Dual system of professional training: keystone of "made in Germany"?
The German dual system of professional training is seen as an international reference model. It aims at training qualified employees for an innovative economy rather than being the last resort for less able pupils. Parents and adolescents regard apprenticeships as an entry ticket to a good job with career opportunities; companies value the advantages of practice-oriented training in situ conceived in cooperation with its own professionals as this spares them the costs of integrating school graduates.
The modernisation of professional training in combination with more flexible forms of work organisation partly explain the recovery of the German economy in the mid-90s. Social partners and politicians feel responsible for the creation of adequate numbers of apprenticeship positions – even when year groups are particularly large or in times of crisis. Contrary to the situation in many other countries, young people in Germany do therefore not become outsiders that carry the burden of crises.
However, the problems of the dual system cannot be ignored. The undermining of the German collective wage system that is unable to guarantee appropriate wages has led school graduates to prefer university studies over professional training schemes. Particularly in the poor wage sectors apprenticeships are becoming less and less attractive.
This article is available in French and German only:
- Das duale System der Berufsausbildung in Deutschland
- La formation en alternance : clé de voûte du made in Germany ?
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The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) was created in 1954 by an inter-governmental agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and France, in order to raise awareness of Germany in France and analyze Franco-German relations, including in their European and international dimensions. In its conferences and seminars, which bring together experts, political leaders, senior decision-makers and representatives of civil society from both countries, Cerfa develops the Franco-German debate and stimulates political proposals. It regularly publishes studies through two collections: Cerfa notes and studies as well as Franco-German visions.
Cerfa maintains close relations with the network of German foundations and think tanks. In addition to its research and debate activities, Cerfa promotes the emergence of a new Franco-German generation through original cooperation programs. This is how in 2021-2022, Cerfa led a program on multilateralism with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Paris. This program is aimed at young professionals from both countries interested in the issues of multilateralism in the context of their activities. It covered a wide range of themes relating to multilateralism, such as international trade, health, human rights and migration, non-proliferation and disarmament. Previously, Cerfa had participated in the Franco-German future dialogue, co-led with the DGAP from 2007 to 2020, and supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Daniel Vernet group (formerly the Franco-German Reflection Group) which was founded in 2014 upon the initiative of the Genshagen Foundation.
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