For Wisconsin, workforce lessons from Germany

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, the deadliest and most destructive conflict the world had ever seen to that point. An ironic fact connected to this epochal struggle was the decision of Germany’s war enemies to brand all goods coming from that country “Made in Germany” so the public would avoid them.

But after the war, people identified “Made in Germany” with quality, durability and an advanced level of engineering. Why? Apart from sophisticated engineering, it was clearly Germany’s well-skilled, quality-driven and motivated workforce.

When World War II ended in 1945, Germany was in rubbles, its cities destroyed and its industry dismantled. In this dark hour, the United States helped the German economy get back on its feet through generous grants and loans, better known as the “Marshall Plan.” My country will never forget that.

But there was another decisive factor: Inside the destroyed plants there were masses of well-skilled, highly motivated workers who wanted a fresh start for their country and for themselves.

These lessons showcase how important well-trained and motivated labor is for a thriving economy. Every year, about half a million young Germans enter the workforce through apprentice programs. They provide a steady stream of highly qualified industrial workers who help Germany maintain a reputation for producing top-quality goods. Germany has maintained a strong manufacturing sector, which accounts for 25% of the German national output. In the U.S. economy, it’s about half that. For good reason, President Donald Trump’s administration wants to strengthen and rebuild U.S. manufacturing.

In the U.S. economy, 3,000 German companies have created 700,000 American

jobs. Germany has a lot to offer the U.S. and is ready to closely cooperate in developing manufacturing skills. The century-old, so-called “dual” system of training combines training on the job with a tailored theoretical training.

For years now, the German-American Chambers of Commerce, the Representative of German Industry and Trade in Washington, the German Embassy and the German Consulates have successfully worked with industry, colleges and officials to develop new educational pathways for apprenticeships.

In Wisconsin, the Industry Consortium for Advanced Technical Training (ICATT), the leading apprenticeship program in the Midwest for high-tech manufacturers and companies with complex technologies or logistics, started last year with its first cluster. ICATT, which is now operating in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, is a perfect example that apprenticeships work, and not just in Germany, but here in the U.S. as well.

Andreas Götze is deputy consul general at the German Consulate in Chicago.