Germany - Education and Training Germany - Education and Training
CIA World Factbook: 59.53% of the population is under the age of 24.
Overview
Germany, with a population of 82.7 million, boasts the largest economy in the European Union (EU). Germans are well-educated, and students see experience abroad as a key advantage when competing for employment and additional educational opportunities. Over 90 percent of Germans study English, which is the first foreign language Germans learn in school. English language courses are mandatory for almost every German student, the degree of difficulty depending on the school level. English is taught in primary school starting in the third grade or earlier. Employers generally prefer job applicants with international experience.
Sub-Sectors
Higher Education
According to the Open Doors 2018 report, 10,042 German students studied in the United States in 2017–18, a slightly decrease of 1.2 percent in comparison with the previous year. Germany is the 17th largest source of international students in the United States.
- 32.8 percent of Germans studying in the United States are enrolled in undergraduate courses, 3.5 percent more than in 2016/2017 (3.294 students).
Community colleges have become more popular during the last few years for Germans due to the financial advantage as well as the simplified application process. The fact that it is possible for Germans to register at a community college without the “Abitur” requirement (an examination required to be eligible to attend a German university) also renders community colleges as an attractive option.
Graduate Level Education
The percentage of graduate students in 2017/2018 was 25.6, 3.15 percent less than in 2017.
Optional Practical Training
During the 2017/2018 academic year, 7.8 percent of the German students in the United States pursued an optional practical training, which is a decrease of 2.6 percent.
- 33.6 percent attended non-degree programs such as English language or short-term studies, which represents a3.8 percent decrease compared to the previous year.
In the academic year of 2016/17 more than 12,000 German high school students participated in an exchange program, 45% of them took place in the United States.
Professional Training Services
German companies tend to use private trainers to train employees rather than providing in-house training. The German Association for Coaching and Training (dvct.de), with more than 1,400 members, evaluates and certifies training courses to ensure quality. A significant difference between the American and German training services market is that German contracts usually stipulate a fixed base fee rather than working on commission.
The best strategy for a U.S. company interested in entering the German training services market is to find a German partner with whom to collaborate.
Opportunities
Undergraduate and Graduate
Studying in the United States is particularly attractive to German engineering, business and management as well as math and computer science students.
One of the most effective ways for U.S. universities to attract German exchange students is to form a partnership with a German university. These partnership agreements facilitate the exchange of students and the recognition of course credits between the partner institutions.
As European universities implement the Bologna Process, which is meant to ensure more comparable, compatible and coherent systems of higher education in Europe and shift to a three-tier bachelor/master/doctorate system of education, European credits and degrees are becoming easier to compare with those of U.S. universities. However, a couple of obstacles for German students planning to study in the United States remain. Cost is the most frequently quoted barrier, especially since education in Germany is free. Also, German students who have been accepted to study in the United States are required to obtain a student visa before departure.
U.S. educational institutions should consider working with exchange organizations in Germany such as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Fulbright Commission, private sector recruiters and advisors and through the nine EducationUSA centers of the U.S. Department of State in Germany. There are also several events focused on student recruitment, listed at the end of the report, which take place in Germany.
Community College
German students with no “Abitur” (an examination required to be eligible to attend a university in Germany) are qualified to apply to a community college in the United States. Transfer Degree Programs are a possible option for those students since the costs are lower than those of a four-year college. An Associate Degree is unfortunately not recognized in Germany.
Optional Practical Training
Non-degree
Germany offers strong recruitment opportunities for short-term programs thanks to Germany’s English language proficiency, high per capita income, strong business ties between the two countries, and a well-established secondary exchange program. The average time for Germans attending intensive English Programs in the United States is 12.1 weeks.
Secondary Education
Most German students in high school prefer to study in an English-speaking country, with the United States and Canada being the most popular study abroad destinations. 86.7 percent of the high school German exchange students stay in the United States for the whole academic year.
Online Programs
Due to the flexibility, possibility to work full-time and the “virtual presence” factor, online education is very popular in Germany but digitalization at German schools lags far behind other countries. The new Gewerkschaft Erziehung and Wissenschaft’s study of summer 2018 states that “Five billion euros from the digital pact and 3.5 billion euros for school renovation - as foreseen in the coalition agreement between ruling political parties - are far from sufficient.”
Research and Development
Education and research are major priorities for the German Federal Government. The Pact for Research and Innovation's ('Pakt für Forschung und Innovation') objective is to stabilize and increase funding for the main non-university research organizations (Fraunhofer-Society, Helmholtz-Association, Max-Planck-Society, Leibniz-Association, German Research Foundation) with 5% annual funding increases. The increases in funding are tied to research policy objectives that are also included in the Pact. Federal and Laender governments have agreed in October 2014 to continue the Pact for Research and Innovation until 2020. Starting from 2016, funding increases by 3% annually instead of 5%. In total, around 6.2 billion euros were invested in institutional research funding in 2018.
Trade Events
Learntec (January 28-30, 2019, Karlsruhe) www.learntec.de/en
Didacta (February 19-23, 2019, Hanover) www.didacta-hannover.de/en
Zukunft Personal (September 17-19, 2019, Cologne) www.zukunft-personal.de/en
EducationUSA, https://educationusa.state.gov
QS World MBA Tour, http://topmba.com/events/qs-world-mba-tour International College Days, http://collegeday.de
Resources
- Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service), www.daad.de/en
- Fulbright Kommission, www.fulbright.de
- EducationUSA https://educationusa.state.gov/
Ulrike Riegeler, Commercial Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service Frankfurt
Ulrike.Riegeler@trade.gov
+49-69-7535-3157
Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.