VDE Activities and Services in Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Since VDE considers itself as a technical association and a neutral platform for electrotechnology, the support is not given to technology alone, but also to all stakeholders of electrotechnology: students, engineers, professors and experts from industry. Besides scientific and standardization activities, CPD is one of the main issues VDE provides services for. On the one hand there are courses and seminars directly addressing individual engineers, on the other hand VDE devises and issues position papers and uses direct links to the staff of ministries.

Branch Offices and standing Comittees
VDE operates several branch offices linked to CPD. Services for schools und pupils are assigned to the public affairs department, which offers several means to attract young people to electrotechnology. Furthermore there is the so called 'VDE Young Net', a student organisation comprising more than 7,000 students of electrical engineering, a steering committee and several project groups. These groups amongst others organize big events for their peer group and represent them in several other committees of the VDE. Finally there is a branch office serving for two important standing committees. The committee for 'engineering education' and 'profession, technology and society'. Considering the main stakeholders, which are different types of academia, industry, engineers, politicians, and broad public expert groups provide information or position papers addressing political issues. The committees are again composed of these stakeholders' representatives.

Publishing Position Papers and Consulting
There are several ways of communication if there once is a new position paper, study, memo or information brochure is issued. First VDE has got a well known webpage where published material can be found. There are as well different printed paper press organs or a paper for roughly 34.000 members issued 6 times a year. Other possible ways of communication are by press release, e-mailing or postal mailing, press conferences e. g. at big trade fairs or congresses, organization of political events or an invitation to politicians to a so called parliamentary evening. Regularly VDE experts are consulting representatives from ministries directly or attend group discussions about CPD concerns.

Research
The standing committees or branch offices at VDE regularly and non-regularly initiate or carry out studies on CPD issues amongst individuals (e.g. young professionals) professors or companies. Main topics at present are the bologna-process, the maintenance of high level and improvement of German engineering education, documenting the development and changes of engineer's professional situation and career paths. Especially the growing demand on engineers and labour market issues are in VDE's focus.

Services
Besides providing a platform for pupils who are interested in technology, students, young professionals and experts in electrotechnology there are several CPD services which VDE is offering, e.g.

services for all engineers
   -  Possibility of working as a technical expert in technical expert groups under the umbrella of  VDE
   -  Check-list for entrepreneurship
   -  Statistics on labour market and engineering education
   -  Online Job Market, about 20,000 online job adverts
   -  Awards for scientific achievements

network and events especially for young professional engineers
   -  International Management Cup, competition in computer aided business simulation
   -  At planning: Seminars on enterpreneurship combined with competition
   -  EUREL-Seminar, Seminar about and at the EU
   -  Seminars for job starters
   -  Mentoring programme (failed due to lack of critical mass)

literature
   -  Free of cost
               o   Book for job starters comprising non technical but important knowledge (economy, project
                    management,...)
               o   Flyer for job starter, non technical and soft skills
               o   Book on present labour market situation and list of HR addresses of employers as well 
                    as several articles for job starters
               o   Booklet for rookies in management, non technical and soft skills
   -  Not free of cost
               o  Lots of technical books and non-technical books for engineers
               o  Conference proceedings
               o  Studies

Events
VDE, together with his regional organisations is the biggest provider of seminars for electrical engineers and electrical engineering technician on the German seminar market. The number of VDE events including seminars and other events like congresses, conferences, workshops, excursions, presentations and informal chats reaches the quantity of 1200 every year.

International CPD Activities
VDE is member of the German technical umbrella association DVT. Together with the other big German engineering association (VDI, Verein Deutscher Ingenieure) VDE is represents Germany in FEANI through DVT. A representative of VDE is member of the CPD committee of FEANI. VDE is also one of the main players and co-founder of EUREL, the Convention of National Societies of Electrical Engineers of Europe. In addition VDE has an own representative located in Brussels. Occasionally VDE organized as a partner of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in the US) events for attracting young
people to technology.