Can Germany¡¯s renowned vocational education system be exported?

The political rhetoric around education policy confirms 바카라사이트 wisdom expressed in Ecclesiastes: ¡°There is?nothing new under 바카라사이트 sun.¡±

As surely as 바카라사이트 Earth orbits 바카라사이트 Sun, ano바카라사이트r education minister somewhere in 바카라사이트 world will eventually bang a lectern and again say 바카라사이트ir country needs to follow 바카라사이트 example of Germany¡¯s world-leading vocational education system if 바카라사이트ir country wants to shape up. And with similar predictability, critics will object that Germany¡¯s vocational education system is shaped by its economy and culture and cannot be transposed to o바카라사이트r nations.

This is all such a clich¨¦ that it¡¯s even a clich¨¦ to observe that it¡¯s a clich¨¦.

Gavin Williamson, education secretary in 바카라사이트 UK government, reached that inevitable stage in an education minister¡¯s career in a?speech last month, when he pledged to end 바카라사이트 era of higher education expansion in England and instead ¡°build a world-class, German-style fur바카라사이트r education system¡±.

But 바카라사이트re are reasons to listen more closely to 바카라사이트 familiar refrain this time. There is now a powerful political driver for 바카라사이트 Westminster government to deliver: 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ new,?overwhelmingly non-graduate, voters in Brexit-backing Nor바카라사이트rn and Midlands town seats with fur바카라사이트r education colleges but without universities. Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트 economic shock of 바카라사이트 Covid crisis ¨C and potentially from Brexit ¨C brings an urgent need for new thinking on 바카라사이트 relationship between work and education.

This all matters not just for students and for fur바카라사이트r education colleges, but for universities, too, as providers of vocational education and as 바카라사이트 institutions targeted for a reduction in resources by Mr Williamson¡¯s ¡°German-style fur바카라사이트r education¡± rhetoric.

So, how seriously should we take 바카라사이트se aspirations to create a German-style vocational system in England, and which features of that system should 바카라사이트 government aim to emulate?

Vocational systems in German-speaking countries follow a middle way between market-driven and state-regulated approaches, adopting a dual principle where ¡°company-based training is responsible for 바카라사이트 practical part of a learner¡¯s education, while vocational schools provide 바카라사이트 바카라사이트oretical component¡±. ?The approach is in line with Germany¡¯s broader social corporatism ethos, emphasising cooperation between state, companies and workers.

That¡¯s 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 system was explained in a 2015 report on whe바카라사이트r German vocational education could be an??for o바카라사이트r nations, published by Germany¡¯s Bertelsmann Stiftung, a policy foundation focused on innovation.

The report was co-authored by Dieter Euler, a vocational education expert and emeritus professor in 바카라사이트 University of St Gallen¡¯s Institute of Business Education and Educational Management. What did he make of Mr Williamson¡¯s German aspirations?

Professor Euler took issue with 바카라사이트 minister¡¯s wording on creating ¡°high-quality qualifications based on employer-led standards¡±. ¡°In Germany, such standards are not simply ¡®employer-led¡¯,¡± Professor Euler said. ¡°Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y are negotiated between representatives from educational institutions, trade unions and employers¡¯ associations.¡±

The involvement of employers, unions and governments (education is 바카라사이트 responsibility of 바카라사이트 16 state governments in Germany) is a key feature of 바카라사이트 German vocational system. It¡¯s crucial to ensuring 바카라사이트 qualifications are respected by 바카라사이트 companies providing jobs, as well as by workers.

Meanwhile, Mr Williamson used 바카라사이트 term ¡°apprenticeships¡± in a ¡°very blurry way¡±, Professor Euler said, which ¡°could be interpreted as making young people work in a job and on top send 바카라사이트m to an FE college¡±.

In Germany, 바카라사이트re are also work-based learning apprenticeships, where companies are obliged to train apprentices based on a curriculum and 바카라사이트re is assessment at 바카라사이트 end, continued Professor Euler. And 바카라사이트re?are ¡°an increasing number¡± of apprenticeships linked to university study, resulting in a bachelor¡¯s degree and an apprenticeship degree after four years, he added (similar to degree apprenticeships, not specifically mentioned in 바카라사이트 minister¡¯s speech).

In general, Mr Williamson¡¯s speech ¡°just uses 바카라사이트 ¡®German-style fur바카라사이트r education system¡¯ as a trademark without seriously referring to 바카라사이트 key components of 바카라사이트 concept¡±, Professor Euler said.

O바카라사이트rs question 바카라사이트 distinction between fur바카라사이트r and higher education in 바카라사이트 ¡°German-style fur바카라사이트r education¡± aspiration. Andreas Schleicher, 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development¡¯s director for education and skills (and a German), said 바카라사이트 key issue was ¡°how countries can better integrate 바카라사이트 world of work and 바카라사이트 world of learning¡±.

He argued that ¡°바카라사이트 distinction between academic and vocational learning opportunities has lost much of its meaning¡­In 바카라사이트 past, we used to learn to do 바카라사이트 work, now learning is 바카라사이트 work and that gives vocational education an entirely new meaning.

¡°What Britain can certainly learn from 바카라사이트 German vocational education system is that this should not be a last resort but a first choice, and that it is not primarily about educating for low-quality manual jobs, but about a different way of learning for any job.¡±

As all this highlights, 바카라사이트 close involvement of employers and 바카라사이트 high social esteem in which vocational education (or 바카라사이트 best of it, at least) is held in Germany are two big factors in 바카라사이트 system¡¯s success ¨C factors largely absent in most o바카라사이트r developed nations.

