Alternative to all this university-degree-madness

The job market is fierce, even for graduates who completed Bachelor or Master even. It is even more fierce, who cannot afford to study or still struggle from paying all student loans back.
Well, guess what, there sure is an alternative to all this university-degree-madness.


When people cannot find a job in the workfield they have been working in or studied prior, or when mass lay-off's took place, the immediate key-solution in the news is been always named "education". Even when there are not enough positions to fill, people decide to study again, leaving themselves (and household) with additional debt to the first round of College and University caused by most students having to apply for student loans.

A different alternative compared to the long walk of College and University is besides the (unfortunately, hardly offered FixUC-Alternative) no-money-down-college-option, the very option of an Apprenticeship. While most Americans do not even know the existence of such it most likely could revolutionize the future workforce in a tremendous way for the youth from 17-25 year-olds, if endorsed and supported by the Chambers of Commerce or state itself. First of all, what is an Apprenticeship and what's it about? Usually, Apprenticeships are found in the Building Construction Industry, while Germany, for instance, opened the horizon of Apprenticeships and made them available in all different kinds of work fields, actually. From Marketing to cosmetics over Bakery and so on. The Chamber of Commerce in Germany even pulls up big-time campaigns, trying to make young people aware, that there is an equivalent (if not better alternative) to Bachelor and Master.
These days there is hardly anything of a topic one cannot study in big university rooms which is not also offered as apprenticeship – even tho it is by far a different teaching approach. But let me break it down for you. An Apprenticeship is a combined version of Vocational College and parallel on-the-job work experience in a corresponding work field. Usually it is two days school, three days of work of a five day-work-week . This combination allows the transfer of learnt theory directly into practice and vice versa. Apprenticeships in Germany, such as I was completing this year, last a max of three years and are supported by the Chambers of Commerce. It is valued to content all content of a 6 year study within these three years, with the chance to reduce the length all together to minimum of two years. In the end, completing an Apprenticeships leaves the Vocational College student with a valuable degree in his chosen work field and also working experience in the very same. On top of that, for younger people quite relevant, it will not let yourself nor your family in much debt, because an Apprenticeship is paid education and work! The employer, where the practical part of the Apprenticeship is completed at, pays his apprentice a monthly wage without too much money had to be put into this education in the first place - but paper, pen and other office material and well the fees for the two final exams. But even that is at max of EUR 2.500.

Teaching Apprentices means for an Employer to have:
1. young teachable workforce
2. bound workforce for at least 2-3 years
3. improvement of companys reputation as support for youth

But what advantages are in sight for those picking an Apprenticeship over a tour of College and University? Well, 2011 graduates faced historic burdens from student loans. We are talking about an average of $27,200 for graduates that borrowed student loans and other bank credit in order to
finish their school. In addition to the competition on the workforce market getting aggravatingly fierce, being trained very well in a broad field theoretically and practically is by far a great advantage ignored for far long enough. This is especially a chance for regions of instable infrastructures which show a high rate of youth unemployment and low education standards.

But here is the thing, or as I call it daily “the very dilemma”: Apprenticeships are not valued as much studies at University. Which is okay, you will think. But really?! I have had studied classmates who explicitly said, completing an apprenticeship is absolutely harder to do than all the studies they had done at a university. And it is! Even Germanys Secretary of Education, Annette Schavan, says, vocational education is EQUAL to academic education! (The original article is in German, but I am sure by using Googles languagetools you will at least understand half of it.
Back to my subject. Apprenticeships, in my opinion, are even more than equal to pure academic studies. They are more intense, it takes you to multitask, it is not only repeating what others say but to conclude constantly and remembering everything from laws, to manners required, to applying every little thing you have learnt to and on your job, which you, and I repeat, do also three days of the week. As Human Resources Person I am honestly quite sad about how there is made a humongous difference of both educations in value and also in money´s worth. While there shouldn’t. If you ask me it is the appreciation and acknowledgement that are missed about how much an Apprenticeship really takes of you!

As I said, however, for the American youth and especially for instable regions, this would be a perfect way to keep the youth off the street and in education…

I always remember my Vocational College teacher telling us that we cannot invent the wheel again, but we sure can make the best out of it. (Thanks Mr. M, btw)


Aloha