Die Gewerkschaften sind starke Akteure und Unterstützer der dualen beruflichen Aus-und Weiterbildung in Deutschland. Lesen Sie dazu einen Artikel für die indische Presse von Ulrich Meinecke, Sozialreferent an der Deutschen Botschaft in Neu-Dehli, Indien.
The German trade unions and the dual system of Vocational Education & Training have a strong correlation, since vocational education and training also leads to better salaries and decent working conditions. The unions are therefore strong stakeholders and supporters of the dual mode of vocational education and training as designed in Germany. This could be explained by pointing out that the trade unions play an important part within the dual system of Vocational Education & Training (VET): After passing the final examination the apprenticeship ends. Both employer and former apprentice are free to decide on the future plans. Roughly 60% of the apprentices join the workforce of their training company, 40% find a job elsewhere. As they receive a VET according to high standards and recognized throughout Germany, they are in high demand. In addition, the collective contracts, negotiated and settled by the unions and the employer-associations, stipulate the salaries for qualified workers after apprenticeship. Therefore, VET also means getting the opportunity to earn higher salaries after training. The workers get better pay, the companies get quality and productivity. Being in India for the last three years I have learnt that the dual mode of VET in Germany is different from the practical experience under the Apprenticeship Act in India. Sometimes there is fear that a dual mode of VET could become a license for exploitation, as there are some reports on misuse and exploitation through so-called trainee-contracts with low salaries. The German experience is different and I would like to underline two points: Hence VET is one of the important tools that allows industries to function well and. On the other hand, VET is also a key to decent working conditions.The Role of Trade Unions in the German system of Vocational Education & Training
As the trade unions look after the interests of the youngsters who will start their professional life with VET, the unions stress the need of a broad-based VET which will give a solid foundation for the whole working life. The industry, however, is sometimes more interested in short-term VET with a more narrow understanding of their needs. Eventually, the experts nearly always find a well-balanced solution. As a result, our NOS require two to three and a half years of VET as an apprenticeship.
The major part of the VET is given within the companies, on the shop-floor, supported by qualified in-company trainers. One or two days a week the apprentices go to a vocational school run by the state government. There they are taught the theoretical part of the profession, which is linked to the practical part of VET given on the shop-floor.
For employers the apprenticeship is a kind of investment in people, and after the training they integrate the best of their apprentices into their workforce. At the same time, companies get a return on their investment during the apprenticeship also: The apprentices who are trained on the shop-floor under real-life conditions, contribute to the business and create value while being trained. The apprenticeship salaries, cost of trained in-company trainers, registration- and examination fees – are all borne by the employers.
Within the companies the work-councils – elected by all workers, blue and white collar workers, apprentices, part-time and fulltime workers – have to look after the VET on the shop-floor also. Most of these work-councils are unionized. Therefore, the unions also have a look at the day-to-day VET on the shop-floor, at least in the companies where works-councils are established.