Does Vocational Training Help Young People Find a Good Job? 職業培訓能幫助年輕人找到好工作嗎？

Youth unemployment has increased in many industrialized countries following the recent global recession. However， this reflects not only the cyclical shock， but also the crucial role of institutions in structuring the transition from school to work. Vocational training， in particular in a dual form combining vocational schooling and structured learning on-the-job， is often considered to be one of the most important policy solutions in combating youth unemployment.

隨著最近的全球經濟衰退，許多工業化國家的青年失業率有所上升。然而，這不僅是周期性沖擊的反映，也凸顯了教育機構在引導學生從學校向職場過渡的過程中的關鍵作用。職業培訓，尤其是把職業學校教育和結構化在崗學習結合起來的雙元模式，通常被認為是應對青年失業難題最重要的政策方案之一。

In developed countries， vocational education and training can be classified into three distinct systems： vocational/technical schools， formal apprenticeships， and dual vocational training systems.

在發達國家，職業教育和培訓可以分為三種不同的體系：職業學校/技工學校、正式學徒制和雙元制職業教育體系。

School-based vocational training and education

基于學校的職業教育培訓

Some countries have a large vocational schooling component as part of their upper secondary education system. This is the case for most southern European countries， including France， Italy， and Spain， and for some eastern European countries. In those countries， the schooling system is divided into a general education track and a vocational education track. While the general education track aims to provide youth with general， often academically-oriented knowledge as the basis for a university education， vocational education and training aims to provide youth with practice-oriented knowledge and skills to prepare them for particular occupations.

一些國家在中等教育的高級階段融入了大量職業教育內容。法國、意大利、西班牙等大多數的南歐國家以及部分東歐國家就是這種情況。在這些國家，教育體系分為普通教育軌道和職業教育軌道。普通教育軌道側重于以學術為導向的一般知識教學，為大學教育奠定基礎；職業教育軌道則側重于實務型知識和技能的培養，幫助學生為將來從事特定職業做好準備。

In many countries， the vocational option is frequently seen as a safety net for students with poor academic performance who are at risk of dropping out of school and for students who are less academically inclined. The close link to work tasks and hands-on practical experience is expected to motivate more practically-oriented youths to continue training and remain in school longer. However， because the share of students who enter academic education after vocational schooling is very low， the vocational schooling option is often seen as a dead-end track and a second-choice education.

在許多國家，職業教育通常被視為一種兜底方案，為學業成績不佳、有輟學風險的學生以及對學習知識興趣不大的學生提供保障。職業教育與實際工作任務和實踐經驗緊密相關，以期激勵重實務的年輕人繼續接受培訓，并延長上學時間。然而，由于從職業教育轉入學術教育的學生比例非常低，職業教育常被視為死胡同或次選教育途徑。

Formal apprenticeship schemes

正式學徒制

In some countries， vocational education and training is provided through formal apprenticeships， with institutional instruction complementing workplace training.

在一些國家，職業教育和培訓實行正式的學徒制，學校教育與職場培訓互為補充。

This is mostly the case in Australia， the UK， and the US， but also in France and Italy， at least in some occupational groups. In the US， formal apprenticeships still have limited scope and are confined largely to so-called “Registered Apprenticeships” in the construction sector （occupations such as electricians， carpenters， and plumbers）. By devoting time to both theoretical instruction and work-based training， the US apprenticeship model aims to provide both general and occupation-specific knowledge. However， training in this apprenticeship system is focused at the firm level and functions without close links to the formal education system.

這種體系主要存在于澳大利亞、英國和美國，但在法國和意大利也有類似情況，至少存在于某些職業群體中。在美國，正式學徒制仍然范圍有限，大多局限于建筑行業（如電工、木匠和水管工等職業）的“注冊學徒制”。美國的學徒制模式既注重理論指導也提供實操培訓，旨在實現通識教育和職業技能培訓雙管齊下。只是這種學徒制培訓集中在企業層面，其運作與正規的學校教育體系并無緊密的聯系。

Dual vocational training

雙元制職業教育

Only a few countries—Austria， Denmark， Germany， and Switzerland—accommodate a major share of all secondary school graduates in dual vocational and educational training that combines vocational schooling and structured learning on-the-job. These countries’ dual systems have four key institutional elements in common.

只有為數不多的幾個國家能將中學的大部分畢業生納入到雙元制職業教育和培訓體系中，如奧地利、丹麥、德國和瑞士。這些國家的雙元制職業教育體系有四個共同的關鍵制度要素。

· First， they have a high degree of formalization. The training is provided in centrally accredited occupational qualification institutions， where the training content is continuously adapted to meet changing labor market requirements.

· 首先，這些雙元制系統具有高度的規范性。培訓是在經過統一認證的職業資格培訓機構中進行的，培訓內容不斷調整，以滿足不斷變化的勞動力市場需求。

· Second， there is strong and long-standing involvement by social partners， including regional trade and occupational committees， through advisory boards that assist in developing and maintaining curricula and monitoring outcomes.

