The German dual system: Formal policy, theory and practice, and legitimation. What the United States can learn from an apprenticeship model in context

The gap between the theory of how the German apprenticeship system works and actual practice, how this gap is explained, and the role associated organizations and cultural constructs play in supporting the successful operation of the German apprenticeship system are the foci of this study. As President Clinton and his administration unveil plans to bring apprenticeship to the U.S., this examination of the German system should prove useful. Bringing an apprenticeship system to the U.S. that looks to the German system as its model involves more than understanding the way the system is constructed. It involves understanding a way of thinking and acting deeply embedded in the culture of the German people and the context of their system. The questions should move beyond simply examining the methods Germany uses to train its workers, and the popularly cited benefits that theoretically persuade employers to continue funding the system.; This study has three foci. First, the official view--rules and organizational structure--of the Dual System and the structures that support it will be outlined. How the people who work and learn within the system experience it will be the next focus; this section begins the process of separating theory from practice through an examination of the voices of the participants and statistical data on the outcomes of the Dual System. The third section involves an analysis of the cultural and institutional constructs that allow for the continued operation of the system and belief in the official formal description of its operation; this chapter uses legitimation theory as a base.; In conclusion, the analysis presented in the third section is a brief examination of how the key components of the German system would fit in the U.S. context. If it is determined that the U.S. wishes to have an apprenticeship system the following questions must be asked: (1) What systems, attitudes, institutions, ways of thinking and acting are necessary for its success? (2) What are some of the fundamental steps that must be taken in order for apprenticeship to be a successful endeavor in the U.S.? (3) What problems can such a system solve and what problems are beyond its area of influence?...