Vocational training made in Germany is an export hit. Germany already works with more than 100 countries that are interested in the concept.
Germany has been successful with its dual system of vocational training for decades. Trainees acquire practical skills in the company and, at the same time, theoretical knowledge at a vocational school. The training has proven itself as a measure against both youth unemployment and the shortage of skilled workers and is therefore also seen as a successful model internationally. The federal government presented a position paper on this in 2013: Germany wants to make its expertise on the dual system available to interested partner countries. These can seek advice from German education experts when they introduce a dual vocational training system in their own countries.
Worldwide demand
International cooperation in vocational training has many positive effects. Young people are given prospects in their home country and social peace is strengthened because well-trained specialists create competitive advantages, which means more people can find well-paid jobs.
Here we give you an overview of where in the world young people benefit from the dual vocational training system.
- In 2016, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Slovakia and Latvia, with the participation of the European Union, agreed with Germany to adopt the structures of the dual vocational training system.
- However, the implementation of the European Training Alliance is not always easy: Slovakia, for example, had to enact a new vocational training law before training could begin.
- There is also interest in this variant of thorough vocational training in the world's largest economy, the USA.
- Internationally, Germany places a focus on cooperation with African countries, such as South Africa or Nigeria.
- Many Caribbean, Central and Latin American countries have also been convinced by dual training, including Mexico, which also focuses on automotive engineering, and Ecuador.
- In South Africa, Ecuador and Vietnam there are projects that specifically focus on vocational training.
“Skills Experts” help in the workplace
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Croatia, Nigeria, North Macedonia, South Africa, Vietnam: There are “skills experts” in all of these countries. On the initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the training specialists are supporting the development of a dual system in vocational training, combining theoretical instruction and practical training. From the foreign trade chambers, they bring companies and vocational schools together. In this way, young Kenyans are trained to become skilled workers in the catering industry, for example. And South Africa started a logistics course in 2020.
German companies as drivers of development
Skills Experts” is one of many examples of how Germany is promoting vocational training worldwide based on the principles of the dual system – there is great interest in this, reports the Federal Government's Central Office for International Vocational Training Cooperation (GOVET). The drivers of this development are often German companies with branches in other countries. They rely on well-trained specialists such as those produced by the dual system. Learning in a practical environment is just one element. In addition, there is close networking between social partners, business organizations and the state, nationwide quality standards for training content and teaching staff, and continuous evaluation.