[Jerome]

http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,2271591,00.html
mentions Bechstein apprenticeships as an example of the German training system. I suppose the cynic would note that even Bechstein is now doing a lot of its production outside Germany but the training system may be one reason there still is a German piano industry.

[PianoGuy]

[Barrie Heaton]

The first technical colleges in the UK were for piano tuners. Our Government has just cut funding for vocational training to 1 year. When I trained it was 3 years funding and that included 16 weeks funding to a factory but I only did 12 weeks at Bentleys and 4 at Kemble-Yamaha.

The main problem is attitude, most want their children to push a pen around not a chisel. We need to go back to the 11+ and stream the kids, the ones with academic skills stream them to academic university, ones that are not into pen-pushing stream them to universities that will teach them a skill.

Barrie,
_________________
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page

[athomik]

Germany still has a strong tradition of formal education in the crafts. Even the school system is separated into 3 streams, leading to your final career choice. After school, there is a very formal system for becoming a craftsman, beginning with apprentice (Lehrling), progressing to journeyman (Geselle) and culminating in master craftsman (Meister). This ensures that craftsmen are very well trained and competent as well as having to pass formal examinations. This ensures that they command respect in their job, which makes it more attractive to prospective students. Unlike the UK, you can't just call yourself a plumber or whatever just because you've done a few jobs around the house, which reduces the chance of hiring in cowboys and it's inherent damage to the reputation of a whole profession.