If there is one part of the german system I'd recommend other countries to (partially) emulate, it is the apprenticeship model. Germany has multiple ways a pers

If there is one part of the german system I'd recommend other countries to (partially) emulate, it is the apprenticeship model. Germany has multiple ways a person can finish school; from Hauptschulabschluss (limited apprenticeships), over Realschulabschluss (apprenticeships), and Fachabitur (apprenticeships + applied studies in a field you specialised in) to Abitur (everything). The thing is that finishing an apprenticeship enables you to do an applied Bacelor in the field. After a Bachelors, you can continue on in academia if you like. And you can go back to school at 30 to finish your (Fach-)Abitur, if you failed it before. The state will even pay you to attend. There's very clear paths to jobs, but also a lot of ways to change your direction. Going back to apprenticeships, they are plentiful and often well-payed. For example, most of the Sys-admins I know did an apprenticeship, which consists of 3 years of school while working half-time at a company. This combination of school and work is the best of both worlds for experience, and it enables young people to get a career path without too much though.