Search

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare stakeholders’ roles in Germany and Switzerland when it comes to promoting innovation in the dual apprenticeship model. In both countries, the relevant stakeholders who represent the various occupations and, in a more narrow sense, the social partners, actively shape vocational education and training (VET) reforms. They represent the area of public educational policy, besides governments, political parties and the public, who, in both countries, appreciate the decisive role of apprenticeships for youth education, employment and social stability. Thus, the broad consensus of the relevant stakeholders is crucial in order to keep apprenticeship systems alive. Both countries face challenges related to academisation, which means, that the Gymnasium (high school) and higher education now are even more the first option for parents than in former times. On several levels German and Swiss policy makers try to strengthen VET paying tribute to and trying to cope with these developments. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is situated in the field of comparative VET research. Based on policy documents and findings from research the paper analyses the discourse and perspectives related to VET reforms. The authors deliberately focus on two countries, Germany and Switzerland, which share a great deal of common features in relation to VET, nevertheless developed different measures in order to cope with the pressure of increasing the ratio of students in higher education. The comparative paper looks at the topical reform discourse and taken measures and the specific culture of apprenticeships in the two countries by focusing on those stakeholders, which, besides governments, are crucially involved in the system. The paper draws its insights from the VET policy debate and from both national policy documents and national and international expert publications in the field of VET. A strong focus is given to the emerging new environment of the VET system. Methodologically, the paper draws from an institutional view on VET, which is being discussed broadly in comparative research, since VET systems with a “dual system”, such as the two discussed here, may be categorized as “state-steered market models”, “occupation-based qualifications styles”, “collective skill formation systems” or specific realizations of “transition systems”. All these categories refer to the observation that in these societies it is not the state alone, who defines the structure of the respective VET system, but non-state stakeholders are capable of influencing VET policy and VET reform in a substantial and visible way. Findings – In both countries, Germany and Switzerland, the importance and value of VET is based on an overall consensus, shared by all relevant actors. The basis of this consensus is that the dual system so far successfully opened and should continue to open career paths in industry. Apprenticeships undoubtedly are cornerstones of economic welfare in these countries and can be associated with low youth unemployment rates. A supplementary aspect in the last years however is the political will that VET should also have some kind of link with higher education. Despite some interesting reform measures ambivalences cannot be ignored: against what could be called “academic fallacy” the importance of a highly qualified workforce, trained in non-academic fields, and the future of this kind of skill formation have become major topics and concerns in both societies. Originality/value – This paper is comparing two similar cases, Switzerland and Germany, in VET in order to profile reform alternatives. Furthermore the actors beyond state are highlighted as important element for reform in VET education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The aim of this paper is to re-examine the unique political economy of Germany|!|#39;s dual apprenticeship training model and its underlying philosophy of corporatist governance. It responds to recent arguments suggesting that Germany|!|#39;s collectivist skill regime is under threat, increasingly giving way to the introduction of |!|#34;segmentalism|!|#34;. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The paper reviews the political roots of a training system, which is moulded and shaped by corporatist interventions and neocorporatist compromises. It applies |!|#34;public choice|!|#34; theory to different interest groups in Germany|!|#39;s training market. The focus is on the German apprenticeship system as a social and political institution. The paper is positioned in the tradition of inductive enquiry, which draws on an interpretive framework and is informed by reference to a cross-section of the extant literature in several social science disciplines. Findings |!|#8211; The German training system is the product of a wider post-war consensus, yet continues to face social inequality concerns, which culminate in significant economic and societal costs. Despite modernisation attempts, the German apprenticeship is the outcome of a complicated political process, linked to its historical origins, which allows for a considerable degree of self-interest alongside its corporatist roots and values. Amongst Germany|!|#39;s social partners, heterogeneous self-interests and corporatism can co-exist, thus identifying an alternative model to collectivism and segmentalism. Originality/value |!|#8211; The paper rejects recent suggestions that the German system moves towards a model of |!|#34;segmentalism|!|#34;. Instead, it interprets the German system as an example for a specific socio-political constellation where significant self-interests and corporatist rules can co-exist. Against this background, it demonstrates that continuing demands to copy the German apprenticeship model |!