In 2001, AHK Greater China imported the Dual System, or the German Dual Vocational Education and Training (VET), into China. VET has been regulated by the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz) since 1969 and. This law grants companies a certain scope, which is essential for the education of skilled employees, and it is modernized regularly. It also defines that the AHK’s sister organizations IHKs are responsible for ensuring the quality, regulation and certification of VET in the companies.
Vocational training is a crucial part of Germanys educational system. By introducing IHK’s certification standards, AHK Greater China has developed the Dual System vocational education standards in China and become an important issuer of German vocational qualification exams in China.
Over the past two decades, the German vocational education and training model has been thriving in the city of Taicang in Jiangsu Province, a total of 15 Dual System training centers have been established. For the enterprises, the three-year, all-around and high-quality training is seamlessly connected to the real-world work environments, paving a clear path of complete and mature talent supply solution.
This approach addresses talent shortages for German firms while aligning with national strategies like Made in China 2025 and Germany’s Industrie 4.0.
Taicang has become a hub of Sino-German co-innovation, attracting over 550 German manufacturing firms that account for 10% of German-funded enterprises in China’s manufacturing industry. By the end of 2024, these companies have collectively driven investments totaling USD 6 billion and formed major industrial innovation clusters in new energy vehicles, precision machinery, manufacturing equipment, automobile core parts, and aerospace, which now generate an annual gross output value exceeding CNY 110 billion. With an annual industrial output value surpassing CNY 60 billion, these enterprises are pivotal to Taicang's transformation.
Companies like KERN-LIEBERS and IMS Gear exemplify the Dual System’s benefits. KERN-LIEBERS has trained 600+ technicians since 2001, boasting a 95% retention rate in early employment. IMS Gear, investing CNY 30 million since 2017, reports a 92% retention rate among graduates, with 100% passing AHK Greater China exams. Over 30% of its apprentices now hold senior technicians, front-line team leaders and engineers, and the number of external recruitments for technician positions has been down to zero.
The AHK Academy led by AHK Greater China launched operation in 2023 and does not only cater to the academic education of vocational schools, but also supports people who hope to upgrade their skills and seek employment opportunities through the program. The AHK Academy empowers the local job market in Taicang and expands the Dual System model as a brand.
The graduates of the Dual System programs have more competitive advantages in employment rate and starting salary level. In addition, the AHK certificate can be converted to a technician certificate recognized by Jiangsu Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, while skilled workers usually need to accumulate years of work experience to obtain such a certificate.
