This short description contributes to better understanding of vocational education and training (VET) in Germany by providing insight into its main features and highlighting system developments and current challenges.

Long before the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis, questions were raised about gig and platform work: are they ‘digital sweatshops’ or a conduit to skills development and better skills matching? The public health crisis may have accentuated the vulnerability of platform workers, but it also demonstrated the wider potential for working and learning digitally.