The German Federal Education Minister, Johanna Wanka, and the German Federal Foreign Affairs Minister, Guido Westerwelle, promote the dual vocational education and training system abroad. The combination of theory and practice makes it the flagship of the German education system and creates opportunities for counteracting youth unemployment worldwide.
Youth unemployment is a problem in just about every country around the globe. About a quarter of young people in Europe are jobless, in Greece and Portugal the youth unemployment rate is almost 60 per cent. Even in the USA, 16 per cent of young people are without a job. With only about 8 per cent, Germany is a positive exception.
This is an achievement largely ascribed to the dual vocational education and training system. During the conference "Deutsche Unternehmen – Pioniere der beruflichen Bildung im Ausland" (German Enterprises – Pioneers of Vocational Education Abroad), Federal Education Minister Johanna Wanka therefore called the dual vocational education and training system one of the major strengths of the German education system.
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research co-operates with many countries in the field of vocational education and training. On the basis of the worldwide accepted German dual vocational education and training system, it develops suitable solutions for the respective partner country together with partners from politics and the industry.
High degree of practical relevance
"The German businesses are important partners in the export of education", emphasised Wanka during a speech before some 300 conference attendants from the fields of industry, vocational education, diplomacy and politics. She said they are the best proof for the fact that vocational education and training is a path well worth pursuing.
Numerous German enterprises are involved in promoting vocational education and training abroad. The German Chambers of Commerce Abroad and German enterprises with business activities in the partner countries play a central part in the collaboration between regional vocational training centres and the businesses, schools and chambers of the partner countries.
"Together with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research we have developed programmes for supporting the dual vocational education and training system abroad", said Westerwelle during the conference. "80 of our diplomatic missions will launch local initiatives on the topic of vocational education and training in co-operation with the respective Chambers of Commerce Abroad."
In Germany, 60 per cent of all young people receive their occupational education within the dual system. In this system, the businesses and vocational colleges work together as partners. Some 350 occupations requiring vocational education and training produce the future skilled labour force for industry, the crafts and freelance occupations. Those with completed apprenticeship training can easily compare themselves with young people from other countries who have completed a study course.
"With the high degree of practical relevance, Germany scores in the field of vocational education and training", explained Wanka. The combination of theory and practical application within a business has made vocational education and training a success story of the German education system.
Guarantee for a well-trained skilled labour force and low rates of youth unemployment
To a large degree, the low youth unemployment rate in Germany is ascribed to be due to the country's worldwide accepted vocational education and training system. Some countries therefore intend to introduce a dual vocational education and training system following the German model. Friedrich Esser, President of the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), said there is evidence that the dual system develops more and more into an "export hit".
This is why, over the course of the past months, a successive number of education ministers from Europe, Asia and the Middle East paid visits to Berlin. At German enterprises and vocational colleges, they collected information regarding the dual vocational education and training system. "Our dual system of vocational education and training is a guarantee for a well-trained skilled labour force and low rates of youth unemployment", said Westerwelle.
The dual vocational education and training system celebrates its comeback in countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, Sweden, South Africa and Malaysia. Six European Union (EU) countries intend to collaborate with Germany in their efforts to reform their vocational education systems.
With the involvement of the EU Commission, Germany, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Slovakia and Latvia therefore agreed on a memorandum providing for numerous concrete measures for the introduction of the German vocational education and training system. The aim is to put 80 per cent of all young people in the EU in employment by 2020.
Israel plans a reform of its vocational education system: there, too, vocational education takes place mainly at school. In India, the improvement and further development of vocational education and training enjoys top priority: the Indian government has set itself the goal of providing vocational education for 500 million people by 2020.
Improvement of vocational education and training is given high priority also in the USA. The commitment on part of German enterprises such as Siemens, Bosch and VW, who provide both theory and practice of vocational education and training, was greatly appreciated by President Obama, because it well prepares German youths for the specialised demands of the working world.
The leading German industry organisations and associations of chambers have already entered into co-operation agreements with their partner associations for the transfer of German principles of vocational education and training. In Spain, Seat launched its dual vocational education and training programme already in September 2012.