Former German President Herzog once said, "To maintain economic competitiveness, what Germany needs is not more PhDs, but more technicians." The technicians mentioned here refer to the "industrial technicians" who support "Made in Germany" ".
When people think of Germany, they will naturally think of famous German cars such as Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Opel, etc., as well as German machinery and equipment. Germany's outstanding achievements in manufacturing are attributed to the German government's heavy investment in vocational education and the respect for skilled workers in society. German entrepreneurs believe that first-class products require first-class technicians to manufacture. No matter how advanced scientific research results are, it will be difficult to turn them into competitive products without the craftsmanship of technicians.
The wages of skilled workers in Germany are higher than the national average wage, and the wages of technical school graduates are almost universally higher than those of university graduates. The average annual salary of white-collar workers who are college graduates is about 30,000 euros, while the average annual salary of technicians is about 35,000 euros. The wages of technicians in many industries are much higher than ordinary civil servants, and even higher than that of university professors.
Due to the high wages of German technicians and the large demand for manufacturing technicians, 65% of junior high school graduates give up high school and then university and directly enter vocational schools every year. Vocational education in Germany is fully funded by the government, and a student can receive 4,100 euros in government education funding per year. While students are studying in vocational schools, they are "ordered" by the company to become quasi-employees of the company. According to regulations, the company must pay a monthly study allowance of 600 to 800 euros to the "ordered" technical school students.
The key to why German manufacturing is so strong is that the country has accumulated abundant "craftsman" resources, including engineers, senior technicians, and ordinary technicians. The spirit of German craftsmanship is rigorous, standardized and meticulous. It is stipulated that screws need to be tightened five times, but they will never tighten them four and a half times. Whether they are engineers or ordinary technicians, everyone has a unique skill. Some are inherited from their ancestors, but more of them come from vocational schools, technical schools, and even universities of applied sciences all over Germany. In addition, training from German industry associations and field training within companies also very common.
The question is, why do so many Germans prefer to work as technicians instead of generally pursuing a college degree?
1. In Germany, there is no shame in being a technician. They also enjoy the reputation and respect enjoyed by other "higher professions" in society.
In the eyes of Germans, what everyone does is just a different division of labor. Whether they are politicians, educators, entrepreneurs, engineers or technicians, they are just different professions, and there is no superiority or inferiority. The German word "vocation" means vocation or God's calling. The profession that everyone engages in is sacred in the sense of "vocation". Because of this, Germans are serious and responsible in their work and can calm down and do their job well.
2. Technicians also have high incomes
The income of 2,000 to 3,000 euros (about 14,500 to 22,000 yuan) for ordinary technicians is no worse than that of college graduates, and it is easier to find a job. Senior technicians are the treasure of enterprises. They have higher incomes and can easily support their families. They can also buy houses and cars and enjoy a high-quality life.
Even if you are raising a family alone, you can still go on vacation abroad or focus on your own hobbies, such as collecting famous wines, collecting antique calligraphy and paintings, etc. These are not "patents" only enjoyed by highly educated people. Those who graduate from vocational schools are also talented people. They also have the opportunity to be sent to work overseas and enjoy high wages and overseas subsidies. A friend of mine worked for Schenker Global Forwarding after graduating from a technical school. After working for a few years, he was sent to Beijing and Shanghai as technical supervisors. Not only was he able to save a lot of money, but he also invited his parents to travel to China every year.
3. Germany's educational channels are very open to anyone and at any time.
If those who are engaged in skilled trades want to "change tracks", they can also apply to enter a university of applied sciences to continue their studies and obtain a nationally recognized master's diploma after graduation. Of course, you can also apply for a master's or doctoral degree at a comprehensive university after obtaining an "Abitur" (complete secondary school diploma) through tutoring. There is no age limit for going to school in Germany, which is a typical example of living and learning. Therefore, it is not surprising at all to see gray-haired old men and women in college classes.
Since Germans have a general concept of equality, technicians also enjoy higher incomes, and can enter higher education institutions at any time to continue their studies, many Germans would rather choose to be technicians than to compete for a university diploma. Because of this, Germany not only has many thinkers who "look up to the stars", but also has a large number of "down-to-earth" doers.
