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VOA教育报道2024--Germany Aims to Increase Educational Choices for Its Youth

时间:2024-04-01 05:34:24

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Germany Aims to Increase Educational Choices for Its Youth

  Many European countries have programs that help place students in careers at a young age.

  In Germany, some students move into education programs at the age of 10. The goal is to prepare them for a lifelong job. They continue their education but also take classes that will help them learn about their job. By the age of 16, those students are placed into work experience programs called apprenticeships.

  The system helps keep unemployment among young people low. Groups in the U.S. have expressed interest in the system. They are concerned that the American university system does not prepare young people to enter the workforce2.

  Some activists3 and writers such as Ryan Craig say, "many of the best jobs (the U.S.) has to offer don't require a college education." But in Germany, young people are starting to push back against the vocational4 track system that has been in place in one form or another for hundreds of years.

  Career training

  In the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, students like Neriman Raim are learning more about jobs before getting on a career track.

  Raim is 16 years old. She now believes she wants to work with children. But at first, she thought she wanted to work in an office. She did an internship5 two years ago at an architecture office, but she found that she did not enjoy the work. Then, she was placed at a school and worked with children in kindergarten. She discovered that she did not like working with young children. "I could see what a day is like with kids," she said.

  The next school year, she spent three weeks working with older children, helping6 them finish assignments after school. She felt good about that experience. When she finishes school later this year, she will move into a one-year program that will help her decide if teaching will be the right job for her.

  The program is called "no graduation without connection." Students like Raim get help with resumes8 and job applications. They receive direction starting in ninth grade. By 10th grade, they can get work experience one day per week for the whole school year.

  Sonja Gryzik is a teacher at Raim's school, which is called Ursula Kuhr. "You don't learn about a job in school," she said. "You have to experience it."

  A history of vocational training

  While the German system keeps youth unemployment low, critics have said for years that it does not work well for low-income students and immigrants. They say students from those families are pushed into vocational studies and not helped to move on to higher education. In addition, some say that recent immigrants are not told how to get into the training programs.

  Another criticism of vocational training is that during the COVID-19 pandemic, most of those classes shut down. At the same time, university classes continued by video and students did not lose too much.

  Studies in Germany show that problems with vocational training have led more students to university educations. However, up to 28 percent of students do not finish their studies. The number is up to 50 percent for students in humanities9 and sciences.

  Education reform

  People involved in education policy in Germany are concerned about the high failure rate. So, they are aiming to reform the vocational training system. Raim's program is one of the new ones, where students have more choices when deciding on a career, and more chances for exploration before entering a career studies program.

  Bernhard Meyer is a teacher at Raim's school who manages the new program for 11 towns in northwestern Germany. "We have every type of possibility," he said, noting that students have more choices than just "apprenticeship1 or university."

  Students in Raim's program can complete their general education and also start a career they feel good about. It is unusual for students in higher-level academic high schools called gymnasiums to bypass10 university studies, but it does happen.

  Tim Becker, 20, is one of those students. He took a university entrance exam at his high school in Cologne. But instead of starting his studies, he is doing an information technology apprenticeship. Becker said his parents were "uneasy11" about his choice. They expected him to go on to higher education. But in school, he said he liked hands-on work more than academic theory.

  "I am just not that guy that likes to sit all day in any lectures at some university," Becker said. He added that some of his old classmates left their universities to start internships.

  The students at Ursula Kuhr and their parents attend meetings several times per year. As they learn more, parents feel better about the career choices of their children. Mile Glisic is 15. He is working at a hardware store and considering an apprenticeship in sales. He said his parents had questions about his career ideas, "but I know that they were very happy with it."

  Raim's mother said she loved the idea that her daughter would teach in a grade school. And Raim said the teachers help their students gain confidence. "They don't want anyone to finish school and have nothing."

  Other European countries are struggling with the same questions. Camilla Hutters is head of the National Center for Vocational Education, a research organization in Denmark. She said the country has a shortage12 of workers in fields that offer vocational training to young people.

