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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas of life, including everyday working life. Apprentices are often affected two-fold by the lockdown—school closures make it difficult to learn the theoretical content, while restrictions in the company affect practical work. This article reports the findings of an online mixed-method survey among 167 appre...
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... The study also showed for this particular target group that apprentices felt inadequately supported by their vocational schools and that their concerns were not satisfactorily addressed. Classes were often not held via live media and the technical equipment as well as the Internet connection were not sufficient, and females were found to have disadvantages [61]. ...
... Teaching these digital competencies will be a key task for vocational schools in the coming years. In addition, it must be kept in mind that self-organized learning is associated with a decrease in social interactions and that particularly vulnerable groups, such as apprentices with non-German mother tongues, fear a deterioration in academic performance [61]. Consequently, in order to teach the learning content to as many apprentices as possible despite distance learning, personal contact with teachers is essential, especially when problems and concerns arise [36]. ...
In addition to restrictions in training companies, vocational schools were also closed due to the coronavirus pandemic in Germany. After the unexpected first lockdown, it was the challenge of all those involved to draw lessons from the emergent weaknesses in the system and to prepare for further school closures. These preparations primarily involved shifting to digital learning platforms. This article uses a simple and easy to understand research design and focuses from a practical point of view on the results of a quantitative online survey conducted by the University of Applied Labour Studies Mannheim among 143 apprentices in southern Germany on the differences between the first and second school closures with regard to live communication with teachers, attention to apprentice concerns by the vocational school, access to digital devices, and the use of these devices. The results of the survey show that, according to the apprentices’ assessments, the vocational schools were able to improve live communication as well as better attend to the apprentices’ concerns between lockdowns. In addition, the apprentices were able to improve their own digital devices and competencies and, to a large extent, make up for deficits. They were better able to use digital devices and software during the second school closure compared to the first. Gender differences were observed. However, despite significant improvements, there is still a need to modernize and innovate, which should be considered in future digital developments at schools.
On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) an unprecedented global pandemic. Nearly every country across the globe is struggling to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to limit its health, societal and economic consequences. As a response to that, with almost immediate effect, students, teachers and workers in general and across the globe were thrown into a new scenario of online work and education. In the midst of this emotional climate laden with fear, uncertainty, sadness and anxiety, millions of students all over the world were confined to their homes and the entire educational community had to adapt to a distance education model. The same occured with workers of different disciplines; they have to balance work and life in the same place. Therefore, homes suddenly became schools, universities and workplaces all at the same time. Against this backdrop, this Special Issue focuses on the study, evaluation and analysis of the opportunities the pandemic offers in three related aspects: first, for building an education for sustainable development. Second, for creating decent working conditions. Finally, to enhance health and well-being both at the workplace and
at home. Authors from a range of disciplines, such as education, psychology, management, social sciences and other areas related to sustainable development, have contributed with differrent manuscripts. They address the challenges of studying, working and living in times of uncertainty in order to build sustainable development in those areas from theoretical and applied research.
