Vocational Training in the Federal Republic of Germany

It is the intention of the paper to contribute to a better understanding of the functioning of the system of vocational training in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). For this purpose, a brief description of the system's components and operating mechanisms is given to provide the necessary background for two research reports on the quality of training in the FRG and on the effects of the training system on the educational and occupational opportunities of women. The conclusions drawn from these studies are that there is no uniform system of vocational training but there are very distinct segments with different objectives and of very different quality. One example of this segmentation is the unequal training opportunities that the system provides for women. It is predicted that the German system of vocational training will experience a loss of effectiveness unless it succeeds to adapt on-the-job training to changes caused by new technologies.