The German apprenticeship system out to take on the world

Since the last crisis, we’ve seen that young people’s access to the labor world was much safer in countries with a “dual” vocational training system: Germany, Austria, the Netherlands or...

24 February 2014

EU: Berlin and Paris want to extend dual apprenticeship in Europe to tackle youth unemployment

While unemployment is breaking new records in southern Europe, Wolfgang Schäuble and Ursula von der Leyen, respectively Minister of Finance and Minister for Employment and Social Affairs in...

23 May 2013

BASF and the Catalonian Government (Spain) agree to the first dual training program at the transnational scale

The chemical company BASF and the Catalonian Department of Education (Spain) have just reached an agreement by which students from a Catalonian vocational training school can pursue a dual...

22 April 2013

Spain: new Royal Decree introduces framework to develop dual vocational training

ecree No. 1529/2012 introducing the contract of training and learning based on the dual training system was published. It is meant to gradually implement the dual vocational training system in...

19 November 2012

Corporate practices: in Kaluga, Russia, Volkswagen is training its own apprentices

Lack of skilled workers. 170 kilometers south west of Moscow, at the gates of the city of Kaluga, is a 400-ha production site, Volkswagen Group Rus, Volkswagen’s Russian subsidiary. Created in...

23 August 2012

Germany: German-style apprenticeship set out to conquer the world

The ‘dual system’ on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean. In a workshop located one floor above the assembly hall of the American headquarters of the German chainsaw maker, Stihl, in Virginia Beach...

23 August 2012

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France: Crédit Agricole to tighten remote work rules

Crédit Agricole is to adopt stricter rules on remote work from mid-March onwards. The rules will be tightened for employees, but the maximum number of days working remotely will remain unchanged.

29 January 2026

France: Orange submits gender equality agreement – including AI provisions – for union approval

The three representative trade unions at Orange France have until 10 December to validate an agreement on gender equality, work–life balance and anti-discrimination measures. While the text...

8 December 2025

mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators

In 2025, for the first time, the universal registration documents of major European companies contain the sustainability reporting required by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive...

31 October 2025

Candice Guillot (Talan): “Our recruiters save just over 80 hours per year on administrative tasks thanks to AI”

Candice Guillot, group director of employee experience and HR performance at Talan (7,000 employees), outlines for mind RH her vision and strategy for introducing artificial intelligence at the...

20 October 2025

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Oliver Dietrich (IG Metall): “The advent of AI can be a means of deepening social partnership within companies”

In Germany, trade unions want to influence how AI is deployed in companies. Oliver Dietrich is an AI project manager at the regional office of the IG Metall trade union in North Rhine-Westphalia...

21 January 2026

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

Italy: collective agreement for rubber and plastics sector focuses on new skills

A month ahead of schedule, the Federazione Gomma Plastica employers' organisation and the Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec trade unions have renewed the collective agreement for the rubber and...

5 January 2026

Italy: new generational renewal agreement penned at UniCredit

The agreement signed on 30 December by UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest banking group, with the Fabi, First-Cisl, Fisac-Cgil, Uilca and Unisin trade unions aims to continue generational...

15 January 2026

France: social partner talks extend far beyond contractual terminations

After a false start on 3 December, French social partners resumed talks on 7 January 2026 on potential changes to the unemployment insurance agreement, including the rules governing compensation...

12 January 2026

EU: banking sector social partners commit to combating violence and harassment

On 15 January, the trade union federation UNI Europa Finance and three employers’ associations in the banking sector signed a joint statement on preventing violence and harassment in the...

16 January 2026