USA: Exchange on the vocational education and training system
Practice-oriented training as a career path, or apprenticeships, remain a key topic under the current US administration. In 2025, GOVET supported specialist networking with various American stakeholders from politics, academia, and business.
Following a study trip in 2024, during which a delegation from the US state of Wisconsin, led by the state’s Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek, visited Germany, the department expressed its willingness to write an article for the GOVET publication “Data Reporting”. Publication is scheduled for 2026.
In 2025, GOVET accepted various invitations to give talks and participate in advisory discussions. In March, for example, GOVET accepted an invitation from the Berlin Office of the Transatlantic Business & Investment Council (TBIC) to give a keynote speech to 15 representatives from community colleges. Shortly afterwards, in early April, GOVET informed a representative from the renowned Cornell University as well as from the US Department of Labor about current developments and trends in German vocational education and training.
The continuous enquiries from the USA show that interest in the dual system is embedded in American education and labour market policy. GOVET supports this process with expert advice and helps to maintain transatlantic dialogue.
Dr Hannelore Kress, Chief Technical Adviser Bilateral Cooperation
Meanwhile, the urban planning section of the Fairfax County district in Virginia reached out with a different enquiry: An expert from the urban development department had specific questions for GOVET about “Competencies for working in data centres”. As such data farms are constructed in Germany, exchange on the competencies of people who work in them are increasingly important. Following the exchange, the expert wrote an article for the GOVET website.
On 6 November, a webinar on “Vocational education and training in the new US government” took place with around 60 participants, including Dr. Ellie Hartmann, Chief Evaluation Officer of the Workforce Data Integration System (WDIS) at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), the AHK Chicago, and the German Embassy in Washington. Focus points included the impact of US tariffs on the willingness of German companies to provide education and training, as well as the implementation of dual VET courses in the state of Wisconsin.