Bridging Teaching and Socialisation : Trainers in the German Dual Vocational Training System

Competent teachers and trainers are essential for the quality of education. In the German system of dual vocational training, teachers are responsible for learning processes in vocational schools, while trainers support the young people’s competence development in companies. Three kinds of trainers can be differentiated: fulltime trainers who work in the companies’ training workshop (Lehrwerkstatt), part time trainers accompanying the apprentices during the regular work and external trainers. The focus of this article is to describe the role of trainers in German vocational education and training (VET), to explain how they were trained and to sketch perspectives on the further development of the trainers’ role.