The German employment agency plans to introduce an instrument of ‘assisted vocational training’ in its initiative Betriebliche Ausbildung hat Vorfahrt (in-company training comes first).

‘DIHK supports the idea of assisted vocational training. The more young people we get into in-company apprenticeships, the better’, said Esther Hartwich, head of the DIHK vocational education and training department. She stressed that the idea of supporting young people during in-company apprenticeship is far more preferable than providing external or vocational college training.

However, Hartwich added, different arrangements, partner and funding methods ought to be possible depending on federal state and region. She made it clear that companies ‘cannot be the repair shops for damages caused by general education systems and parental homes’. ‘After all, companies already show their commitment by taking on weaker students as apprentices and paying them full wages.’

Hartwich highlighted the VerA initiative by SES Senior Experten Service zur Verhinderung von Ausbildungsabbrüchen (senior expert service for preventing apprenticeship dropouts) as a good example of assisted vocational training. In the programme’s scope, unpaid pensioners with practical professional experience support young apprentices.

Hartwich: ‘This can be differently beneficial compared to the work of social education workers, who are less familiar with business practices.’ She reports that approximately 5 500 young people sought help at SES since its launch and 3 800 young people have been supported since 2009.

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