A dual education system is practised in several countries, notably Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but also Denmark, the Netherlands and France. It combines apprenticeships in a company and vocational education at a vocational school in one course. Apprenticeship is a traditional method of training a new generation of skilled crafts practitioners. ... A blacksmith is a traditional trade. ... A vocational school, provide vocational education and also sometimes referred to as a trade school is one operated for the express purpose of giving its students the skills needed to perform a certain job or jobs. ...

In the duale Ausbildungssystem young German people can learn one of 356 (2005) apprenticeship occupations (Ausbildungsberufe), such as Doctor's Assistant, Dispensing Optician or Oven Builder. The precise skills and theory taught are strictly regulated: an Industriekaufmann (someone trained to work in an industrial company as a personnel assistant or accountant, etc) has always learned the same skills and taken the same courses. An optician is a professional who makes and adjusts optical aids, including telescope optics and microscope lenses. ...

In 2003, the top five most popular dual education courses taken in Germany were:

1. Retailer (Kaufmann/Kauffrau im Einzelhandel) — 28,773 people took up this course in 2003.
2. Clerical worker / office administrator (Bürokaufmann/Bürokauffrau) — 24,389
3. Mechatronics engineer for the automobile industry (Kraftfahrzeugmechatroniker/in mit Vorgängerberufen) — 23,218
4. Office worker in an industrial company (Industriekaufmann/-kauffrau) — 18,583
5. Cook (Koch/Köchin) — 16,434

(Source: Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung [1]) In commerce, a retailer buys goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers or importers, either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells individual items or small quantities to the general public or end user customers, usually in a shop, also called store. ... A clerk can be someone who works in an office and whose duties include record-keeping or correspondence. ... Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of mechanical engineering (mecha for mechanisms), electronic engineering (tronics for electronics), and software engineering. ... A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ... Cook can refer to Cook the profession, see also Cooking. ...

In France, dual education (formation en alternance) has undergone a boom since the 1990s, with information technology being the greatest draw.

Apprenticeship section

As one part of the dual education course, students are trained in a company for three to five days a week.The company is responsible for ensuring that students get the standard quantity and quality of training set down in the training descriptions for each trade.

In Germany, this practical training may be complemented by more practical lessons at workshops run by the guilds and chamber of commerce, in order to compensate for the bias caused by training at only one company. These extra courses usually take three or four weeks a year. A guild is an association of people of the same trade or pursuits (with a similar skill or craft), formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. ... Chambers of commerce are business advocacy groups which are usually not associated with government. ...

In France, the same amount of time is spent in practical training and theory, with the following possible systems:

• 2.5 days in a company, 2.5 days at school,
• one week in a company, one week at school,
• six months in a company, six months at school.

French companies must provide a tutor or other person responsible for the students, or a human resources officer to deal with them. Their duties may involve daily tutoring and/or targeted training. French apprentices on the dual education course are paid a certain percentage of the minimum wage for the job they are learning. Human resources has at least two meanings depending on context. ...

School section

The other part of the dual education course involves lessons at a vocational school (German: Berufsschule). The responsability for this part of the course lies with the school authorities in every German state or Swiss canton. Both general lessons (German, politics, economics, religion, sport) and trade-specific theory are taught. A vocational school, provide vocational education and also sometimes referred to as a trade school is one operated for the express purpose of giving its students the skills needed to perform a certain job or jobs. ... Germany is a Federal Republic made up of 16 States, known in German as Länder (transliterated as Laender in English, singular Land). ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ...

Lessons may be taught part-time (one or two days a week) or in blocks of several weeks. The latter is preferred for trades learned by only a small number of students, where students may have to travel long distances to get to the nearest vocational school which teaches their subject.

Testing

In Germany, for most trades, the first examination takes place about half-way through the vocational training and is only to test how well the student is doing so far: the marks do not go towards the final exam. Both exams are organised by the small business trade group and chamber of commerce and industry. Examinations for trained artisans are traditionally known as journeyman's tests (Gesellenprüfung). A small business may be defined as a business with a small number of employees. ... Chambers of commerce are business advocacy groups which are usually not associated with government. ... An artisan, also called a craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Tradesperson. ...

Examinations for trades which have been recognised more recently are organised slightly differently. Here, the first examination counts as 40% of the total result, with the final examination making up the other 60%.

Those who fail the exam can apply to have their training extended until the following year when they can retake it. Only one extension is allowed.

Problems with dual education

Germany

Although the dual education system is generally considered to be exemplary, an increasing number of young people are taking vocational education and training (VET) courses at training sites and schools rather than in real companies, as for various reasons, companies are becoming less willing to take on apprentices. To counter this, the government considered making it compulsory for firms to take on apprentices. This idea, however, was dropped when the trade associations agreed to a voluntary training pact.

The reasons behind the lack of places on dual education courses include:

• companies which take on apprentices have to follow a large number of regulations
• the training itself is very expensive
• many school leavers have only a low level of education and are not able to keep up with the course
• firms are often highly specialised and unable to train apprentices in all the required areas

Recently some attempts have been made to overcome these difficulties, but as yet with no success. Two solutions put forward so far are "contractual education" (Auftragsausbildung) and state-run courses. The former would involve companies training apprentices which they do not plan to employ; the contract would also not be an employment contract. The latter solution would involve training outside of companies, in schools and colleges.

Switzerland

In Switzerland too, more and more young people are finding it hard to get a place in a company of their choice. In 2004, a conference took place on this subject, attended by all the parties in the Swiss Federal Council; as no agreement could be reached on which measures to take, the only result was a call for all companies to take on apprentices. The Swiss Federal Council (in German, Schweizerische Bundesrat; in French, Conseil fédéral suisse; in Italian, Consiglio federale svizzero; in Romansh, Cussegl federal svizzer) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government of Switzerland, as well as assuming functions corresponding to those of the head of state...

The lack of places has changed the conditions in which apprentices are taken on. In 2004, one newly-founded company even advertised apprenticeships in IT where the apprentices had to pay for the training themselves. The uproar was so great, however, that the company was not able to start up. Today, most apprentices have to take aptitude tests before they are accepted, and there are usually several candidates for a company to choose from. Category: ...

Much of this information was taken from the German and French language versions of this article.

See also

• Education in Germany

The education system in Germany has a long tradition of compulsory state schools. ...

External links

• Quick facts about the German education system from germany-info
• 2005 Reform of Vocational Education and Training (Federal Ministry of Education and Research)