Klaus Schmierl (ISF Munich) 32. Annual Conference of the IWPLMS, Bamberg, 11th 13th July 2011 Stream 2: Education, Skills and the Life Course

Transcription

1 Klaus Schmierl (ISF Munich) Cross-company Learning Alliances in the German Metal and Electrical Industries and their importance for the Dual System of Vocational Education and Training in Germany 32. Annual Conference of the IWPLMS, Bamberg, 11th 13th July 2011 Stream 2: Education, Skills and the Life Course funded by 1

2 Overview 1. Trends in the German world of work 2. Core hypothesis and theoretical basis 3. Specifics of cross-company learning alliances 3.1. Key elements of learning alliances 3.2. Internal strategies 3.3 Network-specific strategies 4. Conclusions 2

3 1. Three major trends in the world of work in Germany Permanent and increasingly short-term cycles of business reorganisation (outsourcing, offshoring etc.) to the point of the complete restructuring of enterprises in the metal and electrical industries Involving the creation of start-ups and spin-offs and an increasing number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which make up the majority of German companies anyway Large-scale lack of skilled labour as a trend that is aggravated by the demographic change. This does not only affect the recruitment of already trained skilled personnel but also that of school leavers for an initial vocational training in industry 3

4 1. Initial research questions Which consequences do these changes have for the methods of securing manpower in the metal and electrical industries in the long run? How do enterprises respond to these flexibility requirements in their personnel policy, as to be able to procure quantitatively and qualitatively sufficient labour with the required qualifications? In view of these changes, is the German Dual System of Vocational Education and Training capable to adapt to these and to meet the future challenges? Qualitative research program: Six company case studies including 40 interviews with heads of personnel and training, trainers, apprentices and works councils of the training and partner companies. Seven additional expert interviews (trade associations, chambers of industry, researchers). 4

5 Overview 1. Trends in the German world of work 2. Core hypothesis and theoretical basis 3. Specifics of cross-company learning alliances 3.1. Key elements of learning alliances 3.2. Internal strategies 3.3 Network-specific strategies 4. Conclusions 5

6 2. Core hypothesis: Securement and enrichment of the German Dual System by cross-company learning alliances Given the changes in the world of work, the companies can no longer rely only on the recruitment of appropriately trained and increasingly scarce skilled workers on the external labour market. To secure a core supply of skilled workers as well as their long-term recruitment, many enterprises consciously pursue an innovative human resources strategy that also envolves an intensification of own initial vocational training and new forms of collaborative vocational training. Such networks have come into being in numerous sectors and regions: e.g. 40% of the companies in the metal and electrical industry take part in learning alliances. Cross-company learning alliances provide a chance to recruit well-qualified skilled workers in particular for enterprises, whose inadequate organisational, personnel or technical infrastructure does not allow them to set up own initial vocational training. 6

7 2. The German Dual System of Vocational Training Currently there exist about 350 stately recognized training occupations in FRG. Dual training sites: two partners share the responsibility for vocational education and training the employing company and a regional vocational school. The company concludes a training contract with the trainee, assumes the responsibility for teaching the required profiles and organizes learning on three or four days per week on the basis of a training plan being part of the training contract. Outstanding characteristic: Training is mainly provided at the workplace as incompany training familiarizes the trainees with the technological and organisational aspects of the current work processes in companies. Moreover, trainees attend part-time vocational school on one or two days per week, where they are mainly taught theoretical and practical knowledge related to their occupation as well as other subjects like economic and social studies. Source: FMER 2007, p

8 2. Theoretical basis: The Munich Autonomy Approach What is relatively new in Germany, is that this initial occupational training takes place as inter-company collaboration in vocational training. focus on establishment of joint vocational training in the metal and electrical industries. This requires an extension of our theory approach in such a way that it does not only include enterprises but also networks as strategic actors. The challenge the company autonomy faces is not only to develop internally-directed strategies but also to systematically integrate the network into its strategic orientation. This entails a conceptual extension by two separate dimensions, resp. levels of autonomy protection: an internal strategy in the own organisation that is geared to cooperation with the network partners and a network-specific strategy that is directed at the continuance of the whole network by suppressing internal competition inside the network. 8

9 Overview 1. Trends in the German world of work 2. Core hypothesis and theoretical basis 3. Specifics of cross-company learning alliances 3.1. Key elements of learning alliances 3.2. Internal strategies 3.3 Network-specific strategies 4. Conclusions 9

10 3.1. Key elements of learning alliances 1. Availability and lack of training capacities in one region at the same time: On the one hand: A training company, that is able to provide vocational training, has a surplus of training capacities as well as of qualified trainers and offers various forms of training cooperation to utilize the training capacity. On the other hand: several partner companies, that are not able or unwilling to provide vocational training in full, but which are highly interested in a long-term supply with skilled labour and willing to pay for. 2. Simultaneity of stability and flexibility: The stability of learning alliances is guaranteed by a core of larger medium-sized enterprises that regularly announce a critical mass of apprentices for basic training. By punctual cooperation with further partners free capacities can be met and fixed costs can be reduced. Especially for SMEs, flexible forms that require minimal coordination expenditure are a suitable possibility to ensure vocational training. 10

