Why are workforce training programs almost universally terrible? And why has vocational education become so decidedly unfashionable ... even as more and more people are trying to orient college education towards the job track?
How do we articulate who we are and what we can contribute to the world?
I bring a cross-border vantage to these questions in a new feature for Next City, "Foreign Exchange." And before I get to the end, I also manage to drop some poetry by Marge Piercy.
Here's an excerpt:
Germany’s vocational education model has its roots in the apprenticeships of the Middle Ages. The system, modulated by national law, marries private companies and public schools. More than a policy initiative cued by an economic downturn or acceleration, Germany’s model has strong scaffolding: The federal government, working through a mandatory chamber of commerce, is responsible for vocational training in private companies, while states are responsible for the same in schools. This dual track system sets up the partnership that leads workers into about 350 formally recognized “occupational standards.” It is viable enough that more than 50 percent of students at college-prep high schools who do not go on to university choose to attend vocational school.
German companies are not compelled by law to participate in workforce training, and they are not typically compensated for their investment of time and talent. If they do participate, they are responsible for two-thirds of the substantial annual costs — about 15,300 euros per trainee each year. Given this, the voluntary participation of employers illustrates the stake they see in developing their workforce as a serious step toward recruitment, skill building and talent retention for their staff. Of course, the involvement of private companies is also a boon to those participating in the training programs. Job seekers are assured that the skills they develop have relevance in the coming economy, and they are motivated to keep up with the training program by the presence of potential employers.
The model is a striking contrast to the current approximation of an apprenticeship system in the United States: The unregulated and specious culture of unpaid internships, positions often held by college students while collecting jaw-dropping debt in student loans. If students receive credit hours in exchange for their internship work, they are effectively paying for the privilege of working for free.
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