The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) is recognised as a centre of excellence for vocational research and for the progressive development of vocational education and training (VET) in Germany. BIBB works to identify future challenges in VET, stimulate innovation in national and international vocational systems and develop new, practice-oriented solutions for both initial and continuing vocational education and training.

BIBB was founded in 1970 on the basis of the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz, BBiG) as a federal government institution for policy, research and practice in the field of vocational education and training.

For over 40 years now, BIBB has continued to fulfil this role. Its current basis in law is the Vocational Training Act of March 23, 2005 which sets out the Institute's tasks. In its research and development work and its advisory activities, BIBB helps to provide individuals with qualifications of lasting value for their economic security and employability, and to ensure the international competitiveness of German business and industry.

Being directly accountable to the Federal Government, BIBB is funded directly from the federal government budget and is subject to the legal supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Since 1999 its headquarters have been in Bonn.

The Institute's mandated tasks include conducting research, developing vocational education and training, serving in an advisory capacity and providing services.

The work carried out by the Institute currently revolves around five focal areas:

• the training place market and the employment system;
• updating vocational training and improving the quality,
• life-long learning, the permeability and equivalence of training paths;
• vocational training for specific target groups;
• and the internationality of vocational training.