France/Germany: French and German social partners issue proposals to upgrade and galvanize work-study vocational training systems

At the 16th Franco-German Ministerial Council, which took place in Paris on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 the German and French Ministers for Employment took stock of a series of proposals submitted by the social partners in both countries within the framework of the Franco-German working group on employment and training.  On top of the observation that the German training system, because of businesses’ active and central role, is way ahead of the French system in terms of attractiveness and efficiency, the report points out that, in both cases, it is important to keep opening vocational training up compared with other training branches and undertake structural reforms in this respect, notably in France where the system is very school-oriented and too far from businesses.  Finally, adjusting training systems to globalization is seen as unavoidable.  Taking account of the international dimension is considered a priority not only in the content of training but also in training the trainers.  Germany and France should also set an example regarding the harmonization of vocational training at European level, the report’s authors say.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

A group of experts mandated by the Franco-German working group on employment and training, made up, for unions, of representatives from the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) and from the French CGT, CFDT and FO unions and, for employers, of representatives from the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), the MEDEF and the CGPME, send a series of concrete proposals to the two countries’ Ministries of Labor and Employment, i.e. Andrea Nahles for Germany and Michel Sapin fo

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
EU: social partners split over competitiveness and action on job quality
The European Trade Union Confederation and BusinessEurope have published their response to the consultation document on the European Commission's upcoming EU quality jobs initiative. The two...
4 February 2026
2026 TRENDS — Social dialogue, a major challenge in the deployment of AI in companies
mind RH is analysing the trends that will shape 2026. Artificial intelligence is emerging as a force that goes far beyond efficiency gains and productivity improvements. It is reshaping tasks...
4 February 2026
The major trends of 2026
New regulations coming into force, economic uncertainty, evolving skills requirements… More than ever, the HR function will play a strategic role within organizations in 2026. mind HR...
Germany: collective bargaining negotiations begin in chemical industry
Collective bargaining talks in Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industries are due to open this week, covering nearly 580,000 employees across around 1,700 companies. With the sector facing...
3 February 2026
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
United Kingdom: government urged to legislate against forced labour
After consulting victims, businesses and NGOs, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) has published a report showing that the UK is lagging behind in the fight against forced labour. The...
13 January 2026
2
EU: European Parliament calls for a directive on just transition
On 20 January, MEPs approved, with 420 votes in favour, an own-initiative report calling for a just transition directive. The text calls for the protection of workers to be guaranteed in the...
20 January 2026