Apprenticeship: Which Way Forward?

This volume presents the results of a seminar on apprenticeship in Europe entitled "Apprenticeship, Alternance and Dual Systems: Dead-Ends or Highways to the Future" (Marseilles, France, April 1994). It deals with ways in which alternating learning at school and work can provide young people with relevant work skills and facilitate their integration in the world of work, and it addresses how apprenticeship may contribute to relate practical theoretical learning. In addition, the publication examines historical features of apprenticeship and recent developments that stand in the way of enterprise-based training and that discourage young people from choosing this route. The first part of the volume contains the four papers discussed at the seminar and a synthesis of the debate. The second part presents a selection of national contributions to the seminar. The following papers are included in part I: "The Issues" (Durand-Drouhin, Romani); "The Difficult Rediscovery of 'Professionalism'" (Lutz); "Pedagogical Objectives and Organisation of Alternating Training" (Merle); and "Issues, Problems and Perspectives: Lessons from an International Debate" (Bertrand, Durand-Drouhin, Romani). The seven country studies included in part II are the following: "Belgium (the French Community): From the Socioeconomic Context to the Needs of School-based Training"; "Finland: Open Skills, Open Knowledge" (Volanen, Kyro); "France: Alternance in Initial Vocational Education and Training" (Pair); "Germany: Pedagogical Objectives and the Organization of Alternating Learning at School and at Work" (Koch); "Spain: Constructing an Institutional Framework for the Social Regulation of Alternance" (Planas); "Switzerland: Apprenticeship--The Features of the Swiss Dual System" (Kubler et al.); and "The Netherlands: The Links between School and Firm-based Vocational and Technical Education: Highways to the Labour Market and Pathways to Higher Education" (van den Dool, Weijs). (KC)