11 3.1. Key elements of learning alliances 3. Changing places of learning between the training company and the partner companies The partner company is primarily in charge of the training applicants: it selects the trainees itself, concludes the training contract and pays the training allowances. Due to a lack of technical or personnel infrastructure it sends the apprentices for parts of the vocational training to a training company. Thus, the trainees complete at least parts of their training section together with trainees from other companies of the collaborative training venture. The financing structure is usually stipulated in a cooperation contract in advance. 11

12 3.2. Additional challenges within learning alliances a need for internal strategies Proximity of companies that offer a similar range of training opportunities Unequal opportunities for companies to recruit applicants: Larger enterprises have noticed a decline in applications, but are still able to find promising apprentices. SMEs are often inferior as they are not as known or attractive as an employer. => Risk of an increasing competition for applicants, especially for SMEs Apprentices gain insights into different, possibly more attractive working and production conditions as well as corporate and management cultures. => Risk of missing identification with the employing partner company and of apprentices changing to another company 12

13 3.2. Internal strategy: Increasing investments in recruiting and binding of young talents The survivability of enterprises is increasingly tied to the successful recruitment and binding of young talents. This applies particulary to companies participating in learning alliances. => Partner companies introduce different measures to bind the apprentices during the training e.g. own work clothes, regular visits by training officers, integration in production processes during the summer months => Companies develop effective solutions to bind the apprentices after the training e.g. regular appraisals, mentorship programs, scholarships, cooperations with universities of cooperative education 13

14 3.3. Network-specific strategies: Stabilizing the learning alliance The training company has to guarantee training quality on a high level as the partner companies can leave the alliance anytime Training quality is guaranteed by separate training workshops with permanently modernized equipment as well as professional full-time instructors whose qualification is intensified by further education in the fields of communication with young people, team building, conflict management etc. For apprentices: Early provision of social and methodological competences: The ability to work in teams by introductory seminars as well as by joint learning across all participating companies The flexibility at work as they have to deal with different styles of leadership, production technologies and corporate cultures The problem-solving competence and independence by integration in complete working processes and planning/finalizing a concrete production order 14

15 3.3. Network-specific strategies Utilizing a mutual strategy to secure the supply with applicants: Learning alliances allow a mutual support with applicants as several training companies still experience a surplus of scholars and/or as the companies selection criteria often differ. Especially SMEs benefit as they lack resources to promote training vacancies. Developing social-communicative regulations to reduce competition and to promote trust: The sucess of learning alliances is tied to investments in confidence-building measures as well as in regulations reducing competition between the member companies. Learning alliances create social-communicative rules common decision-making bodies, standardized communicating methods as well as institutionalized processes of conflict transformation e.g. annual improvement meetings and close bilateral contact between the training company and the training supervisors of the partner companies 15

16 Overview 1. Trends in the German world of work 2. Core hypothesis and theoretical basis 3. Specifics of cross-company learning alliances 3.1. Key elements of learning alliances 3.2. Internal strategies 3.3 Network-specific strategies 4. Conclusions 16

17 4. Conclusions Certain advantages of learning alliances for all actors For the training company it secures long-term capacity utilization and the ensurement of the training staff. Partner companies benefit from cost reduction and training quality. The apprentices receive vocational training on a high professional level. Cross-company learning alliances can provide an innovative model and a useful opportunity to ensure the supply with skilled workers in the long term. This applies particularly to SMEs which often fail to establish an own initial vocational education. 17

18 4. Conclusions Specific anticipation of future qualification requirements Training in learning alliance obtains qualifications and competencies that are necessary to meet future requirements in work and production processes Content: Identity of modern, holistic training contents with future work demands Organisation: Apprentices learn in larger, heterogeneous, perhaps interdisciplinary and cross-company teams Methodical: Ability to work in a team, project management, flexibility and capability to self-organize are strengthened Due to the heterogeneous group of apprentices as well as experiences made across at least two different companies, social competencies are assumed and teached. 18

19 4. Conclusions Importance of learning alliances for the German Dual System The German production model is highly based on skilled workers and therefore also based on the Dual System as this is the main path of producing occupations, especially in the metal and electrical industries. However, accelerated changes jeopardise the functioning and survival of the Dual System. Here, learning alliances are an additional element of the Dual System and make a contribution to its functioning, securement and enrichment. By opening vocational education to network structures, the Dual System is more capable to meet current and future challenges and increases its absorptive capacity and transformative capabilities. 19

20 Thank you for your attention! Dr. Klaus Schmierl Institut für Sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung e.v., ISF München Institute for Social Science Research Jakob-Klar-Str Munich Germany 20