Apprenticeships: Europe’s talent pipeline to industry

Abstract

Companies often worry that they won’t have enough workers to fill available jobs, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. That worry is especially prevalent for technical jobs that do not require a PhD. To get qualified workers, companies have largely taken two tacks. Many are using apprenticeships to train workers internally to fill the jobs they need. That model, which has a long history in Germany, is spreading across Europe, to the UK, and to the US. A second strategy, popular in the US, is partnering with local community colleges to train workers for specific industries through both associate’s degree and certificate programs (see page 25). At the BASF headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany, about 2,300 apprentices are taking their first steps into a chemistry career. If previous years are a guide, 90% of them will become permanent employees with the company after completing their apprenticeships. BASF has been