German Students Snub Vocational Schools

By Andrea Thomas. Six-Year Decline Threatens Productivity, Exports. Forget the strong euro or competition from Asia. German industry's main concern today isn't selling its products but finding the people to make them.
The country's 200-year-old two-tier education system, credited for building one of the most productive workforces on the planet, is sputtering as young Germans increasingly shun vocational schools—the gateway to manufacturing careers—for universities. More...