Friedrichshafen exports dual vocational education and training system to Brazil

Vocational education and training continues to be an export hit in the crafts. Already in 2012, a delegation of trainers from the Brazilian SENAI Institute visited the education academy of the Chamber of Crafts Ulm in Friedrichshafen in order to gather information regarding quality standards in the German vocational education and training system and to learn about its main features. Now, the academy again welcomed trainers as guests.

The aim in this remains the introduction of the main features of a dual vocational education and training system in Brazil. Co-operation between businesses and schools is limited there and first attempts currently remain in the development phase.

"The country has an incredible demand for skilled labour, which at present it does not yet train itself", says Erwin Adamczak, headmaster at the education academy in Friedrichshafen, regarding the origins of the co-operation. Accordingly, the aim is to introduce trainers to the main features of the German system. Adamczak: "We provide a degree of development aid here."

In Friedrichshafen, the participants proved to be impressed in particular with the current welding technology. However, an aspect that is increasingly at the centre of this co-operation revolves around eliminating the language barrier, for example, by translating German curricula into Portuguese.

At present, 17 of 50 Brazilian teachers have taken part in the exchange programme and have come to visit Friedrichshafen. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is supported by a non-profit limited company (GmbH) in Bonn. The latter is a co-operation initiative of German trade associations, which intends to support developing countries in establishing economic structures.