Learning and Work in the Risk Society: Lessons for the Labour Markets of Europe from Eastern Germany (Anglo-German Foundation for the Study of Industrial Society)

Based on a unique comparative analysis of the education and work experiences of those who lived through the political and labour market changes of the transition to post-communism, the authors argue that, far from catching up with the rest of Germany, the social polarisations and erosion of the traditional 'dual system' of vocational education and training in Eastern Germany may portend the future for the West. The issues raised have considerable resonances with the problems and contradictions which have beset British education and training and labour market policy over the last decade. The education-to-labor market transitions experienced by young people in England and in eastern and western Germany were compared. The eastern German portion of the study was based on a 1996 study that included a survey of 100 trainers and 1,000 apprentices in 12 companies; in-depth interviews with 18 trainers, career advisers, and others; and interviews with 12 young eastern Germans who had experienced relatively smooth education-to-work transitions and 12 young eastern Germans whose education-to-work transitions had not been smooth. The findings were compared with those of earlier interviews with 12 western German and 12 English youths who had recently completed the education-to-labor market transition. The analysis of transition behaviors and experiences in eastern Germany revealed considerable resonances with the problems and contradictions that have beset British education and training policy in recent decades. It was concluded that the erosion of the dual system of vocational education and training (employer-sponsor apprenticeships and government-sponsored vocational schools) documented in eastern Germany might portend future trends in western Germany. (Twenty tables/figures are included. The following items are appended: chronicle of events in 1989-1990; information about Leipzig's school system; diagrams illustrating school-to-work trajectories in West Germany and England; and a report on a study of transitions, careers, and destinations in West Germany and England. The bibliography lists 107 references.) (MN) In this book the authors build upon their earlier Anglo-German comparative research and upon surveys in the former German Democratic Republic and the 'new L-nder' of Germany. Based on personal accounts of the education and work experiences of those who have lived through the political and labour market changes of the transition to a post-communist society, the book presents a challenging analysis of the impact on personal lives and careers, and assesses the wider policy implications. Far from catching up with the rest of Germany, social polarizations and erosion of the traditional dual system of vocational education and training in Eastern Germany may portend the future for the West. The issues raised have considerable resonances with the problems and contradictions which have beset British education, training and labour market policy over the past decade Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Looking East....Pages 1-8 Perspectives, Plans and Methods....Pages 9-29 Systems under Strain: Labour Market Conditions and Training Options....Pages 30-39 From ‘Old’ to ‘New’: Continuities and Discontinuities as Experienced by a Group of Trainers....Pages 40-59 Labour Market Structures and the Processes of Transition....Pages 60-70 Smooth Transitions: Young Adults’ Experiences of Vocational Education and Work Entry....Pages 71-88 Broken Transitions....Pages 89-113 Risky Voyages: Learning Experiences, Transition Behaviours and Career Outcomes....Pages 114-137 Navigating Changes in Work and Education: Conclusions Relevant to Policy in Europe....Pages 138-155 Back Matter....Pages 156-188 "In this book the authors build upon their earlier Anglo-German comparative research and upon surveys in the former German Democratic Republic and the 'new Lander' of Germany. Based on personal accounts of the education and work experiences of those who have lived through the political and labour market changes of the transition to a post-communist society, the book presents a challenging analysis of the impact on personal lives and careers, and assesses the wider policy implications. Far from catching up with the rest of Germany, social polarizations and erosion of the traditional dual system of vocational education and training in Eastern Germany may portend the future for the West Based on a comparative analysis of education and work during political and labour market changes of the transition to post-communism, the authors argue that the social polarizations and erosion of the "dual system" of education and training in Eastern Germany may portend the future for the West.