Everyone is talking about the digitalisation of work: Germans say „Arbeit 4.0“, Anglo Saxons „futureof work“. There seems to be consent on the growing complexity of work and the need for new skills.Qualifications are of increasing relevance, lifelong learning is proclaimed. These are no groundbreakinginsights, however. Although these findings are correct, they are not new. They have applied sincethe beginning of the industrial age.