Skills Initiative der Deutschen Botschaft Washington

Mit der Skills Initiative fördert die Deutsche Botschaft Washington regionale Partnerschaften zwischen deutschen Unternehmen und Trägern der beruflichen Bildung. Dabei bindet sie die amerikanischen Bundesstaaten ein. Ziel der Skills Initiative ist die Verbesserung der Berufsbildung in den USA.

 

Skills Initiative

 

The German Embassy in Washington, DC presents "Skills Initiative" as one of the cornerstones of its work for 2012 and 2013.

 

"Skills Initiative is a win-win idea," said Ambassador Peter Ammon. "Everyone benefits. German-American cooperation in workforce skills development will provide opportunities in local communities across the USA for good jobs, quality training and businesses that succeed in the US and global markets."

 

Through the "Skills Initiative", the German Embassy is bringing together German and American businesses and local education/training providers with the aim of developing training programs best suited to businesses' needs. The embassy launched "Skills Initiative" to identify and spread best practices in sustainable workforce development in the USA.

 

• The "Skills Initiative" was kicked off at a conference on May 16, 2012 in Washington, DC. More information is available at website of the embassy.
• Ambassador Peter Ammon had a meeting on this issue with the German CEO Roundtable in the USA at the German Embassy on May 15, 2012.
• On May 22, 2012 the German CEO Roundtable of the Carolinas discussed how German companies can work together to address the shortage of skilled workers.
• In recent meetings with the governors of Ohio, Virginia and Massachusetts, Ambassador Ammon encountered great interest in the subject.

 

Now the embassy, through "Skills Initiative", is seeking cooperation with federal states, locally convening groups of German companies and bringing them together with training providers so that they can work on the best fit for training programs in their area.

 

Throughout the USA, German and American companies have identified workforce skills as a key challenge to their success. It is a factor in investment decisions.

 

German companies can make a decisive contribution to solving the problem because they are familiar with the excellent vocational and education training system in Germany. It is called the "dual system of vocational training" and is a major reason for Germany's economic success. It provides sound qualifications in the crucial space above high school and below university.

 

In Germany, companies and the public sector share the responsibility for workforce training. Trainees split their time, learning both on the job as well as in a school setting. The private and public sectors work hand in hand to develop a coherent curriculum and provide optimal training facilities – always bearing in mind the real-world requirements of business.

 

The result is a workforce that is well qualified to succeed in an advanced economy.

 

Find out more about the training system in Germany in the article on the website of the embassy , "The German Vocational Training System: An Overview."