What are the conditions behind the success of the German apprenticeship system, known as the "dual system of vocational education and training"?

What are the main considerations of German companies and private sector institutions when financing training programmes?

What is the role of apprentice training in German politics and its economy?

These are the main issues explored in the book 'Why Do German Companies Invest in Apprenticeships? - The "Dual System" Revisited'. The author, Klaus Schaack, is an economist and has been working in the field of TVET and international TVET cooperation for several German and international organizations since 1980. The book introduces the German apprenticeship system as a phenomenon embedded in a particular political, economic, cultural and educational environment. This approach offers a new perspective on the concept of German apprenticeships. The book provides historical and political explanations, a criticism of neoclassical and "common sense" models in comparative vocational education research, and an inspection of structures, institutions and "boosters" of the "dual system's" performance. The author attempts to offer a new angle on understanding the financial behaviour of German companies and the reasons for their greater involvement in training design as compared to the involvement of entrepreneurs in other countries. He argues that, besides economic reasons, companies in Germany also have political reasons for being interested in having a decisive say in training design.