|#8211; if thought desirable |!|#8211; are unlikely to be successful unless this tangled web of political processes and interests is fully understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the impact of enterprise education on entrepreneurial attitude within European higher education institutions (HEIs) in France, Germany and Poland. The research seeks to consider whether differences between cultural and industrial heritage can influence entrepreneurial attitude and mediate the effectiveness of enterprise education. Design/methodology/approach - Research argues that Europe requires more entrepreneurs willing to innovate and create new ventures to facilitate economic growth. This research builds on prior studies, which have examined the impact of enterprise education and training on business start-up. In particular the study utilises the concept of entrepreneurial attitude to measure how enterprise education influences students'' perceptions of, and motivations towards, entrepreneurship as a viable career option. The study contrasts and compares the impact of a short enterprise course on entrepreneurial attitude among undergraduate students in French, German and Polish HEIs. A quantitative methodology employed a research instrument utilising five-point Likert arrays to contrast attitudes and opinions of students both prior to, and after, the delivery of the course. Findings - Enterprise education has a positive impact on entrepreneurial attitude of French and Polish students. Conversely, the course had a negative impact on male German students. It was also found that while female students are more likely to perceive a greater benefit from the learning experience, the impact of enterprise education on entrepreneurial attitude is actually more significant for male students. Practical implications - The research findings are of interest to academia and policy makers. The study suggests that entrepreneurial attitude among European students can be influenced by exposure to enterprise education. The results also indicate that gender, cultural and industrial heritage can moderate the impact of enterprise education. Originality/value - The paper provides evidence that differences between gender, culture and regional settings need to be considered in the design and delivery of enterprise programmes if they are to have the desired impact on entrepreneurial intent and graduate entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – In Germany structural change and aggravated international competition have been accompanied by a declining willingness of enterprises to offer apprenticeships. Young people with low levels of qualification increasingly end up in courses at vocational schools that offer few transitions to regular VET or the labour market. This paper aims to show how the German VET (vocational education and training) system turned from an inclusive scheme to a selective scheme regarding young people with low levels of qualifications from basic schooling. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents empirical results of an evaluation study on the background of the structural changes in German VET. Findings – The empirical results show exemplarily the low connection between these courses and the apprenticeships in companies. Research limitations/implications – The results are exemplary for one type of course at vocational schools. The results cannot empirically illustrate causalities between the structure of German VET system and the diminishing possibilities of youth with low levels of qualification but secondary data presented in this paper support the assumption of an increasingly selective German VET system. Social implications – The article provides information about social selectivity in contemporary German VET. Originality/value – The article not only recapitulates the current German discussions about structural problems and reforms concerning the VET-system, but also draws conclusions from the German situation about possibilities of apprenticeship-based pathways for youths with low levels of qualifications in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Entrepreneurship is not only seen as an important factor for economic growth and welfare but also as a vehicle of societal development and change, both at the regional, national and international level. Thus, entrepreneurship education at schools plays an increasingly important role, linking policy, businesses, education and science. However, research on entrepreneurship education programmes, especially on mini-companies which rely on an experiential learning setting, is still a young field and shared frameworks concerning entrepreneurial competences and longitudinal research designs are missing. This paper addresses to this research gap by analysing whether students who participate in a mini-company develop entrepreneurial competences. Design/methodology/approach: The study is conducted in a quasi-experimental design, building upon a validated and psychometrically sound research instrument that is based on a newly designed entrepreneurial competence framework. In total, 100 pupils from grammar schools in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, participated in the experimental and control group at both time points. Findings: The results show that students expand their entrepreneurial competences on an economic level. In comparison, they show only limited developments on the personal and team level. The findings have important implications for the further development of entrepreneurship education programmes as well as on the interaction between schools and (regional) entrepreneurs, business partners and enterprises. Originality/value: This study examines pupils' development of entrepreneurial competences