More than a quarter of all trainees in Germany's dual vocational training system have the Abitur -- the German school-leaving qualification that entitles them to go to university. Some go to university after completing their apprenticeship, but others move straight into full-time employment. There is currently very little reliable empirical data…

A striking number of young people in Germany with the Abitur--the qualification required for entry to higher education--do not, in fact, go on to university immediately after leaving school but opt first to do an apprenticeship. This phenomenon, where general and vocational curricula are taught independently and separately, is known as the…