Vocational Education and Training

Germany's VET-System is a success-story, because it combines the education system with the first labor market. This ensures or at least paves the way for the transition of young people from the education system into the first labor market.

• 350 state-recognized professional training schemes; Training in the so-called "dual system". For in-company training the responsibility lies with the federal government, the economy and its organisations, the school-based part is the responsibility of the federal states in 2,000 vocational schools.
• Duration of a training scheme: generally 3 years
• For each profession the federal government issues a training scheme, valid nationwide with qualification and examination requirements
• 1,6 million apprentices are trained in the "dual system" (55 percent of an age-group each year)
• 500,000 apprentices are in full-time vocational schools (responsibility of the federal states)