Adaptation of national apprenticeship systems to advanced manufacturing

Apprenticeships combining alternating periods at the workplace and in training institutions are well suited to providing young people with an entry point into the labour market and to supplying enterprises with skilled workers. This report examines apprenticeship systems and practices in the manufacturing sector in five EU Member States (Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland and Italy) and two countries outside Europe (Australia and the USA), exploring reform processes in response to new skill requirements arising from technological change. The report highlights the variety of approaches to modernising national apprenticeship systems and sheds light on the many challenges posed by technological change. A promising avenue is to establish a coherent industrial policy framework that prioritises skills acquisition, supports the transition from initial to higher vocational and educational training, and assigns a central role to apprenticeship training in the context of the modernisation of manufacturing.