structures in the German Higher Education System reflect the political intentions of lifelong learning insufficiently. Universities usually plan and organise their programmes for "traditional" students, who enter the university directly after high school to start a full-time Bachelor-Programme and to go ahead with a full-time Master-Programme. Those "traditional" students enter the job market only after graduation. The questions now are, if the number of "non-traditional" students is indeed bigger than estimated, and if German universities therefore have to adjust their programmes to the needs of adult learners, who enter the job market before or during the course of study. Following we explain the actual political discussions regarding this issue, before we describe how other countries deal with adults considered as "non-traditional" learners (e.g. employed students). The article ends with recommendations how to re-organise Bachelor- and Master-Programmes to consider the needs of those students and to better integrate the academic and the vocational (continuing) education system.