“Reaching out to young talented individuals as early as possible”

Ms Wipfler, how important is dual vocational training in Chile and what potential do you see for it?
Its potential is huge. Traditionally, vocational training in Chile has always taken a very school-like approach, with practical training in a firm still being the exception. However, many companies are feeling the impact of the skilled labour shortage in Chile, too. That’s why they are increasingly interested in reaching out to young talented individuals as early as possible and in getting involved in their training. 

The importance of training the trainers 

The German-Chilean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or AHK Chile for short, was funded for five years by the Skills Experts programme. What effect did this have?
Working together with AHK member firms and vocational training colleges, we established projects that are geared to the firms’ needs and based on the quality standards of the dual vocational training system. One important element for example involves training the trainers, which is not legally required in Chile. These days we cooperate with around 100 companies who have trainers among their staff. We also felt it was very important to raise awareness about vocational training in business enterprises and to build trust in the model. We were able to demonstrate that it works not only in Germany, but also - adapted to the realities on the ground - here in Chile. 

Is the idea also to train skilled professionals for Germany?
We are not headhunting anyone. Most firms train apprentices to meet their own demand. But if in individual cases it does become relevant, we are happy to advise people - working for example with the Goethe-Institut - who have completed a programme of dual vocational training on how to get to Germany.