Reform advocates want Phl education to adopt German apprenticeship system

MANILA, Philippines - Education reform advocates from the private sector are looking into adopting the German apprenticeship system to help ease unemployment, particularly among the youth, in the country.

Ramon del Rosario, chairman of the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), said they are discussing with representatives from the German government how to incorporate the system in PBEd’s overall thrust to improve the academe-industry link.

“We’re are very much involved in trying to develop the linkage between the industry and the academe and one of the things that comes out is the German model of dual training,” del Rosario said.

 He said now is the right time to have the same system of apprenticeship with the full implementation of the senior high school under the K to 12 program by 2016.

 â€œIt is also a good time because of the development of the senior high school curriculum and that will have a track towards technical vocational education. So we think it is a good time to put it in place. It can be part of the senior high school or college courses depending on how these courses are designed,” he said.

 Del Rosario said in Germany companies pay the apprentices and they make them do real work.

 â€œHere in many cases to get training you will have to pay the company,” he noted.

 â€œThat’s part of the challenge of PBED to get our companies and industry associations to consider it that way. Take them seriously. Pay them. But it has to be meaningful work, it has to be work that is paid for and it has really have to lead to jobs,” he said.

 Del Rosario said they will work with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in developing the country’s version of the apprenticeship program.

 He also noted that in Germany the technical vocational track is not considered a second class education.

“Unlike here, we think of it as second class for those probably not qualified for college. There, it is prestigious, in fact in great demand and considered higher quality education than those who don’t have it,” he said.

“The (German) employers look at that (tech-voc) very very favorably. If we can achieve something like that here I think we will benefit so many people. At least upgrade the status and the view of what tech-voc education is really all about and not considered a second class,” he said.