Lessons from the German dual system.

Hyslop, Alisha

What comes to mind when YOU think of Germany? Schnitzel, bratwursts, Oktoberfest? How about a world-class apprenticeship system? Strong business-education partnerships? Heavy involvement of the local chambers of commerce in technical training? Most average Americans know more about the food in Germany than the education structure, but its emphasis on a dual system of education and training has a number of insights to offer to American career and technical educators.

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I had the opportunity to observe firsthand the vocational education and training system, or "VET" system as it is known in Germany, during an intensive week of study abroad this summer. Hosted by the University of Bremen; the itinerary included visits to multinational companies, conversations With business and education leaders, and the opportunity to observe students up close.

The VET System

The German VET system is built on the dual principles or practical training at work and theoretical training and education in school, with knowledge and skills directly related to required job experience. As Karlheinz Heidemeyer, director of vocational education and training for the Bremen Chamber of Commerce, emphasized, this dual structure is the "secret" to the success of the German system and the country's overall economy. It provides "just in time" training to workers and "just in time" skilled employees for companies.

Students can enter the VET system alter completion of their lower secondary education, around age 15 or 16, or prepare for university admission through further enrollment in more academically focused, upper-secondary schools. More than two-thirds of German youth choose the VET system, where they are able to both work and learn over a two- to three-and-a-half-year commitment.

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Students enrolled in the VET system are employed as "apprentices" in approximately 350 different occupations in companies around the country. They alternate between practical job training at the job site and time in school--perhaps spending one to two days per week in school or alternating longer blocks of time, such as four weeks on the job site and two weeks in school.

As in the United States, the education system is subject to strong local control, with most decisions being made at the German state, or Lander, level. This is definitely true of the VET school component, although there is federal oversight of workplace training. In school, students spend approximately one-third of their time on general subjects like social studies, economics, foreign languages and religion, and the rest on more vocationally oriented two-thirds of subjects like technology, applied math and technical drawing. In many ways, this setup is similar to CTE programs in the United States. The biggest difference is the level of systemic employer involvement and the worksite training that accompanies school for the students.

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ArcelorMittal--Committed to the System

To observe the employer side of the dual system firsthand, we visited ArcelorMittal, a company deeply involved in the education and training of its next generation of employees. ArcelorMittal is the world's largest steel producer, with approximately 270,000 employees in 27 countries, including at four production facilities in Germany. At ArcelorMittal Bremen, products include slabs, hot rolled coils, pickled and galvanized coils, and laser-welded plates for the automotive and construction industry, as well as white goods (appliances) manufacturers. Employees must have up-to-date knowledge and skills to maintain high product quality.

One of the ways that ArcelorMittal maintains this high-skill employee base is through participation in the German VET system. Each year, the Bremen plant admits 64 students to its training program in areas including industrial electronics, mechatronics, construction, materials and industrial mechanics. To be selected into this highly competitive program, students must have graduated from secondary school, show interest and aptitude in electronics and mechanical systems, have proficient German language skills and know English, be computer literate, and display an awareness of responsibility and the willingness to work at further skills and personal development. These are highly sought-after training experiences only for the most motivated and qualified students. For example, applicants are subjected to tests of theory, as well as mechanical knowledge and applied tasks, to determine their ability to work in teams and apply problem-solving skills.

Twelve full-time instructors are employed by the company to work with the apprentices on professional competence, decisionmaking and responsibility, design competence, social competence and lifelong learning. Even at the worksite, apprentices spend a good portion of their time in classrooms and labs learning the skills that will be needed in their jobs. The first year of the program starts with instruction in areas like safety, creativity (a key component of the program) and basic modules in metal working; lathing and milling; pneumatics; installations and electronics; as well as time working in the plant. In addition to the 12 instructors at the education center, there is a network or more than 80 individuals assisting with training in the plant and helping apprentices transfer skills from the classroom to the factory floor.

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In the second and third years of the apprenticeship, gradually more time is spent working in the plant, and training modules become more advanced, covering topics like programmable logic control, hydraulics, welding and motion control. Students work on the exact same equipment in their worksite training center as they will use in the plant, allowing for a more seamless application of skills. At the same time, companies sponsoring apprentices are expected to provide them with a broad enough education that their skills will transfer to similar occupations in other companies if the students choose to seek employment elsewhere.

One of the ways that apprentices can ensure that their skills are appropriate across the industry is through the national exams they sit for as part of their programs. These exams are developed and proctored by the chambers of commerce around the country and are unique 10 each occupation. Both interim and final exams are used to show that apprentices have achieved the necessary skills as a result of their training. The exams include both paper-and-pencil and demonstration components, and an oral portion is often included, depending on the occupational area. Students who pass the exams are issued portable certificates from the responsible chamber, which are necessary for entry into further training opportunities. The certificates also qualify students for a variety of related career opportunities should they not seek full-time employment with the company they train with.