·其次，社會合作伙伴在這一過程中發揮重要且持續的作用，包括地區性行業和職業委員會，他們通過顧問團協助制定和維護課程，并監控培訓效果。

· Third， vocational colleges， financed by the government， provide the school-based part of dual vocational education and training， which covers both general and occupation-specific education.

· 第三，由政府資助的職業院校負責提供雙元制職業教育和培訓的校內部分，內容涵蓋了通識教育和專業技能培養。

· And fourth， participating firms must meet certain technical standards to obtain accreditation.

· 第四，參與公司必須滿足一定的技術標準才能獲得培訓資格認證。

While dual vocational education and training offers several benefits from a societal and individual perspective， establishing an efficient dual apprenticeship system depends on the willingness of a sufficient share of employers to participate actively in training young people. To ensure the transferability of skills across firms after graduation from apprenticeships， the training also needs to include an adequate amount of general schooling. As trainees could potentially leave a firm after completing training， thereby reaping all of the benefits of their acquired general skills， trainees must bear at least part of the general training costs in order for firms to continue to provide both specific and general training.

從社會和個人的角度來看，雙元制職業教育和培訓有諸多好處。然而，要建立一個高效的雙元制培養體系，關鍵在于有足夠多的雇主積極參與到培訓工作中來。為了確保所學技能具有可遷移性，能使學生在畢業后適應不同公司的要求，培訓內容還必須涵蓋足夠的通識課。由于學員在培訓完成后可能離開原公司，從而獨享其所獲技能帶來的好處，為了維持公司對專業性和通識類培訓的持續投入，學員必須承擔部分通識類培訓的費用。

In countries like Germany， a collective agreement sets a generally applied remuneration rate for apprentices that is considerably below the wage for a full-time， low-paying job. This model can reconcile economic incentives for the apprentice and the employer. The apprentice benefits from moderate earnings and structured training that will facilitate promotion to a regular and better-paying job after the vocational education and training exams， while the employer receives some productive input from trainees even in the early phase of vocational training. The dual apprenticeship system is more likely to succeed in countries where firms can credibly commit to provide relevant training in an apprenticeship program that includes apprenticeship regulation and external accreditation， and in which employer associations promote dual training and the government funds general vocational schools.

在德國等國，集體協議設定了學徒的普適薪酬標準，這一標準遠低于全職低薪工作的工資。這種模式可以協調對學徒和雇主的經濟激勵。學徒從適當收入和結構化培訓中獲益——這種培訓將有助于他們在職業教育和培訓考試后晉升到薪資更高的正規職位——而雇主即使在培訓初期也能獲得學員的一些生產性貢獻。一個國家的雙元制培養系統取得成功的前提是，公司能夠可靠地承諾提供學徒項目（包括學徒制度規范和外部認證）的相關培訓，雇主協會在參與中推動雙元制培訓，政府會為普通職業學校提供資助。

Policy advice

政策建議

A dual vocational education and training model might be preferable to other vocational education and training models， but it depends on three demanding preconditions.

雙元制職業教育和培訓模式可能比其他職業教育和培訓模式更可取，但這有賴于三個苛刻的先決條件。

· First， it requires support from a sufficiently large number of employers and their associations in terms of their willingness to train young people in a systematic and certifiable fashion.

· 首先，它需要來自雇主及其行業協會的充分支持，他們都愿意對年輕人進行系統化的認證培訓。

· Second， it requires support from young people， trade unions， and parents in accepting apprenticeships as a phase of lower earnings in exchange for skill acquisition， so that apprenticeships are not seen as a second-best alternative to higher education.

· 其次，它需要年輕人、工會和家長的支持。他們要能接受學員在學徒期內習得技能但收入較低的現實，不把學徒制視為不如高等教育的次優選擇。

· Third， it requires the provision of vocational schooling （including funding）， a regulatory framework by government or employers， and monitoring to ensure the timely adaptation and labor market relevance of the curricula. Hence， the organizational capacities of governments and social partners are crucial.

· 第三，它需要職業教育配套設施（包括資金）、由政府或雇主提供的監管架構，以及確保課程能及時適應勞動力市場需求變化的監控機制。因此，政府和社會伙伴的組織能力至關重要。

Despite the benefits， vocational education and training should not be seen as a panacea to combat high youth unemployment. Vocational education and training must be complementary to structural reform policies to revive the economy and reduce such entry barriers to employment as too stringent dismissal protection and minimum wage regulations.

盡管職業教育和培訓擁有諸多益處，卻不應被視為解決青年高失業率的萬靈藥。職業教育和培訓只是一種輔助，政府必須采取結構性經濟改革政策來重振經濟，并減少諸如過于嚴格的解雇保護和最低工資法規等就業準入障礙。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者）