Many parents worry a great deal about their children’s education. It can be surprising how early some parents start planning for their child’s future — they often seem to have a fixed plan for the years ahead. But what if the child has their own plan instead? Their talents might show themselves a different way. That, too, can turn out right, and can bring both prosperity and happiness.
Germany’s dual education system helps in exactly this situation, and is a strong option to consider. It has a long history. It began as a way to give young people practical and theoretical training in almost every trade, which raised the quality of the work produced and also meant a trade could recruit its own successors — people who might go on to take over a family firm or start a new one. Over time, individual schools built this into a system combining fixed periods of real work with theoretical study. Today, the dual education system is a strict, professional framework used across almost every industry. A graduate of the system holds a qualification in their trade. Employers are mostly interested in people trained this way, and pay for many of these trades is often attractive.
How the System Works
Training for a trade under the dual system takes two to four years. Every year of training is a distinct training year, and the trainee starts at a company recognized by the relevant chamber of commerce. Every trainee’s contract is recorded with the chamber. During training, both the company and the trainee have a number of rights and obligations. The chamber and the company jointly run theoretical teaching at a vocational school. Trainees typically work at the company three to four days a week and attend school one to two days a week. The chamber holds an intermediate exam after 18 months to check the trainee’s progress. Ahead of the final exam, trainees attend special practical workshops outside the company to prepare. The exam includes both a written paper and a hands-on practical assessment. It is not easy, and most trainees have to study hard beforehand. Once a trainee passes, they receive a formal title in their trade, and from that point are a licensed skilled worker in that profession.
A Win for Both Sides
This is a win-win for both the trainee and the company that invests in the dual system. Trainees gain many options, mainly working at the company where they trained; alternatively, this is a starting point for the next step, such as preparing for a master craftsman qualification. The training company gains excellent staff with real experience who already know what to do. The dual system also creates more opportunities to put ambitions into practice. Trainees who succeed can go on to earn a solid salary.
It is also a good option for young people who want to discover their own talents first. Gaining basic experience, learning teamwork and finding out what you are good at are important early steps for a young person, and the path onward stays open. Several countries have started copying Germany’s dual education model, and many young people from abroad now train in a trade in Germany this way. Practice and theory complement each other, and trainees also gain real experience of working at a company — a different kind of learning from purely academic study, but one that gives real insight into everyday working life.
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