One problem with apprenticeships in the US is that they aren't really tied in with larger employment landscape. In Germany apprenticeships are an integral part of a highly regulated system of guilds. You can't really run a business as a painter or plumber unless you've gone through an apprenticeship and then followed that up with a "Meister". At that point you can be licensed to have apprentices of your own.
Here in the US everything is more freeform and unregulated so apprenticeships are mostly an informal way of companies and employees to augment the existing labor market.
The other aspect that usually goes unmentioned is that there's a glass ceiling for workers without a university degree, both in Germany and the US. The pay might be more equal in more regulated countries but the status of a university degree is much higher.
What's also interesting is that the relative cost of a university degree is much lower in Germany yet apprenticeships remain popular.
The US needs to start pushing vocational schools as much as college. People need an alternative. If college is not for some people, they have a viable alternative.
The German system is something that would work in the US. Unlike the Finnish system, it does have a lot of variation and would have a better chance of working in a larger country.
Also, some for-profit colleges are a scam. It is really hard to tell which are good. They also over promise (employment, etc) results.
At least in my area, vocational training is absolutely being pushed. The problem I see is there aren't enough state-funded schools providing inexpensive training for things liks Medical Assisting. There are lots of $20k private programs, but the earnings from the job can't (rationally) justify that.
In the UK a lot of vocational providers are for-profit(Especially apprenticeships). I would of expected more vocational programs, would increase for-profit schools.
The most dominant vocational qualifications Btecs, HND's etc are all from pearson education...
Here in the US everything is more freeform and unregulated so apprenticeships are mostly an informal way of companies and employees to augment the existing labor market.
The other aspect that usually goes unmentioned is that there's a glass ceiling for workers without a university degree, both in Germany and the US. The pay might be more equal in more regulated countries but the status of a university degree is much higher.
What's also interesting is that the relative cost of a university degree is much lower in Germany yet apprenticeships remain popular.