Deputy Premier embarks on German VET mission
Media release | 20 October 2017
Deputy Premier and Minister for Skills John Barilaro will meet with Germany’s top institutions as part of a plan to supercharge NSW's Vocational Education and Training (VET) system.
Mr Barilaro is attending meetings from 19 to 28 October with leading German companies, VET schools and government officials to bring the world’s best practices back to NSW’s VET system.
Mr Barilaro said the NSW Government is putting VET back at the forefront of the state’s education system and will see first-hand how Germany has become a global skills powerhouse.
“As the world's fourth biggest economy with a GDP of US$3.4 trillion, Germany also has Europe's lowest youth unemployment rate at 6.7%,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Germany’s dual VET system combines classroom instruction with real work experience and other policy settings to drive strong job and skills outcomes for its people and companies.
“Recent reforms in VET policy settings have also resulted in an increased standing of VET qualifications in the German economy.
“Meeting face-to-face with Germany's leading VET officials and companies will be a fantastic opportunity to learn the best from their dual system and see what can be used in NSW to boost success for our students and economy,” Mr Barilaro said.
The 10-day fact-finding mission to Berlin, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Bonn will strengthen NSW’s VET system and broaden relationships with Germany.
The Deputy Premier’s schedule includes meetings with large companies including Siemens, Volkswagen and Deutsche Bank, plus a range of VET schools and academies specialising in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and areas such as health and agriculture.
“Meeting with German industry powerhouses like Volkswagen and Siemens will allow me to see firsthand the role of industry in VET and how tailored programs can lead to strong training and apprenticeship outcomes in a range of areas including manufacturing.
“NSW could greatly benefit from learnings from Germany’s dual pathway VET system and I want to ensure we can deliver worlds-best VET services in NSW,” Mr Barilaro said.
Download the media release