in a quasi-experimental design. It highlights that participating pupils develop economic competences when participating in mini-companies in comparison to pupils participating in regular economics classes. This study sheds further light on the effects of mini-companies, and thus contributes to the discussion of entrepreneurship education at schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a research paper, which explores the influence of self-identity, motivation and social issues related to term-time employment, based on a qualitative study conducted at Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany. It investigates experiences of students when working during the term and aims to determine central aspects relevant for students when assessing their term-time job. It highlights the influence of self-identity, motivation and social aspects to students' satisfaction and dissatisfaction at work and contributes to the few studies focusing on the experiences students have as flexible employees.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to show that the quality of learning in German apprenticeships can be increased without raising costs under certain conditions. It starts with a contextual description of apprenticeship in the dual system, showing that this insight is of central importance, since employers in Germany are increasingly withdrawing from apprenticeship provision. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is a case study-methodology and shows one selected case out of 24 presented. The selected case is then related to the findings of the other cases explored. Findings - The findings in the paper imply that quality of apprenticeships can be improved without an increase in costs, challenge the classical economics of apprenticeship. "Grounded" indicators of quality in apprenticeship are formulated: learning in productive work processes is a core characteristic of apprenticeships; the productive work apprentices engage in needs to follow a well thought through sequential logic; learning is based on a high degree of autonomy; learning is embedded into the business process; client satisfaction provides an important quality benchmark; commitment to occupation and the company can provide a source of responsibility and quality; and professional competence is the ultimate goal of learning. Research limitations/implications - The results in the paper were further processed into a self-evaluation tool assisting companies in their cost-benefit calculation. The developed standardised instrument was not tested in an international context. Both instruments presented could be further validated by taking up the view of multiple stakeholders and comparing results with alternative methodologies of assessing the learning quality. Practical implications - The paper suggests an intensified integration of apprenticeship training into productive work processes. In order to turn this into quality learning the complexity of tasks needs to be increased over the course of apprenticeship. Originality/value - The paper proposes a new look at the costs of apprenticeships. Therefore, it is of interest to researchers and managers with an interest in apprenticeship training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose ? This paper proposes to investigate the modernisation of the German Dual System for apprenticeships. Design/methodology/approach ? The paper looks at the history of the development of the Dual System and looks at the challenges it faces today. Findings ? The paper finds that Germany, with its long-standing tradition of dual apprenticeships and the reputation of maintaining its practices rather than changing them, has joined the vocational education and training reform agenda. It also finds that reforms seem inevitable in the face of a partial failure of the traditional mechanisms operating within the existing apprenticeship system. Originality/value ? This paper is useful in highlighting the challenges faced by a traditional apprenticeship system.

Purpose - To provide information and insight into the potential of reforms in full-time vocational education and training (VET) (practice firms in vocational colleges) in contrast with apprenticeships against the background of training market frictions in Germany. Design/methodology/approach - Structural information on the German VET system; empirical study (2006) within a research project to illustrate the didactical and social benefits of practice firms. Findings - Underlines that vocational colleges and practice firms within them are part of a "preparatory" system which predominantly serves further education needs and the follow-up intention to undertake an apprenticeship; confirms preceding research which put them in line with the "typical" full-time VET system. Research implications/limitations - Limitations are due to the focus on one type of full-time VET and the specific conditions in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Practical implications - Provides useful information to understand the nature of VET in a given country; insight into the limitations of full-time VET can help teachers to rethink co-operation with companies in general. Originality/value - Useful contribution to rethinking VET policy and to understanding limitations in the wake of an implementation of new forms of vocational learning against the background of culturally-rooted tradtions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommends a dual strategy of investment in high wages/high technology and demand-led on-the-job skill acquisition, which will result in learning by doing at a higher technical level and relatively high productivity and return on investment. Offers this strategy as a replacement for costly publicly funded vocational training. (SK)