Guest blog post by German Ambassador to the United States Peter Wittig

Over the past weeks, there have been numerous positive reports by the American media again on the German dual vocational education and training system, about which I am very proud. I was also particularly intrigued to learn about new apprenticeship models being created in the U.S. They show that the dual system is attractive to a growing number of people. One could almost call it a grassroots movement. In some cases, German companies and chambers of commerce are engaged, for example, in the ICATT project of the German Chamber of Commerce Abroad in Chicago, under which industrial mechanics are being trained.

I am pleased that our work over the past years is bearing fruit. Since 2014, the German Embassy has been supporting vocational training whenever possible through its Skills Initiative. Last year, the German ministries of Education, Economic Affairs, and Labor and the U.S. departments of Education, Commerce, and Labor signed a joint declaration of intent to cooperate on vocational training. In a joint appearance at the Hannover Messe last April, U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and German Education Minister Johanna Wanka underscored that successful cooperation in this field enjoys support at the highest levels of government. Since then, a task force has been developing new ideas and projects, such as the mutual exchange of apprentices.

Our experience in Germany has taught us that, in addition to political backing, vocational education and training must be supported by the stakeholders themselves in order to succeed. Businesses, chambers, unions, institutions, community colleges, and apprentices will only develop a sense of “ownership” if they see concrete benefits for themselves. For large companies in need of many well-trained workers, the advantages are obvious. Numerous successful models launched in the U.S. have shown that particularly when small and medium-sized businesses coalesce on vocational training, they increase the benefits by together creating the basis for a pool of well-trained workers.

Let us not deceive ourselves, however. Establishing a successful dual system of vocational education and training does not happen overnight. And keeping it attractive is an ongoing effort. In Germany, we are only just learning what has long been known in the U.S.: More and more young people want to go to college. So we have to make clear time and again that a good vocational education also offers excellent opportunities and is a comparable alternative to university study. National Apprenticeship Week is a good occasion and an effective instrument to spread this message.

The political discourse has focused a lot lately on personal fears, economic dissatisfaction, and political uncertainly. Our agenda should be driven by positive prospects. Good vocational training creates career opportunities, offers good incomes, and enables the individual to develop skills and talents. From an economic perspective, it spurs creativity and innovation. With our successful German-American cooperation in vocational education and training, we are pursuing a truly forward-looking project – in the interest of our younger generations.

This blog is a part of a monthly series highlighting the contributions of the Commerce Department’s agencies to the Open for Business Agenda. This month’s focus is on Skills for Business.