Vocational rehabilitation services have been implemented in a number of countries to facilitate the return to work of sick and injured workers, yet little research has been undertaken to document competencies required to provide services globally. This study compared the job tasks, functions, and knowledge domains deemed important by Australian and German rehabilitation professionals working in vocational rehabilitation settings to identify common practice domains. An online survey comprising items from the Rehabilitation Skills Inventory–Amended and the International Survey of Disability Management was completed by 149 Australian and 217 German rehabilitation professionals. Items from each measure were submitted to factor analysis, using principal axis factoring as the extraction technique. Three common domains were identified: (a) vocational counseling, (b) workplace disability case management, and (c) workplace intervention and program management. Differences in skill and knowledge domains centered on the levels of specialization in vocational rehabilitation practices in each country. Ongoing transnational research is required to ensure that a “global curriculum” covers core competencies, while at the same time allowing for specialization at a local level.

Demographic changes are transforming Germany's working environment. A shrinking and aging workforce is having to cope with rising market requirements for skilled labour. As the risk of occupational disability rises with age, lawmakers have introduced a number of legislative changes to sustain workers' ability to work as long as possible. Another important step in this direction was the introduction of a training program to become a Certified Disability Management Professional (CDMP), based on the Canadian model and driven by the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV). International scientific research has long recognised the importance of professional counselling and support for successful vocational rehabilitation of sick and disabled people. In Germany, however, there has been a lack of studies investigating which competencies disability managers need for their work or whether their training is adequate. The present study fills this gap. 217 disability managers and other vocational rehabilitation professionals were asked about their tasks and the competencies required for their work. Two important areas of responsibility were identified: work with the client, on the one hand, and organisational and managerial tasks on the other. This represents a lower degree of specialisation than that found in related American or Australian studies. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed.

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German rehabilitation counseling experts can be characterized as "generalists" who cover different fields of activity in their daily routine. Their main activity is the individual work with the client while managerial tasks play a lesser role yet. A further differentiation of the vocational tasks indicating a higher degree of specialization as it can be found in related American or Australian studies does not emerge. The take-over of managerial tasks on an organizational level is not necessarily associated with the use of the term "management" in a person's job title. These results can be explained partly by the relatively new sociopolitical changes in Germany. These changes include the introduction of a regulation in 2004 (§ 84 Social Code Book), which obliges employers to prevent and manage disability at the company level. Still different studies show various problems concerning the comprehensive implementation of this regulation. The participants see urgent needs for action concerning the clarification of structures and responsibilities in their companies as well as more networking and a better publicity for their profession. With regards to the training, respondents desired more practical exercises and case studies. Further research in this field is needed.