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Apprenticeship schemes
Germany has 1 mainstream apprenticeship scheme in Cedefop's European database on apprenticeship schemes.
Dual VET
Berufsausbildung
The archetypal dual system: 1.2 million apprentices train in ~320 recognised occupations, with chambers overseeing quality, social partners shaping curricula, and a statutory minimum training wage since 2020.
Education level
Upper secondary (EQF 3–4)
Duration
3–3.5 yrs; 2-yr options
Time at the workplace
Mostly at work (≥2/3) — ~70% in-company; 12 h/week at school
Apprentice compensation
Wage
Pay (as stated)
Wage per collective agreement; statutory minimum EUR 724–1 014/month (2026)
Apprentices
1 216 560 apprentices (end 2023)
Qualification
Recognised occupation certificate, DQR/EQF 3–4
Source: Cedefop — European database on apprenticeship schemes . Cedefop's coded answers (filters and the comparison matrix) are imported directly from the 2026 fiches. The short descriptions (overview, duration, learners, pay) were condensed by hand and checked against the fiche text on 2026-10-01. The official fiches remain authoritative.
More indicators
70 further indicators have data for Germany, each with a map, ranking, trend and downloads.
Show 70 indicators Adults (16-74 year-olds) learning online (%) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Adults (25-64 year-olds) who wanted to participate in training but did not (%) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Adults (25-64 year-olds) with a learning experience in the last 12 months (%) - AES Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Adults (25-64 year-olds) with a learning experience in the last 12 months (%) - AES (excl. GOJT) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Adults (25-64 year-olds) with a learning experience in the last 12 months (%) - LFS Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Adults (25-64 year-olds) with a learning experience in the last 4 weeks (%) - LFS Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Enterprises sponsoring training (%) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Female IVET students as % of all female upper secondary students Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Hours spent in CVT courses (per 1000 hours worked) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility IVET students with direct access to tertiary education as % of all upper secondary IVET Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility IVET work-based students as % of all upper secondary IVET Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Job-related non-formal adult learning (%) - AES Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Low-qualified adults with a learning experience in the last 12 months (%) - AES Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Low-qualified adults with a learning experience in the last 12 months (%) - AES (excl. GOJT) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Low-qualified adults with a learning experience in the last 12 months (%) - LFS Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Low-qualified adults with a learning experience in the last 4 weeks (%) - LFS Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Older adults (55-64 year-olds) with a learning experience in the last 12 months (%) - AES Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Older adults (55-64 year-olds) with a learning experience in the last 12 months (%) - AES (excl. GOJT) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Older adults (55-64 year-olds) with a learning experience in the last 12 months (%) - LFS Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Older adults (55-64 year-olds) with a learning experience in the last 4 weeks (%) - LFS Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Small firms' workers participating in CVT courses (%) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Unemployed adults with a learning experience in the last 4 weeks (%) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Workers participating in CVT courses (% of staff) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Workers participating in on-the-job training (% of staff) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility Young IVET graduates in further education and training (%) Cedefop · Access, attractiveness and flexibility 25-34 year-olds with tertiary attainment (%) Cedefop · Education and employment context Adults with lower level of educational attainment (%) Cedefop · Education and employment context Employment in knowledge intensive activities (% of total employment) Cedefop · Education and employment context Employment rate for 20-64 year-olds (%) Cedefop · Education and employment context Employment rate for 20-64 year-olds with lower level of educational attainment (%) Cedefop · Education and employment context Employment rate of recent graduates (%) Cedefop · Education and employment context Gender employment gap (%) Cedefop · Education and employment context Medium/high-qualified employment (% of total in the age group of 20-64 years olds) Cedefop · Education and employment context Out-of-school rate for population of upper secondary education school age (%) Cedefop · Education and employment context Unemployment rate for 20-34 year-olds (%) Cedefop · Education and employment context Participations in Centres of Vocational Excellence projects European Commission (DG EMPL), Centres of Vocational Excellence · Excellence Adults' average expenditure on non-formal learning (EUR per participant) Cedefop · Expenditure Enterprise expenditure on CVT courses as % of total labour cost Cedefop · Expenditure Government expenditure on training for persons with difficulties on the labour market (% of GDP) Cedefop · Expenditure Government expenditure on vocational secondary and post-secondary education (UIS) UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) · Expenditure IVET public expenditure (% of GDP) Cedefop · Expenditure IVET public expenditure per student (1000 PPS units) Cedefop · Expenditure Employed ICT specialists (1000s) Cedefop · Key indicators on VET People at risk of poverty or social exclusion (1000s) Cedefop · Key indicators on VET EU grant for Erasmus+ VET mobility projects European Commission (DG EAC / EACEA), Erasmus+ project results · Mobility New Erasmus accreditations in VET European Commission (DG EAC / EACEA), Erasmus+ project results · Mobility Employment rate of recent general-education graduates Eurostat · Outcomes Pupils in combined school- and work-based post-secondary VET Eurostat · Participation Share of 15–24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education (UIS) UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) · Participation Share of VET students in combined school- and work-based programmes (OECD) OECD · Participation Share of post-secondary non-tertiary students in vocational programmes (UIS) UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) · Participation Share of secondary students in vocational programmes (UIS) UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) · Participation Share of short-cycle tertiary students in vocational programmes (UIS) UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) · Participation Share of upper-secondary students in vocational programmes (UIS) UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) · Participation Adults (16-74 year-olds) with at least basic digital skills (%) Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance Average number of foreign languages learned in IVET Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance Employment rate for recent IVET graduates (20-34 year-olds) (%) Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance IVET graduates as % of all upper secondary graduates Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance Job-related non-formal adult learning activities with acquired skills being used at least to fair extent (%) – AES. Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance Job-related non-formal adult learning activities with favourable outcomes (%) - AES. Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance Recent IVET graduates (20-34 year-olds) with a work-based learning experience as part of their vocational education and training (%) Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance STEM graduates from upper secondary IVET (% of total) Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance Short cycle VET graduates as % of first time tertiary education graduates Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance Workers helped to improve their work by training (%) Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance Workers with skills matched to their duties (%) Cedefop · Skills development and labour market relevance Cedefop labour and skills shortage index (CLSSI) by occupation Cedefop · Skills intelligence European Skills Index (ESI) — 2018, 2020 and 2022 editions as published Cedefop · Skills intelligence European Skills Index (ESI), 2024 methodology Cedefop · Skills intelligence Projected annual employment growth by occupation (STAS short-term projections) Cedefop · Skills intelligence Projected employment by occupation (STAS short-term projections) Cedefop · Skills intelligence
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