German Dual Apprenticeship Program

Ice Gala – January 27, 2018 – I received a distinct honor tonight from the the German American Chamber of Commerce for the work I’ve done through the Building Bridges U Can Be Education Program. A program that I’ve been working with High Schools in the area. Visit https://buildingbridgesforbusiness.org/u-can-b-program/ I was completely humbled and caught off guard. I wanted to share this with you.  – Alexander Nichols on Winning award at ICE GALA Apprentice background – No other apprenticeship system is as widely applied and successful as the German system. Every year, 1.5 million people train in the German system. Because of this, Germany enjoys the lowest youth unemployment of any industrialized nation (7.1%), and youth unemployment far below the United States (16.8%) and the Eurozone average (22.3%). With over 125 German companies in the Pittsburgh region, there is an enormous demand for skilled employees with specialized training and education. Following the completion of our pilot program, GACC Pittsburgh Chapter and our Partner, UCanB are proud to introduce the German Style Apprenticeship Program to the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Partners for the pilot included VEKA Industries, Seneca Valley High School, Rosedale Technical College. GACC Pittsburgh Chapter collaborated with partners to develop a curriculum specific to VEKA’s job requirements and based on the IHK’s “Verfahrensmechaniker fuer Kunststoff- und Kautschuktechnik, Fachrichtung Halbzeuge” curriculum. Seven senior students began the apprenticeship for extrusion operation with VEKA Industries, the world’s largest extruder of uPVC profiles in January 2016. The program has now expanding to include seven companies with a range of the IHK’s apprentice modules, providing skilled workers to Pittsburgh businesses and job security to local students. OUR PARTNER Certification The German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter’s Dual Apprenticeship Program has been registered by the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry and approved by the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training Council and the Federal Committee on Apprenticeship. The certification will be recognized on a state and federal national for the Process Mechanic in Polymer Technology (includes Extrusion and Blow Mold Operators) and Mechatronics Technician. Upon completion, the apprentices will receive certification by the German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter and recognized by the State of Pennsylvania and throughout the US....

  Join us at the Energy Innovation Center for the Annual Ice Gala! On January 28, 2017, we will hold our annual Ice Gala at the Energy Innovation Center. The Ice Gala is the Signature Event of 2017 for the Pittsburgh Chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce with high visibility and a C-level audience. You can expect music, an alpine-themed “Ice Room” that will include Ice Sculptures, Glühwein, and more, VIP speakers, great food, a silent auction and a knock-out view of the city. The event will be held at the Energy Innovation Center*. Saturday. January 28, 2017 VIP Reception: 5-6 pm Gala: 6-10 pm Proceeds benefit our apprenticeship initiative. What is the apprenticeship Initiative? In a world of high youth unemployment, where the supply of skilled labor often fails to match employer demand, Germany believes help can be found in its Dual Vocational Training System —a time-tested economic model. This program, many supporters believe, is the reason why Germany has the lowest jobless rate among young people of any industrialized nation in the world—around 7 percent or 8 percent. With so many Americans struggling to find employment after graduating high school and college it might be worth asking: Can the German approach be brought to the U.S.? The German concept is simple: After students complete their mandatory years of schooling, usually around age 18, they apply to a private company for a two or three year training contract. If accepted, the government supplements the trainee’s on-the-job learning with more broad-based education in his or her field of choice at a publicly funded vocational school. Usually, trainees spend three to four days at work and one to two in the classroom. At the end, the theory goes, they come out with both practical and technical skills to compete in a global market, along with a good overall perspective on the nature of their profession. They also receive a state certificate for passing company exams, designed and administered by industry groups—a credential that allows transfer to similarly oriented businesses should the training company not retain them beyond the initial...

The skills training system in Germany is a widespread and popular way to prepare young people to be effective contributors in the workplace. In the German dual training model, theory and practice are combined in a nationally standardized curriculum designed for each of 300+ careers; a young person is employed by a company in a training position and, at the same time, is also enrolled in a vocational educational program to acquire needed classroom knowledge. The two parallel experiences reinforce each other. No other apprenticeship system is as widely applied and successful as the German system. Every year, 1.5 million people train in the German system. Because of this, Germany enjoys the lowest youth unemployment of any industrialized nation (7.1%), and youth unemployment far below the United States (16.8%) and the Eurozone average (22.3%). This approach has been adapted for use in the United States, often with support from the German Embassy’s Skills Initiative. One example is South Carolina, where German-owned companies faced a shortage of skilled workers to fill open positions that offered good pay, job security and a career path. The same problem exists in Pittsburgh, where some of the local employers cannot easily find the right mix of skills and education in job candidates. At the same time, Pittsburgh’s youth unemployment rate remains at 18% (above the national average) because of the skills gap that exists. In order to address this need, the partnership between Building Bridges for Business and the Pittsburgh chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce has adapted the German dual training model for application in the Pittsburgh area. The project connects young people seeking skills training and employment with apprenticeship programs at Pittsburgh area companies. The apprenticeship program, facilitated by Building Bridges and the GACC involves time split between traditional classroom education and on-the-job training in the field that the trainee is interested in. The trainees are recruited as high school seniors, and they will be given the opportunity to finish their high school degree during the program. The curriculum for the program is based on the existing standardized German curriculum for each profession. The goal is that at the end of the program, the trainee will have a job waiting for them in the skill area from their host company, and the company will have a well-trained future employee so that both employer and trainee will benefit from the program. As a result of that, the local economy will have more resilient companies with a globally-minded, competitive workforce, and lower youth unemployment....