A matter of luck? Newcomers and their access to vocational education and training in Germany

Policy Brief | January 2020

More than one million adolescents and young adults aged between 16 and 25 have come to Germany as refugees or as EU migrants since 2014. The Research Unit of the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (SVR) conducted a study into what obstacles they face when accessing vocational education and training as well as what help is available. The Policy Brief explores the roles played by specific factors such as age, residence status, familiarity with the German education and training system, and the margins of discretion open to the relevant authorities. The research focuses on the cities of Chemnitz and Munich. It forms part of a Europe-wide comparative study which is investigating which conditions are conducive to successful educational integration and, specifically, the margins of discretion open to local actors in Austria, Germany, Slovenia and Spain.