Germany: a dual baccalaureat to rescue the apprenticeship system

In a bid to tackle some ingrained trends that continue to direct young Germany school leavers towards third level education and keep them away from the world of work for even longer, several employers’ federation and Länder have launched the Berufsabitur (a dual baccalaureat) that can lead to a double diploma (general and vocational). Six German regions have already joined the pilot and this new model, which has yet to prove itself, could soon be extended nationwide.
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Rescuing the dual apprenticeship system. In a bid to rescue the famous dual apprenticeship system, six Länders signed a framework agreement in the autumn of 2017. The idea was to trial a new type of diploma called the Berufsabitur (dual baccalaureat), along the lines of the Austrian and Swiss models. The rescue mission does not categorically signal that the German vocational apprenticeship system no longer functions and is approaching extinction. Instead this recruitment and training pillar for

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