Dual study courses experience a boom. According to numbers published by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), the number of dual study courses offered by enterprises in 2011 increased by 46 per cent to over 40,000. In addition, some 61,000 young women and men completed such a study course in the past year, having passed practical periods within an enterprise alternating with periods of study at a university.
In the words of BIBB President Professor Dr. Friedrich Hubert Esser, this development reveals "the degree to which industries by now perceive dual study courses as an opportunity for training highly qualified employees." However, it indicates also "how tough the competition for top talent has become by now." In this competition, those enterprises offering school graduates "attractive occupational training propositions" have a head start.
This was confirmed by Holger Hiltmann, Head of Commercial Vocational Training at the pharmaceutical and chemical company Merck in Darmstadt. He indicated two more factors leading to the boom of dual study courses. Firstly: The level of qualification amongst school graduates has increased. "Those who once had a good General Certificate of Secondary Education, today pass at least the vocational diploma", Hiltmann summarises. "Therefore, the young people expect enterprises to offer also different kinds of occupational training."
Secondly: Many tasks within enterprises have increased in complexity. "Their employees thus require more know-how." This, too, leads to enterprises increasing their range of dual study course proposals. This was echoed by Julia Laas, Head of Personnel Marketing at the insurance company Allianz Deutschland in Munich, an enterprise currently financing dual study courses for 295 young women and men and offering some 120 new study course placements in 2012.
More and more frequently, this proposition is met by positive feedback on part of school graduates. This also has to do with the fact that a dual study course offers advantages, such as knowledge immediately applicable in practice. Professor Karl Müller-Siebers, President of the Fachhochschule der Wirtschaft (FHDW - University of Applied Sciences for Business and Industry), Hanover, explains: "Students know what they learn the theory for, because they work within enterprises already during their studies. They can translate this theory immediately into practice."
Another benefit: Graduates of dual study courses usually have a job secured. Some 90 per cent are offered a permanent job by their training enterprise, "also, because financing a study course placement costs the enterprises often some 100,000 Euro", emphasises Hans-Georg Kny. He works at the training department of the Siemens corporation, which finances dual study courses for approximately 750 young women and men each year.
A point of attraction for many high-school graduates is also the "salary" they earn during their studies. For the most part, the enterprises award their students apprenticeship pay of usually approximately 900 Euro per month. This often is augmented by additional allowances for rent and travel costs to and from work.
Yet what are the career opportunities for the graduates of dual study courses? "Most enterprises want to secure their demand for young talent for middle management by their dual study course propositions", says Professor Karl Müller-Siebers. "However, this does not exclude the possibility of graduates climbing further up on the career ladder."
The prerequisite for this: They display the necessary capability and commitment. At Merck, for instance, it is "by all means desired and usual" for dual study course graduates to go abroad for two or three years after completing their studies.
Yet a dual study course is not the right move for everybody. Those wanting to go into research, ought to decide to enter a conventional academic study course. This applies also to high-school graduates "who remain unsure in which field they would like to work later on", says FHDW President Müller-Siebers. "For choosing an enterprise involves specialisation."
The choice of available dual study courses is large. More than 929 different study courses are on offer.