Apprenticeship – A US-EU Working Group on Employment and Labor discuss how to advance apprenticeship strategies in Europe and the United States

Two years ago, President Obama issued a bold challenge for America to double the number of registered apprenticeships within five years. The Labor Department has stepped up to the challenge, and the total number of apprenticeships is already up about 20 percent – a dramatic increase that shows employers and workers across the nation are realizing this “earn while you learn” model is win-win for everyone.

While it’s true some countries have more robust apprenticeship systems than we do, this growing interest in apprenticeship is global in scope. By working together with our international partners, we have a great opportunity to advance the quality, supply and image of innovative apprenticeships.

For example, we’ve signed Joint Declarations of Intent with Germany and Switzerland that have created new avenues for companies and workers to flourish on both sides of the Atlantic − and led to more multinational companies starting or expanding apprenticeship programs in their United States operations.

And this week, the U.S.-EU Working Group on Employment and Labor-related issues met in Brussels for the first time to discuss how to advance apprenticeship strategies in Europe and the United States.. I co-hosted a two-day meeting with Detlef Eckert, director of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills, and Labor, that brought together delegations of American and European apprenticeship experts.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at Building a Global Apprenticeship Movement : U.S. Department of Labor Blog