Photo: John Ydstie/NPR
Apprentice industrial clerk Henrik Tillmann assembles a valve for a commercial aircraft galley kitchen at Hebmuller Aerospace near Dusseldorf, Germany.
The old-time way of learning a trade — by working as a low-fee apprentice for a few years — never completely died out and remains the reason Germany is a manufacturing powerhouse.
In the second of three reports at National Public Radio (NPR), John Ydstie explains.
“Manufacturing accounts for nearly a quarter of Germany’s economy. In the U.S., it’s about half that. A key element of that success is Germany’s apprenticeship training program.
“Every year, about half a million young Germans enter the workforce through these programs. They provide a steady stream of highly qualified industrial workers that helps Germany maintain a reputation for producing top-quality products.
“Henrik Tillmann is among the current crop of young apprentices. The 19-year-old is training at Hebmuller Aerospace to be an industrial clerk, which qualifies him to do a variety of jobs from materials purchasing to marketing. Each week he spends three-and-a-half days at the company’s production center, and a day and a half at a government-funded school. Before he can become a clerk, though, Tillmann must first learn how to build the valves Hebmuller sells to aerospace companies.
“He will be a better clerk, says his boss, Axel Hebmuller, because he’ll know the valves inside out when he describes them for customers. …
“Hebmuller says only 3 of the 16 people who work for his company went to university. …
“Felix Rauner, a professor at the University of Bremen, says … the U.S. approach to vocational education has been ineffective partly because it’s often not directly connected to specific jobs at real companies.
“Also, says Rauner, U.S. society has stigmatized vocational education, so most American parents see college as the only path to status and a good career for their children. Rauner says there’s a troubling trend in that direction in Germany, too. But, in Germany there’s still lots of prestige attached when someone, trained through apprenticeship, achieves master status.”
In the US, entrepreneur and philanthropist Gerald Chertavian had to pretty much reinvent the wheel for his nonprofit Year Up, building partnerships with companies to give his organization’s young adults serious internships. The internships are not quite apprenticeships but they lead to real skills and real jobs. Year Up’s expansion around the nation is proof of the pudding.
I’m also familiar with a genuine US apprenticeship effort in Rhode Island. Led by Andrew Cortés, founder of Building Futures and Apprenticeship Rhode Island, it produces the skilled construction workers that employers look for.
For more on Germany’s approach, click here.
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
Another great example of “monkey see, monkey do” at the adult level! Not only does one develop skills and expertise, one builds working relationships during an apprenticeship. I truly don’t understand our country’s obsession with a college degree. There are all sorts of vital things that need to be done every day which one doesn’t learn in college. One of our friend’s children attended college for a year and then decided he’d rather train to become a plumber. And now he is a plumber!!!
I admit I’m guilty of an old liberal arts attitude positing that since jobs keep changing, you just need to be good at learning and changing. But I’m beginning to wonder if that’s an old wives tale. I can’t imagine a future where plumbing skills aren’t needed, and the sense of accomplishing something concrete must be very satisfying to people who do that work.
I’m a product of years of liberal arts college but I still fantasize about being an apprentice to a weaver! We need lots of options for lots of different people and their interest/skills/talents.
Oh! I like the idea of doing both!