The School-to-Career Transition in Germany and the United States

Abstract

This article compares the structure of the educational systems in the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany, with emphasis on organizational and cumricular features of both school-based and work-based preparation for employment. The German and American educational systems have developed fundamentally different models for the transition from the educational system into the labor market. These differences, which are characterized as differences in the systems’ transparency and permeability, affect young people's motivations for school achievement, their conceptions of work, and their future orientations. The article concludes with recommendations for improvements in both systems that could be achieved by borrowing from each other.