VET Benefits

So what is the incentive for businesses, who invest heavily in the dual system, and business organizations like the chambers, to participate in VET? Peter Scherrer, HR director at ArcelorMittal, emphasized a number of benefits of the programs. Companies are assured the next generation of skilled workers, have low recruitment costs and are provided influence over the content and organization of vocational training. He elaborates: "We know their personalities, knowledge and abilities ... [These] students have proven they are able to work in a team." Of ArcelorMittal Breman's 3,800 workers, only 15 to 20 leave per year, providing evidence of the recruitment benefits of the program.

Apprentices also receive benefits from the system. Many, including the ones trained at AreelorMittal, are guaranteed a job with the company after obtaining their certificates. They also benefit from the uniform qualification standards that allow certificate portability, as well as the curriculum's emphasis on social skills and personality development. Because many of the apprentices enter the program at young ages, the breadth of skills emphasized in the curriculum is critical. Students are also motivated by the "learning and earning" nature of the dual system. Apprentices begin earning salaries immediately, and these salaries are increased as time spent working increases.

What We Can Learn

So what can CTE educators in the United States take away from this system and its clear benefits to both employers and workers? The system as a whole would be difficult to duplicate due to the vastly different educational structures in the two countries and the years of history of the German dual system, but there are key lessons.

First, one of my key takeaways was the esteem with which the apprenticeship system and dual education and training are held throughout Germany. Students know that this training leads to good jobs and solid career pathways, and there is no stigma attached to completing apprenticeships. Pathways from apprenticeships into universities are also growing, so that the tracking that has stigmatized some parts of the German system is slowly dissolving. Once they have completed their apprenticeships, students have a wide variety of options like further technical training and enrollment ill the university system beyond guaranteed employment.

The next takeaway was the critical need for businesses to feel invested in the education or the future workforce. It was clear from conversations at the chamber of commerce and at ArcelorMittal that employers saw their roles very clearly and purposefully. While we often ask business and industry leaders to serve on advisory committees, help develop curricula or provide financial resources to support programs, there are few established partnerships between business and education systems as a whole. More can certainly be done at the local level to give business leaders both a greater voice and a greater responsibility for the future workforce, but work must occur on the state and national levels as well.

Along the same lines, the importance of work-based learning was very clear in the German dual system. Even though we may not be able to establish paid apprenticeships for two-thirds of American students (which is essentially the German model we can do more to replicate actual interaction with employers and real-life work situations, including time in physical workplaces. All the students we talked to discussed the importance of seeing work being done and experiencing authentic tasks during their education. Whether through internships, job shadowing, service learning or other strategies, we must get more students into the Workplace at earlier ages to explore career possibilities and better connect classroom and real-world learning.

Coordinating Efforts

Despite the world-renowned business-education partnerships in Germany, some or the most important lessons were about the effort it takes to make the system operate. Even with the established state system of VET schools and training provided through both the workplace and the education system, it takes local, on-the-ground coordination between classroom teachers and apprenticeship instructors to ensure that students get the most out of their education.

While we heard numerous examples at ArcelorMittal or how worksite instructors worked with VET school instructors to ensure complementary skills were being taught--such as projects that were begun in one setting and completed in the other--that was not universally true. Other apprentices and system experts we met spoke of examples, particularly in emerging or small occupational areas with more internal diversity, where this coordination did not happen. In one case, an apprentice shared that very little of what he was learning in school carried over into his work projects, in large part because he was the only apprentice in his class working in that particular setting.

This reinforced how difficult seamless partnerships can be without all levels and all parties involved--and how much these partnerships should be applauded when achieved. Although a step in the right direction, a company's CEO must do more than sit on an advisory board or write a donation check--educational instructors must be connected to actual jobsite supervisors and hiring managers to ensure a close connection in the skills being taught. In Germany this is accomplished by worksite instructors visiting VET schools and meeting with teachers to coordinate lessons. In the-United States, strategies like business externships or more job shadowing events for teachers can help to increase the quality of collaboration.

Overall, it was clear that strong connections between education and employer communities, and between education and work more generally, can yield very positive results for students. While some companies here in the United States have begun to replicate the German model of learning and earning through dual education and employment, and there are many more examples of positive business-education engagement around the country, such as those highlighted throughout this issue of Techniques, there are still lessons we can learn from international models. We may not be able to fully adopt the German dual system, but many intermediate steps--work-based learning, business-education collaboration and more--can be taken to put students on a seamless pathway to high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers.

CTE delivery comes in a fascinating variety the world over. See what other countries are doing, or share what you know, at www.acteonline.org/international.

Alisha Hyslop is the assistant director of public policy at ACTE. She can be reached at ahyslop@acteonline.org.