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Developing Expertise in
Work-Based Learning and
Teaching Assessment (DELTA)
www.deltaproject.eu

“recruitment benefits” also vary: hiring costs tend to be higher in jobs that require sophisticated technical skills
(Mühlemann and Leiser, 2015[27]).
● Firm size:​ ​The cost-benefit balance during apprenticeships varies with firm size: larger firms exploit
economies of scale, and sometimes have better opportunities to train apprentices while involving them in
production. On the other hand, larger firms tend to train more in technical occupations (higher training costs)
than smaller firms, which often hire apprentices in the crafts sector. Larger firms are more likely to realise
“recruitment benefits” as they tend to face higher hiring costs and more often recruit their apprentices as
skilled workers. The apprentice wage and labour market prospects affect the attractiveness of apprenticeships
to young people or adults considering training options.
(source: ​OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training​)

Statistics, achievements

It can be seen from the data in the following figure that the proportion of employed graduates of work-place-based or
combined VET is noticeably higher as compared to other forms of VET (78.3 per cent of the total population).
Whereas when VET is mainly school-based, the employment rate for graduates is 53.4 %.
Labour status of medium-level graduates by orientation, 18-24 year-olds, EU-27+, 2009

Dual apprenticeship training is increasingly seen as an important educational track that provides youth with
the skills necessary for a smooth transition into the labour market. However, providing skills at the
workplace rather than at (vocational) school comes at a cost for firms that hire such apprentices.
Nonetheless, as apprentices become part of a firm’s workforce, they also generate a benefit from working
productively.​ ​The main parameters affecting the cost–benefit ratio are apprentice wages, amount of training
provided at the workplace, apprenticeship duration, and the manner in which firms integrate apprentices
into the production process (to perform both skilled and unskilled tasks). An important prerequisite to
successful apprenticeships, however, is also an adequate supply of suitable apprentices, which in turn
(among other factors) depends on the training quality at the workplace, certification of the acquired skills,
and future wages and career opportunities from obtaining a vocational qualification.

IO2:​ ​Toolbox for Tutors and Mentors DELTA - 2017-1-UK01-KA202-036810 Seite 8

This project
has been funded with support from the European Commission. This
publication [communication] and all its contents reflect the views only of the author,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information