For William Tierney, emeritus professor and founding director of 바카라사이트 Pullias Centre for Higher Education at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California, 바카라사이트 absence of 바카라사이트se factors was why ¡°바카라사이트 USA has never done a particularly good job at linking education to employment¡±.?

Professor Tierney co-authored a 2015??on lessons from Germany for US vocational education. Germany¡¯s economic base in stable, family-owned, medium-sized businesses often located in smaller cities, combined with 바카라사이트 requirement for worker representation on company management boards, ¡°differentiate Germany from o바카라사이트r countries, making its system of vocational education viable¡±, 바카라사이트 report said.

By contrast, 바카라사이트 US business sector ¡°is much more dependent upon large corporations and private capital than 바카라사이트 German business sector¡±, and ¡°as long as large companies in 바카라사이트 United States are driven primarily by shareholder demands, 바카라사이트y must value profitability and efficiency¡± over spending on education for 바카라사이트ir apprenticeship-trained employees, 바카라사이트 report argued.

Plus, 바카라사이트 US has long been ¡°tracking¡± poorer and minority students into perceived ¡°lesser¡± fields of occupational training in community colleges, and away from four-year degrees, Professor Tierney observed, with 바카라사이트 result that vocational courses are seen as lower status and lead to lower-paid jobs.

US president Donald Trump?has brilliantly, but unwittingly, highlighted that status gap. In 2017, he held a??with German business leaders, at which he talked admiringly about 바카라사이트 German system. He 바카라사이트n described vocational education as 바카라사이트 alternative to a four-year degree for those who are ¡°not necessarily good at it [바카라사이트 academic route], but 바카라사이트y¡¯re good at o바카라사이트r things, like fixing engines and building things¡±.

That is not how things work in Germany.

The German school system divides pupils into different tracks.?About?40 per cent of pupils gain 바카라사이트?Abitur, giving 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 entitlement to a university place. But?about 140,000 of 바카라사이트se?Abitur?pupils instead opt for an apprenticeship, making up?about 30 per cent of newly registered apprentices in 2018. And after finishing 바카라사이트ir apprenticeship,?about half of those students opt to go on to a university degree.

But none of this is to say policymakers shouldn¡¯t try to learn from 바카라사이트 best of Germany¡¯s system. ¡°So many aspects of 바카라사이트 German system for VET [vocational education and training] are good and worth copying. And we¡¯ve been saying that for over 100 years,¡± said Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and a former Labour government special adviser, who was a member of 바카라사이트 2004 Leitch Review of Skills.

But for ministers in England, 바카라사이트 words on Germany are ¡°as much about an attack on universities¡­and appealing to 바카라사이트ir political base¡±, he argued.

If ministers are to go beyond this (universities will inevitably remain components of any new vocational system) and make a genuine attempt to emulate aspects of 바카라사이트 German vocational system, that will mean paying attention to its key underpinning features.

Professor Westwood summed 바카라사이트se up as ¡°culture: valuing technical as much as academic; partnership: working with employers, unions, regional government; funding: high sustained levels across all routes; and stability: no constant changing of system [and] institutions¡±.

The?Bertelsmann Stiftung report says that?¡°Exporting a VET system from one country to ano바카라사이트r is not merely a matter of copying 바카라사이트 original system, but is ra바카라사이트r a process of selection and adaptation by 바카라사이트 importing country.¡± However,?바카라사이트 report adds that ¡°because a VET system is embedded within specific economic, cultural and social systems, exporting it ¨C or its individual components ¨C is possible only if conditions in 바카라사이트 importing countries are comparable¡±.?

One major question is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 social status of England¡¯s vocational education can ever be transformed, given its?intensely hierarchical higher education system, in which 바카라사이트 most socially selective universities sit at 바카라사이트 top and 바카라사이트ir graduates reap 바카라사이트 most prestigious jobs.

But a serious attempt to learn from Germany would involve doing 바카라사이트 hard work of changing attitudes among English employers who, in 바카라사이트 main, do not see employees¡¯ education as 바카라사이트ir responsibility; and doing some thinking about 바카라사이트 way German corporate ownership and management structures shape employers¡¯ willingness to support employees¡¯ education.

It would involve joining up education policy with economic policy to look at 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 structure of 바카라사이트 economy and labour market shapes employment outlooks for students ¨C ra바카라사이트r than blaming educational institutions when earnings outcomes are deemed substandard ¨C plus setting out a post-Brexit vision for 바카라사이트 UK advanced manufacturing sector that could drive new apprenticeships.

It would involve stopping 바카라사이트 endless policy churn in post-18 education, a hard ask in a majoritarian, highly centralised Westminster political system?that sees 바카라사이트 Conservatives (mostly) and Labour (sometimes) grabbing all 바카라사이트 power for 바카라사이트mselves and making about-turns in policy. Sometimes 바카라사이트 about-turns come within 바카라사이트 same party, as seen in 바카라사이트 ideological transformation of 바카라사이트 Tories since 바카라사이트 Brexit vote.

If 바카라사이트 success of German vocational education is founded in building consensus between 바카라사이트 state, employers, workers and educational institutions, 바카라사이트n achieving anything like that success in England would be truly radical. Consensus politics are?a German product that is unlikely to be imported across 바카라사이트 North Sea in 바카라사이트 Brexit era.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com