The famous German apprenticeship model is not just a form of employee training. Apprenticeship is a unique way in which employers, schools, postsecondary schools, chambers of commerce, employment agencies, trade unions, and government agencies, all work together to cultivate and craft a skilled workforce, which in turn, promotes the sustainable economic growth of an entire community. Additionally, apprenticeship is a key driver of upward socioeconomic mobility for traditionally marginalized groups. Nearly half of German high school leavers enter the German workforce already at the age of 16 as apprentices in over 350 different occupational fields. Put simply, apprenticeship is the key ingredient of "Made in Germany" quality. TOP is working to provide as much information as possible about the German apprenticeship model to educators and workforce development professionals in North America, hoping they too will work together for the economic growth of their own communities.
"An Apprentice's Story" is a series of at least three podcasts commissioned by the Transatlantic Outreach Program featuring interviews with actual American apprentices. These recent high school graduates reveal how they became apprentices, who supported them, what their parents think, and what opportunities lie ahead.