  That only became a problem starting after the 1990s. That is when Denmark scored poorly on an international education ranking list and more students started thinking about college. But now, Danish students as young as six are being shown different jobs so they can start thinking about a career path.

  Hutters said programs are starting to make practical learning part of school in the early grades and continuing it through college. Danish leaders are asking universities to work with businesses.

  College degrees are still the goal for many Danish students and their parents, "so there is a little bit of mixed tendency...in Denmark," Hutters said.

  More young people in Denmark might take the path of Becker in Germany. He earns over $1,300 per month during his information technology internship and will be ready for a job as soon as September.

  Becker said it is nice to be able to get paid to learn, unlike some of his friends who are at a university. He said, "You don't need to sit all day in university and go to work in the evening to pay your bills."

  I'm Dan Friedell. And I'm Jill Robbins.

  Words in This Story

  career –n. the path that a person takes of the course of their work life or their profession

  apprenticeship –n. a period when a trainee13 works with an established tradesperson to get experience in a trade

  track –n. a path often related to jobs in which a person follows that narrowly prepares them for the work ahead

  internship –n. a training period at an established organization in which a young person works for little or no money in exchange for job experience

  resume7 –n. a short document that outlines the work experience of a person applying for a job

  confidence –n. the feeling that you can do something the right way

  practical –adj. something that is related to real-life problems and is not theoretical or political

  tendency –n. the likely direction of thought or movement


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 apprenticeship 4NLyv     
n.学徒身份;学徒期
参考例句:
  • She was in the second year of her apprenticeship as a carpenter. 她当木工学徒已是第二年了。
  • He served his apprenticeship with Bob. 他跟鲍勃当学徒。
2 workforce workforce     
n.劳动大军,劳动力
参考例句:
  • A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
  • A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。
3 activists 90fd83cc3f53a40df93866d9c91bcca4     
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
  • Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 vocational VhWwB     
adj.职业的,业务的
参考例句:
  • They have set a regular time for vocational study.他们把业务学习时间固定下来。
  • She was given some quick training at the vocational school.她在职业学校受过速成训练。
5 internship oqmzJB     
n.实习医师,实习医师期
参考例句:
  • an internship at a television station 在电视台的实习期
  • a summer internship with a small stipend 薪水微薄的暑期实习
6 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
7 resume 7sAyr     
v.(中断后)继续,恢复;n.摘要,简历
参考例句:
  • We'll stop now and resume at two o 'clock.我们现在停下来,到两点再干。
  • My resume shows that I have the right qualifications for the job.我的简历表明我正符合这项工作的条件。
8 resumes dec1970e2892e0258f2b933067b3b3ca     
n.摘要,概略,履历( resume的名词复数 )v.重新开始( resume的第三人称单数 );重新获得;重新占用;恢复
参考例句:
  • Later we received resumes of what she had said. 后来我们收到她讲话的摘要。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Night resumes her reign. 夜幕又降临了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
9 humanities Oq1zvw     
n.人文学
参考例句:
  • Dalian University offers courses in science and in the humanities. 大连大学开设自然科学和人文科学课程。
  • She has a background in humanities and modern languages. 她学过人文学科和现代语言。
10 bypass ASJyQ     
n.旁道;分流术;vt.绕过,越过...于不顾
参考例句:
  • If we take the bypass we'll avoid the town centre.我们走旁道就能绕过镇中心。
  • You cannot bypass this question.你不能回避这个问题。
11 uneasy 8kDwf     
adj.心神不安的,担心的,令人不安的
参考例句:
  • He feels uneasy today.他今天心里感到不安。
  • She had an uneasy feeling that they were still following her.她有一种他们仍在跟踪她的不安感觉。
12 shortage 1yrwh     
n.缺少,缺乏,不足
参考例句:
  • The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。
  • The heart of the problem is a shortage of funds.问题的关键是缺乏经费。
13 trainee 9ntwA     
n.受训练者
参考例句:
  • The trainee checked out all right on his first flight.受训者第一次飞行完全合格。
  • Few of the trainee footballers make it to the top.足球受训人员中没有几个能达到顶级水平。

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