Why Portugal's Education Minister Nuno Crato wants to import the dual system
Question: Minister Crato, Germany and Portugal intend to co-operate more closely in the field of vocational education and training. Are you interested in the German dual system?
Nuno Crato: We are very interested and want to know how it works. However, we are not going to copy it, but intend to gain inspiration from it. The co-operation between the state-run education system and the private enterprises is very interesting for us. In our country, schools are the decisive factor in vocational education and training. We are very much interested in further developing vocational training and education throughout the country. Germany is a successful country with a low unemployment rate and a strong industry. We can learn from its example.
Question: Every third young person in Portugal is without a job. What do you do to combat this?
Nuno Crato: We need to give these young people a perspective. One way of doing so is the dual system. The low rate of youth unemployment in Germany is impressive. In our country, unemployment rates are rising, while, at the same time, technicians and other skilled labour are needed to further develop our economy and to increase our productivity. The employment market features a mismatch: we have too many young academics without job perspective and too few craftsmen such as plumbers and carpenters. Vocational education and training in Portugal must be further developed with an eye to practical application. We want to find out how the dual system in Germany works.
Question: What is the exact nature of your co-operation with Germany?
Nuno Crato: We have agreed that education experts and responsible enterprise representatives from both countries are to regularly meet and exchange information. We likewise intend to organise exchange schemes for apprentices and pupils. This co-operation will create new opportunities for our young people.
Question: So young Portuguese people soon will come to Germany to fill our vacant apprenticeship positions?
Nuno Crato: As yet, we are in the early stages of co-operation. But we want to extend the European-level Da Vinci programme for vocational education and training exchange supporting mobility amongst apprentices.
Question: Will the enterprises in your country follow suit?
Nuno Crato: The commitment on part of the private sector is of fundamental importance. In our country, vocational education and training is not systematically geared towards the enterprises, a few exceptions notwithstanding, for example, the Volkswagen affiliate in Portugal. This company has introduced its system in Portugal and trains young people on the basis of the German model. But otherwise, enterprises merely offer internships, that is all we have by way of practice-oriented training. We need enterprises to take over responsibility for the young people's vocational education and training. We have some German enterprises in Portugal, they could provide a starting point.
Question: Language is likely to be a significant barrier in exchanging apprentices.
Nuno Crato: No doubt, this is a problem. We are in touch with the Goethe institutes and other institutions to further intensify the co-operation. Also, universities and schools intend to offer more German language classes and we are very interested in winning over more German lecturers.
Question: Are you concerned about the threat of motivated and well-trained workers emigrating?
Nuno Crato: No, we are not concerned about that. The migrants will return. We had the same discussion regarding the engineers and, even earlier, regarding the scientists. Yet science today is more internationalised than ten or twenty years ago. The scientists come back and bring back international experience. At the same time, we ourselves attract scientists from abroad. We are not afraid of having to compete for the best talent.