Dual and school-based vocational training programmes in Germany: Steps towards a comprehensive understanding of vocational education and training

Abstract

Even today, vocational education and training (VET) in Germany is often equated with dual training. School-based VET can be seen as second-class in two senses: it is rarely noticed by the public and academia; however, if it comes into view, it is often assumed that the (predominantly female) youths who complete such training programmes have poorer labor market opportunities compared to those with dual training. This article outlines dual training, training at health care schools and training at vocational schools (with a particular focus on pre-school educators) in their socio-historical context and shows how this context has ultimately been also linked to insufficient research on school-based training programmes. Using data from the National Education Panel (NEPS), the paper then analyzes the chances of graduates of the three forms of education in the transition to the labor market (duration until first employment, characteristics of the first employment relationship and unemployment after the first employment). The results show that training at vocational schools (which is not regulated nationwide but by Länder legislation) is indeed linked to worse labor market opportunities, if only slightly. The profile of pre-school educators, who are frequently employed on a temporary basis, is particularly striking. Nevertheless, in view of the employment needs of the future, more public attention and state commitment to school-based VET are urgently needed.