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Webinar to Highlight Wisconsin, German Strategies to Advance Apprenticeship

MADISON, WI – Efforts to advance apprenticeship on both sides of the Atlantic will take another step forward with a free public webinar highlighting a unique collaboration among apprenticeship leaders from Wisconsin and Germany.

The webinar, Advancing Apprenticeship: An International Collaboration, will be held Nov. 19, 2024, from 9 to 10:20 a.m. CDT / 4 to 5:20 p.m. Germany. The webinar will feature speakers including Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek; German Deputy Consul General Dirk Schulz; Mike Qualter, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship; Professor Hubert Ertl, Vice President of BIBB (BIBB is Germany's Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training); DWD Division of Employment and Training Administrator Michele Carter, Professor Henning Klaffke of the Hamburg University of Applied Science; and DWD Apprenticeship Bureau Director David Polk.

Register for the free webinar through Eventbrite

The webinar builds on a series of Wisconsin-German visits that started in 2018. In the most recent exchange, leaders from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Milwaukee Area Technical College, and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee traveled to German cities of Bonn, Koblenz, and Berlin for visits organized by the German Office for International Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training.

"Wisconsin passed the first U.S. apprenticeship law in 1911 and today, the state remains a national leader with a model similar to Germany that requires employers to pay their apprentices for both time worked and time spent in the classroom," said DWD Secretary Pechacek, who led Wisconsin's delegation. "Yet we know that innovative approaches are needed to continue expanding apprenticeship and our programs stand to benefit from some of the initiatives underway in Germany."

“In times of transformation, we are all facing major global challenges. In order to master these, we need strong and dynamic vocational training systems that produce well-trained specialists," said Professor Ertl of BIBB. "How are other countries reacting to current developments and what solutions are they finding? What hurdles do they encounter? International exchange gives us the opportunity to reflect on our system and expand our frame of reference. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) expressly welcomes the intensification of expert exchanges between Germany and the USA.”

Important takeaways from the latest exchange include the need to expand apprenticeship pathways into emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence; develop "permeable" advancement opportunities that include an associate degree and extend to a bachelor's or graduate degree program; and conduct research into attitudes that may prevent some youth from pursuing apprenticeship opportunities.

Pechacek said the ongoing collaboration with Germany reflects the commitment of Gov. Tony Evers' Administration to high quality education and training that leads to family-sustaining jobs and a workforce equipped with skills that reflect employer needs. Wisconsin Apprenticeship also has been strengthened through significant federal funding, including $5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending awarded earlier this year with support from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

The latest Wisconsin exchange to Germany was sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, German Trade Union Confederation and the German Office for International Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training. In addition to visiting the federal offices, the five-member Wisconsin delegation met with regional employers and training institutes including Siemens Energy, AEMtec, the HWK Koblenz Chamber of Crafts, the LIFE career and educational opportunities organization, the Berlin Chamber of Crafts, the Confederation of German Trade Unions, and the Berlin Automotive Technical College.

Organized by German counterparts Hermann Nehls, project leader, and Dr. Hannelore Kress, senior technical advisor with the German Office for International Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training, the Wisconsin delegation included: DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek, DWD Assistant Deputy Secretary Jennifer Sereno, DWD Division of Employment and Training Administrator Michele Carter, DWD Apprenticeship Bureau Director David Polk, Milwaukee Area Technical College Director of Apprenticeship Dave Stuart, and UW–Milwaukee's Institute of World Affairs Director Doug Savage.

The April 2024 visit built on German visits to Wisconsin in 2018, 2021, and 2022, and a Wisconsin visit to Germany in 2020.

In 2023, Wisconsin saw a record high of 16,384 Registered Apprentices with a record of more than 2,900 employers participating. A record high of 8,357 Youth Apprentices enrolled during the 2022-23 school year with a record 5,719 employer sponsors participating. Wisconsin's apprenticeship offerings span more than 180 active trades covering a number of different employment sectors. While the construction and manufacturing sectors draw the largest number of participants, new offerings in health care, teaching, IT, and environmental fields are increasingly popular.

Apprenticeships in Wisconsin include an on-the-job training and supplementary classroom education. During the first two years of the apprenticeship, each apprentice must attend at least 144 hours of instruction. If the apprenticeship is longer than two years, the apprentices must attend at least 400 hours of related instruction. The Registered Apprenticeship Program is supported by the U.S. Department of Labor. A total of 57% of theRegistered Apprenticeship Program is financed with federal funds, and 43% is funded by other sources.

Learn more about Wisconsin Apprenticeship

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ABOUT DWD

Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development efficiently delivers effective and inclusive services to meet Wisconsin's diverse workforce needs now and for the future. The department advocates for and invests in the protection and economic advancement of all Wisconsin workers, employers, and job seekers through six divisions – Employment and Training, Vocational Rehabilitation, Unemployment Insurance, Equal Rights, Worker's Compensation, and Administrative Services. To keep up with DWD announcements and information, sign up for news releases and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.