General Consul to Germany Dr. Bernd Fischer to Speak at GACC Event

DENVER - April 1, 2015 - PRLog -- The German American Chamber of Commerce – Colorado Chapter (GACC) will be hosting the General Consul to Germany, Dr. Bernd Fischer, at their annual Evening with the Chamber at the Oxford Hotel in downtown Denver on the evening of April 23^rd.

Dr. Fischer will be speaking on the Skills Initiative, the German-inspired apprenticeship program which has been expanding its reach across the U.S.  The purpose of the Skills Initiative is to produce more highly-skilled workers in America’s manufacturing sector, thereby encouraging companies based here to hire locally instead of outsourcing overseas. Trainees in the typically three-year program split their time evenly between classroom education and on-the-job training. This system is deeply ingrained in German society and is responsible for molding one of the most educated and highly-trained workforces in the world.

The Skills Initiative is especially popular in German automobile manufacturing facilities in the southeastern U.S., where VW’s ‘Volkswagen Academy’ has recently seen its first set of program graduates after opening their factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2011. The GACC affiliate in that region is responsible for overseeing the testing and certification of the trainees going through that program.

Dr. Fischer is coming to Colorado from his California office especially to address GACC members, and other interested parties from industry and academia at that evening’s event. Additionally, the GACC’s President and Executive Director will give a brief state of the chamber address, where they will describe the many other activities the organization is leading, including their deep involvement in promoting Colorado’s aerospace industry to visiting German companies for next month’s Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

The GACC is also a strong advocate for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which looks to break down trade barriers and duties between the U.S. and E.U.

Those interested in attending the Evening with the Chamber can register at www.gaccco.org.