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Abstract

With a strong economy bringing skill shortages in technical jobs, Austin, Texas, has sought to learn the essentials of the German apprenticeship system for the development of its local youths and to help resolve labor supply problems encountered by local employers. Going beyond the conventional research and study tours, Austin has invited direct participation from European training experts and has established an apprentice exchange for Austin youths with the Chamber of Small and Medium-Sized Firms and Crafts in Koblenz, Austin's sister city in Germany. The Capital Area Training Foundation, an industry-led, nonprofit corporation, was formed to guide the development of the school-to-work system through its affiliated industry steering committees established in each of the region's major industry sectors. These steering committees decide on the industry's approach to working with schools, confirm industry skill standards and curriculum frameworks, provide career information, and organize opportunities for active career exploration and work-based learning.

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References

Joachim Munch , Vocational Training in the Federal Republic of Germany, 4th ed. (Berlin: European Center for the Development of Vocational Training, 1994).

2. Angeles G. Angelou and Melissa Stokes , “Economic Review and Forecast: 1994-95” (Report, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, 1994), p. 2.

3. Angeles G. Angelou and Melissa Stokes , “Economic Review and Forecast: 1995-96” (Report, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, 1995), p. 4.

4. Ibid.

5. Robert W. Glover et al. , Bridging the Gap: Implementing School-to-Work Transition in Austin, Texas (Austin: University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, 1993), pp. 8-9.

6. Center for Learning and Competitiveness , School-to-Work Transition in the U.S.: The Case of the Missing Social Partners (College Park: University of Maryland, School of Public Affairs, 1994), p. 19.

7. Karl-Jürgen Wilbert, Presentation to the Mayor's Task Force on Apprenticeships and Career Pathways for Austin Youth, Austin, TX, 17 May 1993.

8. Wilfried Prewo , “School-to-Work Transition and High Performance: The German Approach” (Paper delivered at the workshop “Education That Works and Work That Educates,” Austin, TX, 6-7 June 1994), p. 18.

9. The original name of the organization was the Austin Training Foundation, but Austin's school-to-work system subsequently expanded into a regional effort, focusing on the 10-county Capital Area, and the name of the organization was changed accordingly. The term “industry” as used in this article is meant to designate both employer and worker representatives.

10.

10. German youths who have successfully completed schooling in the college preparatory (Gymnasium) track and passed their college entrance examination (Abitur) are eligible to serve in accelerated apprenticeships. The Austin-Koblenz exchange takes advantage of this provision to shorten the term of apprenticeships for recent American high school graduates who are assumed to have the equivalent of an Abitur.

The German Apprenticeship System: Lessons for Austin,Texas

Abstract

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