Transatlantic Apprenticeship Dialogue

The German apprenticeship training system is regarded as one of Germany's most successful exports and as a recipe for success in a globalized world. The Transatlantic Apprenticeship Dialogue focuses on building German-American partnerships via peer-to-peer exchanges.

Apprenticeships as a Solution to the Skills Gap

One of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers in the US is the search for qualified workers. 84% of US executives report that they struggle to find and recruit skilled employees. This challenge has led to increased interest in the German education system in the US.

This initiative focuses on German-American partnerships in technical education programs, aiming to build a strong foundation of career training collaboration between the two countries.

This involves facilitation of peer-to-peer exchanges between experts from Germany and the US who are already involved with apprenticeship training in order to solidify the presence of German-style apprenticeship programs in the US for the future. GACC Midwest has developed workshops in the US, as well as delegations to Germany, to encourage face-to-face discussions between trainers, educators, exam board members, and more.

Past Programs

April 13: Effectively Promote Your Apprenticeship Program
- Join us for this complimetary webinar with industry experts to discuss best practices for advertising your apprenticeship program. Robert Head from Endress+Hauser USA and Jens Kröger from Endress+Hauser Germany will join as guest speakers on the topic. Learn and discuss how other industry leaders are approaching the advertisement of their training programs, and how it might boost your organization’s appeal to a wide range of demographics.
April 20: Successfully Implement Your Apprenticeship Program
- What are best practices for implementing an apprenticeship program? Tony Rubino from Wieland USA and Ralf Ziesche from Wieland Germany will touch on their experiences with program implementation and provide tips on how to best establish a program within your company.
April 27: Foster Beneficial College-Company Cooperation
- This complimentary webinar covers best practices related to college-company cooperation. Expert speakers Christoph Knacke and Jan Kuenzel from BBS Neustadt will provide their industry insights. We encourage you to join if you currently run a training program or are interested in learning more. Learn how other industry leaders approach the college-company partnership and how you can establish and/or enhance your own. Register now.

Save time and avoid common pitfalls for your apprenticeship program, by engaging with experts and peers from Germany’s renowned apprenticeship model. Go right to the source and learn from an apprenticeship model that’s been replicated in more than 35 countries. Invest just a few hours per day instead of the full week that an overseas trip would take.

Workshop in Michigan: August 25-26, 2020
Study Trip to Germany: October 19-23, 2020

Workshop in Elgin, IL: March 18-19, 2020
Study Trip to Germany: June 15-19, 2020

Join us for our Educators and High-Tech Apprenticeships Workshop on March 18 in Elgin, IL. Make peer-to-peer connections and discuss the challenges of navigating the changing workforce with experts from Germany and the US.

Following the workshop, we will host a Study Trip to Germany from June 15-19, 2020. Connect with German education and industry counterparts and learn how various institutions enable career paths through apprenticeships.

Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing the world of industrial production. Many manufacturing companies are looking for a sustainable pipeline of talent that more effectively supports their goals for growth and profitability, and apprenticeship programs offer an innovative solution. We will explore the relationship between apprenticeships and Industry 4.0 with a study trip to Germany from October 21-25, 2019. Up to 15 selected representatives of American manufacturing and apprenticeship programs will travel from Stuttgart to Berlin. On this trip, we: discuss the implementation of Industry 4.0 with peers in German industry learn how apprenticeships are enabling company growth and profitability network with industry leaders

Industry 4.0 and the skills gap are transforming the way the manufacturing world operates. On August 21-22, we hosted a workshop at Automation Alley in Troy, MI that explored how apprenticeships can serve as an answer to the complex problems companies are facing.

Our featured speakers were:

Introduction:

Pavan Muzumdar - Automation Alley

Company Representatives:

Roland Biebl - ZF
Peter Loetzner - EMAG LLC

Education Professionals:

Andreas Brockmann - Festo Didactic
Dr. Patricia Chatman - Henry Ford College
Jan Künzel - BBS Neustadt Technical School

In addition to input from our experts, the workshop focused on interactive discussion and development of best-practice recommendations, followed by site visits on August 22.

Next-Level Apprenticeships: Strategies for Building and Improving Your Program

This program is intended for company representatives, educators, and policy makers who are involved or would like to become involved in the building, growing or improving of apprenticeship programs. It will provide you with the opportunity to learn from your German Industry counterparts regarding best practices and implementation methods. From June 19 - 25, 2022, GACC Midwest will travel to Southern Germany with up to 15 selected experts from American companies, colleges and high schools, policy makers, and representatives from other institutions working closely with apprenticeship programs.