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Completed project · 2021–2022

Opportunities and Obstacles for German Family Businesses: Dual Apprenticeship and Continuing Vocational Education and Training in Central and Eastern Europe

On behalf of the Family Business Foundation, seven Central and Eastern European countries of strategic importance to Germany (Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia, and Hungary) were analyzed with regard to the vocational training initiatives of German family-owned businesses in these countries. Since the dual vocational training system—which has proven successful in Germany—is hardly established in these regions, companies often face significant bureaucratic hurdles and a lack of government infrastructure when training their employees. The study shows that family-owned businesses are already establishing their own educational structures through tremendous initiative and significant financial investment. To ensure long-term regional competitiveness, the project provides concrete recommendations for closer, systematic cooperation between local policymakers, vocational schools, and the business community.

Initial Situation / Problem Statement

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) offers significant economic growth potential for German family-owned businesses. In the region’s core countries alone, German companies operate thousands of branches with well over one million employees. However, the growing shortage of qualified local workers threatens to become a major obstacle to investment and growth. While Germany’s proven dual training system (a combination of on-the-job training and vocational school) ensures a steady supply of skilled workers, this model has historically been barely established in CEE countries or is only just being developed.

Research Questions

The study primarily addresses the following research questions:

  • To what extent and in what ways are German family-owned businesses already involved in vocational education and training at their locations in Central and Eastern Europe?

  • What country-specific opportunities, barriers, and institutional obstacles do these companies encounter when implementing corporate training structures?

  • How can local framework conditions and government partnerships be improved to sustainably strengthen the competitiveness of these companies and local skill levels?

Methodology

The research team at the Institute for Technology and Education (ITB) adopted an empirical and comparative research approach:

Geographic Focus: A study of seven strategically important trading nations in Central and Eastern Europe: Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Serbia.

Methodology: Conducting a systematic review of country-specific vocational education and training systems, as well as surveys and case studies of affected family businesses, to identify practical barriers (such as administrative hurdles or issues with the acceptance of school-based training programs).

Results

High Level of Self-Initiative in the Face of Shortcomings: German family-owned businesses are already making an above-average contribution to on-site vocational training. However, they often have to devote significant resources of their own because government structures or partnerships with vocational schools are insufficiently developed.

Need for Expansion: The study makes it clear that companies must significantly intensify their training and continuing education efforts in the region—both in terms of scale (scope) and organization—in order to secure the supply of skilled workers in the long term.

Strategic Recommendations for Action: We advocate for future cooperation between foreign and German ministries of education. Companies, too, should collaborate more closely. Trainees in those countries should be given the opportunity to observe operations at the parent company in Germany.

Publication

Open Access

Presentations and workshops

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