This book examines a largely overlooked social movement in West Germany, notable for its significant influence on the national apprenticeship system. The movement, which led to substantial increases in apprentice pay and contributed to long-term improvements in training quality, is analysed through a wide array of sources, including contemporary German-language literature, official statistics, and archival documents from trade unions and employers' associations. Consideration of comparable changes in the UK, Switzerland, Sweden and the US contributes to a broader understanding of developments in Germany at the time. Addressing an important gap in scholarship, the book will appeal to students, scholars, and researchers in economic history, labour economics, social sciences and history, interested in a better understanding of the apprentice movement in Germany and its impact on educational reform, employment relations and apprenticeship. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
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