Is Germany’s Dual Vocational Education System Ready for Export? - Minister Peter Friedrich Consulted ZEW

Peter Friedrich, Minister for the Bundesrat, Europe and International Affairs in Baden-Württemberg, visited the Mannheim Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) on September 1, 2014. He met ZEW President Professor Clemens Fuest, who gave an overview of the institute’s current research and activities on the EU level. The minister was especially interested opportunities to export the German dual vocational education system to other European Union Member States, and in possibilities to train EU citizens in Germany. Both measures could help combating youth unemployment in Europe, in particular in the southern EU Member States, where youth unemployment has reached record levels.

In a subsequent lecture, PD Dr. Friedhelm Pfeiffer, senior researcher at ZEW’s "Labour Markets, Human Resources and Social Policy" Research Department, explained the prerequisites for successfully introducing a dual vocational education system in other countries. He put particular emphasis on cooperation between government institutions and the economy, which he described as an indispensable pillar of dual vocational education systems.

Moreover, Minister Friedrich was interested in ZEW’s research results within the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, the goal of which is to improve living standards in Danubian countries and deepen regional cooperation. Within the framework of this strategy, the State of Baden-Württemberg has commissioned ZEW to conduct a study on the economic development of the Danube Region. Dr. Christian Rammer, deputy head of the ZEW Research Department "Industrial Economics and International Management", and Dr. Bettina Müller presented the first results of the study and explained the methods of analysis used.