For many young people and their parents (me included), May is the start of a stressful couple of months, with exam season in full swing. The realisation that good results could enable a young person to pursue their chosen career definitely starts to kick in.
Last month, I was fortunate to be invited to participate in a study visit to Berlin, organised by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. We looked at the German system for vocational education (VE), and the collaborative approach taken by employers, trade unions, and other partners there.
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We knew that skills development was at the heart of their industrial competitiveness, and wanted to understand how it worked, and the relative strengths and limitations.
“There was a visible pride that everyone, especially young people, took in education and training. Most impressive were some young English apprentices who, having applied from the UK, were selected to work in Berlin as part of their training.”
We met a wide range of people, representing businesses, employees, government, education and apprentices. We were particularly impressed by many features of the German approach, especially the “dual system”.
This is when young people spend a third of their four-year apprenticeship at a college, where they develop not just technical knowledge but also language and social skills. The other two-thirds are with an employer where they become “experts in their fields”.
There was a visible pride that everyone, especially young people, took in education and training. Most impressive were some young English apprentices who, having applied from the UK, were selected to work in Berlin as part of their training – acquiring proficiency in German as well as control, mechanical, and electrical engineering. Six out of 10 of school leavers in Germany enter the dual system, with three in 10 entering higher education and one in 10 going directly into work. In Britain only 4% of GCSE age school leavers go directly into apprenticeships.
Although there is no single answer to why apprenticeships are so highly regarded and coveted in Germany, it is clear that the system is deeply embedded, stable, and enjoys widespread support.
What was also striking was the relatively light hand of the government, leaving employers and their partners to own and administer the VE system.
Most of the business leaders we met had been apprentices themselves and were advocates of the system. They recognised that, as in the UK, there are challenges, particularly in extending the appeal to female students, and adapting the system to anticipate technological trends.
One particularly impressive feature, though, was how young people are taught a “whole system” approach, which focuses on “learning how to learn”. This means that as the industry changes they are equipped to adapt. Commitment to continuing professional development was also evident.
All this left me thinking about what could be done to raise the appeal of apprenticeships and construction careers in the UK. These points will certainly be part of the discussions I have with my own children on career options, once the current flurry of revision and exams has passed.
Given CITB’s unique position in partnering with employers, federations, colleges, government, and other bodies, we should consider how to best embed and promote world-class education and training for our industry.
What is clear is that there are many lessons we can take from Germany to help improve productivity and competitiveness in this country.
This blog was first posted here on the CITB website
