ABSTRACT
In the German definition of the term, vocational training provides qualifications that are recognised in the labour market but are below the level of those obtained by university graduates. Many university courses also qualify students for specific occupational labour markets (e.g. doctors and lawyers), but despite this vocational orientation they are assigned to the general education system by virtue of their higher status. Thus the term ‘vocational training’ not only denotes training for occupational training markets but also entails an allocation, in terms of status, to the middle of the education and training system: vocational training is located in an intermediate position between academic education and semi-skilled activities without recognised vocational qualifications.
