Vocational training: onboarding needs structure

Innovative concepts to make it easier for trainees to start dual vocational training: this is what researchers at the University of Würzburg are working on in the DualON project. They are developing a web-based training programme aimed at trainees in companies and teachers at vocational schools.

Practical learning modules are designed to enable systematic and action-orientated onboarding. The aim is to help trainees at the transition between school and work to become more orientated, motivated and integrated.

Chair of Special Education leads DualON

The project is managed by the Chair of Special Education in the Context of Emotional and Behavioural Disorders at the University of Würzburg. The team includes Professor Roland Stein and Dr Philipp Abelein as well as research assistants Arthur Rein and Martin Sedlmeier.

The team works in close co-operation with several partners. The Chamber of Crafts for Lower Franconia, the Würzburg-Schweinfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce and vocational schools in Mainfranken are all involved. Support comes from the Würzburg Employment Agency and the Bavarian State Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs.

DualON is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) as part of InnoVET, an innovation competition for excellent vocational training. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training is supporting DualON.

Initial results are available

DualON has been running since the beginning of 2025, and the results to date show that effective onboarding can only succeed where there is structural support, clear processes and closely coordinated interaction between vocational schools and companies.

"Challenges include communication gaps, time resource bottlenecks and the heterogeneity of the target groups. This requires targeted strategies, and this is precisely where DualON comes in," says Professor Stein.

This is what the challenges look like

• Attitude-related barriers: Motives and attitudes that hinder the consistent implementation of onboarding measures are often not reflected on or addressed adequately, if at all.
• Addressing the right target groups: Onboarding processes are often addressed and reflected upon at management level, especially by vocational school and training managers, but are not actively implemented. Passing on information to operational levels is difficult in some cases and leads to communicative breaks or loss of information.
• Learning location-specific adaptations: Differences between vocational schools and companies require differentiated, learning location-specific onboarding approaches.
• Expandable cooperation between vocational schools and companies: Co-operation between the two learning locations is often inadequate and requires targeted support.
• Heterogeneity of the target groups: Different occupational fields and training cohorts make it difficult to develop standardised onboarding formats.

Conditions for success

• Face-to-face dialogue is a key prerequisite for effective collaboration and building trust between the dual learning locations.
• Well-structured onboarding processes are necessary, as open, creative approaches without a clear framework are usually not very effective.
• Anchoring onboarding concepts at management level: Onboarding is only successful if managers explicitly want and support it. The aim is to inspire employees, remove structural barriers and work with realistic goals.
• Integrated evaluation: Direct reflection during the module is essential when establishing onboarding concepts. Subsequent evaluation phases are often impractical in practice, as relevant feedback and information from practice partners is lost or forgotten.

Handbook to be ready in spring 2026

The DualON team discussed the aforementioned challenges and conditions for success at seven meetings in close cooperation with vocational schools, chambers and companies. "Everyone involved particularly valued the personal dialogue," says Roland Stein. This dialogue will continue after the module development phase ends in spring 2026 in order to strengthen cooperation between learning locations in the long term.

In the module development phase so far, the main topics covered have included preboarding, onboarding, feedback and error culture, the use of AI and e-learning in HR work, dealing with difficult communication situations and language at the learning centre. The focus was on three questions:

• How can apprentices get off to a good start?
• What do trainees really need?
• How can companies and vocational schools cooperate successfully as learning centres?

The modules are currently being tested and evaluated in cooperation with selected companies and schools. The results will ultimately be compiled in the handout "HOP - Action-Oriented Onboarding Practice". They are expected to be published on the project website www.dualon.de from spring 2026.

Data collection: three perspectives on onboarding

A second milestone in the project is a survey that was conducted in recent months. The team asked 168 trainees, 75 trainers and 78 teachers at vocational schools about their experiences with onboarding processes, differentiating between the company and school learning locations.

The results are currently being analysed. They are expected to be published in spring 2026. The surveys not only provide a comprehensive picture from different perspectives, but also help to further develop the modules in a targeted manner and align them with the needs of practice.

Further information

If you have any questions or are interested in the project, please contact the project team: dualon@uni-wuerzburg.de

Weblinks

DualON project www.dualon.de

InnoVET innovation competition