Learning Cultures for Apprenticeships : a Comparison of Germany and Australia

Abstract

Vocational education and training (VET) is closely allied to economic directions of countries and is therefore often perceived, and employed, as a tool for reform. Some believe that Australian VET reforms have been heavily borrowed from Germany. Others, however, contend that reforms are so context-specific that transplantation can only be fraught with difficulty and danger. The German VET system is often used as a contrast with other countries, including sometimes Australia. There are contentions that the positive experience with German apprenticeship may assist in the design of similar policies in other countries. Conversely, some authors maintain that Australian concepts and experiences can serve as pilot projects for Germany. They conclude that, in these two countries, many of the problems are similar but policies adopted are somewhat different. The claim could be made that, despite attempts for greater transparency, reforms have made both systems often more confusing and complex. This paper, therefore, contributes to the ongoing analysis of these two reforming VET systems, specifically focusing on the learning cultures for apprenticeships.