Reading bank

Unit 2
1 Before you read, check that you know the meaning of the words in bold. Choose the
correct definition, a or b, for each word. Use a dictionary if necessary.
1 Through structured classroom teaching and a series of online activities, the course develops
strong theoretical knowledge of the topic.
a relating to the study of ideas rather than b relating to real situations and practical
practical experience experience rather than ideas
2 Specialised training allows students the opportunity to learn a range of competencies.
a degrees b skills
3 Another reason that the scheme thrives is the support it gets from the government.
a is very successful b exists
4 Most of the apprentices are loyal to the company they train with and choose to work for them
long term.
a remaining faithful to and supporting b grateful because someone has done
someone or something something kind for you
5 Vocational training is extremely important for career opportunities and growth.
a training that is based on ideas and b training that teaches you the skills you
theories rather than practical knowledge need for a particular job
6 Researchers tried to replicate the original experiment, but failed.
a copy exactly b understand
7 The company has just launched a campaign to promote awareness of environmental issues.
a help people understand something b help something to happen or develop

2 Read the text quickly and decide which section (A–E) has information to answer each question.
1 Can the programme be implemented in other countries? Section
2 How did a car company react to changing skills requirements? Section
3 Why is the programme important in today’s industry? Section
4 What is the dual vocational training programme? Section
5 How does the unemployment rate in Germany compare to the rest of Europe? Section

3 Decide if these statements are true (T), false (F) or if the text doesn’t give this information (NG).
1 The dual vocational training programme was first introduced for factory workers.
2 It is likely that a number of the tasks currently performed by workers will be performed by
machines in future.
3 The problem with BMW Group’s vocational scheme is that you can’t study for a degree.
4 Commitment to vocational schemes is one of the reasons that Germany has a lower
unemployment rate among young people.
5 Helmut Schweiger has been head of Gerresheimer’s largest plant for three years.
6 In Horsovsky Tyn, parents were more enthusiastic about the scheme than their children were.

4 Choose the correct option (a or b).

1 An advantage of the dual vocational system is that it provides an opportunity to
a meet people from a range of industries.
b combine practical work experience and studying.
2 Advances in technology mean that
a workers will not need to be qualified.
b employees will be required for more complex tasks.
3 When technology advances, companies such as BMW
a adapt their training courses.
b identify candidates who already have these skills.
4 In Germany, young people are more likely to
a apply for a vocational course after graduation.
b prefer an apprenticeship over university.
5 Helmut Schweiger set up the training scheme because
a young employees needed to be taught skills they had not learned at school.
b he wanted to prove to families that vocational training was important.

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 Reading bank

5 Put the letters in brackets in the correct order to complete the paragraph. The
words are from the reading text. The first letter of each word is given.

Despite concerns regarding technological advances, it is clear that the workforce of the future
will still be required when dealing with 1c (pmoelxc) products. In
factories throughout the world, robots are already being used to 2a
(bassemel) various components and put the products together. However, robots are unlikely to
completely 3r (arpecle) a skilled workforce. A more intuitive range of
skills would be required to 4m (amtianni) modern machinery in order to
keep it in top condition. This would include training employees to 5s
(sreivce) equipment regularly and to strict standards. As technology develops, workers will have
to adapt their skills, but the factories, offices and laboratories of tomorrow will still be run by
people – that is, 6q (lqueaiifd) individuals working alongside intelligent
machines.

Importing the German vocational training system

A Germany’s apprenticeship programme, called the ‘dual vocational training programme’, gives
students theoretical education in the classroom, together with real-world experience on the factory
floor. And this is why it is highly recognised and admired worldwide – because of its combination of
theory and training in a real-life work environment.
5 B With the shift to software and robotics, many see Germany’s education programme becoming even
more important. ‘Automation and robots will primarily replace simple tasks,’ says Hermann Simon,
founder of consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners. ‘But you still need workers who can make,
assemble, maintain and service complex products,’ he adds. ‘You could even say that the more
complex the products get, the more qualified workers have to be.’ So, it is important to ensure that the
10 programme stays up-to-date, and that graduates are skilled workers the industry will want to hire.
C Take BMW, for example. It has 4,600 apprentices training at nineteen locations, each learning one
of thirty competencies. Konstanze Carreras-Solé, head of apprentice training at the BMW Group
academy, says the programme is constantly changing to teach students new skills in areas such as
IT and 3D printing. Soon, BMW will even offer apprentices the ability to earn a bachelor’s degree,
15 without cost, as part of their training.
D The fact that vocational schemes can keep up with the times is one reason Germany has a 6.4 percent
unemployment rate for people under twenty-five, compared with an average of 19 percent across
Europe. Mr Simon warns that this success is not easy to replicate. One reason it thrives is because of
its roots in the German culture: more students choose vocational training than go to university. The
20 programme also fits into a wider cultural model that promotes social unity.
E So what does this mean for countries that are considering importing the German model? Horsovsky
Tyn is a small town in the Czech Republic where Gerresheimer, the German pharmaceuticals
packaging group, has its largest plant, with nearly 700 employees. Helmut Schweiger, head of the
plant, learned early on that hiring undereducated young people would not work. So he set up a joint
25 venture to provide free classroom and factory floor training, as in Germany. ‘It took us three years to
get young people interested,’ he recalls. ‘The problem was not girls and boys from school, but parents
and grandparents.’ Mr Schweiger had to convince entire families that learning skills would pay off in
the long term.
Asked what he thinks about the German model being implemented in other countries, he says that
30 it’s more about creating an environment that promotes social unity. ‘You can buy everything in a
company: the best materials, the best machinery. But you can never buy the best employees. You need
to make them loyal, proud and happy.’

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