Learning like the Germans

Marc Estapé stands at the lathe and gives his work piece, a conveyor table roll, the right shape. Spiral metal shavings fall down, just like they ought to. No training supervisor looks over the 21-year old's shoulder, "that much trust they do invest in us", says Estapé, even though the lathe is "really very, very expensive." But Estapé is well versed in operating it. He is close to completing his second apprenticeship year as a toolmaker at the Escuela de Aprendices in Barcelona, the apprenticeship school of the automotive manufacturer Seat belonging to the German Volkswagen (VW) Group.

The school has a long tradition, dating back to 1957, almost as old as Seat itself, yet since two years it has been filled with new content: now, the young people complete a dual vocational education and training programme like in Germany. A small revolution. Marc Estapé is one of the currently 167 apprentices training with the Spanish automotive manufacturer.

"I had to make a decision after my university entrance qualification graduation", says Estapé, "either university or an apprenticeship. Here at Seat I saw the prospect of a future career."

A future career: for young Spaniards of Estapé's generation that is like winning the lottery. More than 880,000 young people between 16 and 24 years of age in Spain currently are looking for a job.

Previously, a university course was considered the ideal way to obtain secure employment, but those times are over. "Some of my friends study engineering", says 19-year-old Dulce Polo, who is in the process of completing her third training year at the Seat factory in Martorell just outside of Barcelona. "And then they have to work as a waiter." This fate is unlikely to be shared by Marc and Dulce. They have excellent prospects of being permanently hired by Seat after completing their apprenticeship.

Spain changed into an industrial country in the 1960s and this caused also a change in mentality. "The parents wanted their children to better themselves and achieve more than they did", says Manuel Moreno, apprenticeship supervisor at Seat. So they sent their offspring to university. 40.7 per cent of the 30- to 34-year-olds in Spain today hold an academic degree; in Germany, their share is 33.1 per cent. "At the same time, vocational education and training lost its status", Moreno complains. According to numbers by the OECD, 8.4 per cent of adult Spaniards have completed an apprenticeship; in Germany, their share is 55.8 per cent.

Yet some things have changed with the labour law reform of 2012: Spain has taken the first steps towards transforming the school-based Formación Profesional into a practice-oriented dual vocational education and training system. Now, Spain's businesses can conclude apprenticeship contracts with young people. Previously, vocational college students could gain professional experience only by way of internships, which often were not or, at best, badly remunerated. This was unsatisfactory not only for the students, but also for the businesses.

German-born Josef Schelchshorn, who after a long career with Audi took up a job as Executive Vice-President Human Resources at Seat four years ago, explains how he asked himself upon starting his new job: "Is what we do with regards to vocational education and training enough? And the answer of my colleagues was: actually, we always have to provide additional training when hiring the young people." So the employment market reform came just in time.

In a pioneering role, the VW subsidiary introduced the dual vocational education and training system based on the German model in Spain in autumn 2012. The apprentices now are employees of Seat from the first day of their training and they receive an apprenticeship wage.

Corresponding to the remuneration, the demands on apprentices have increased. Instead of 2,000 hours theory and practice in two training years, the Seat apprentices complete 4,624 hours in three training years. A good quarter of that is theory, the rest is practice: first at the Escuela de Aprendices and then a total of 1,852 hours within the company itself. "We tell our apprentices: you will work a lot, for three years, and we really mean - a lot!", says training supervisor Moreno.

"Some think the young people want to work as little as possible, but all they want is prospects!" Those they get at Seat. This is why the interest is so great. 912 young men and women applied for 60 new apprenticeship placements this year alone. The company can take its pick and choose the best. Once they have completed their apprenticeship, there no longer will be a need for additional training. They will be able to start work at the factory as fully-fledged employees.

Over the past years, the Spanish have heard a lot about the dual system of vocational education and training. A small German private school, which recently changed its name from "Aset" to "Feda Business School", has been offering a number of vocational education and training programmes based on the German model in Madrid and Barcelona already since 1982.

By now, it is a state-recognised foreign vocational college, which receives funding from the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) at the German Federal Office of Administration. But now, the concept is at last to spread throughout Spain.

The German Chamber of Commerce for Spain, which has awarded this year's German-Spanish Business Award for introducing the dual system of vocational education and training, tries to advise Spanish companies wishing to follow the example of the Spanish automotive manufacturer.

According to numbers provided by the Spanish education ministry, 10,000 vocational college students already have been enrolled in a dual vocational education and training programme in Spain this year – about twice the number
compared to the previous year. Yet their number remains very small given the total of more than 660,000 Spanish vocational college students.

In Portugal, too, the local German-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce is one of the drivers in improving the dual vocational education and training system in the country. The chamber itself operates three training centres under the name of "Dual" in Lisbon, Porto and Portimão in the Algarve region.

"The topic of dual vocational education and training currently is on everybody's mind", says Seat Executive Vice-President Human Resources Schelchshorn. "And by now there are many interested people asking us: Seat, how do you actually do it? May we have a look? Can we adapt this? Of course. Our doors are open to all who approach us."

In the best case, Seat's example will catch on in Spain. "The most difficult hurdle in such a transition is the start", says training supervisor Moreno. "The companies have to want to contribute, out of their own free will. But I am confident that the dual vocational education and training system will have taken a big step forward in Spain in five years' time.