Cover Story
Cover Story
Summer 2018 / Issue 58
Learn & Earn – German Dual Vocational Training in Macedonia
Dual vocational training in technical and commercial fields has a long history in Germany . Since the 18th century , from the times of guilds and market trades , vocational training has been in the DNA of German , Swiss and Austrian people .
Private-public partnerships between the state , the private sector and chambers of commerce work well , and depending of the economic situation there is always a need to foster and adjust this ‘ golden triangle .’
Although dual training is facing challenges even in Germany , especially in these turbulent times , this model is key for achieving the lowest youth unemployment rate in Europe of only 7 , 1 %.
The system of dual vocational training enables students to gain knowledge , skills , and qualifications which correspond to the fast-changing
Author : Tobias Bolle , Program Leader for Dual Training ( Skills Expert Program ), Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Macedonia ( AHK ) needs of the business sector . The dual training is implemented both in the school ( theoretical part ) and in the company ( practical part ) where ‘ learning by doing ’ is the main focus of the program .
The Situation in Macedonia
Macedonia inherited an obsolete vocational education and training ( VET ) system and the subsequent development of the education system was focused on general high school education which could lead into any field of university studies . This strategy might have worked if there was an abundance of jobs available afterwards . Unfortunately , the labor market in Macedonia does not have the capacity to absorb all the graduates that come out of universities . On the other hand , a lot of jobs in the technical production field are vacant because there is not enough qualified staff graduating from the technical vocational schools . However , technical high schools in Macedonia have dedicated teachers and functional equipment which means there is hope for the future of vocational training in Macedonia . Recognizing the need for qualified technicians , beside the German initiative , there is also the Swiss Embassy together with Helvetas and the Economic chamber of Macedonia who recently launched a 10-year program for Education for Employment in Macedonia ( E4E @ mk ).
16 AmCham Macedonia Magazine