Institutional Tensions and Hybridization Strategies in Dual Training Systems
The expansion of higher education reconfigures the relationship between enterprise-anchored apprenticeships and tertiary degrees. Academic drift does not simply diminish the standing of dual vocational education and training; rather, it transforms the institutional structures that govern skill formation and educator qualification. As educator training programs within technical disciplines transition toward tertiary universities, pedagogical preparation increasingly prioritizes academic scholarship over practical workplace immersion ("Academic Drift of Technical VET Teacher Education in Germany, Sweden, and Other Nordic Countries", 2025). This structural shift mirrors broader systemic frictions across dual regimes, where collective governance depends on balanced collaboration between employer organizations, trade unions, and state authorities ("Stakeholders in the German and Swiss Vocational Educational and Training System", 2016). To mitigate recruitment bottlenecks and satisfy escalating skill requirements, industrial enterprises actively adapt their qualification models. Rather than abandoning firm-level training, companies implement hybrid pathways that blend traditional workplace apprenticeships with tertiary curriculum modules ("Towards a Hybridization of Vocational and Academic Qualification Paths?", 2020). These hybrid models bridge the institutional divide between vocational practice and academic instruction, preserving the responsiveness of the dual track while accommodating rising educational aspirations. Consequently, institutional adaptation within dual systems relies on collaborative stakeholder negotiation to prevent academic displacement and sustain vocational labor market integration.