ABSTRACT
In the Federal Republic of Germany, vocational training relies substantially on the dual system which involves learning at two places: the firm and the vocational school. Learning on the job is organized on the basis of a contract between the employer and the trainee, and the learning in vocational school takes place on a part-time basis. In addition, vocational training is possible in full-time vocational schools. The legal basis for the training of young persons is the Vocational Training Act (1969).
Since 1977 the vocational system has had to cope with the following developments:
demographic change from 1955 to 1964
young people’s changing attitudes to education
economic developments.
In 1977, 585,000 young persons were asking to be trained on the job; in 1984 this number had increased to 764,000. Employers could not satisfy this demand. In 1977 they were able to offer 584,000 places; in 1984 they offered 727,000.
Because of economic developments, young people stay longer in the educational system. About 50 per cent now start their vocational training when they are 18 or older. The training on the job has to be supplemented in certain vocational fields by training centres which have the capacity to teach more complex processes than are possible in the smaller companies.
