IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/brjirl/v64y2026i2p250-262.html

Works Councils and Apprenticeship Training: Heterogeneous Works Councils, Heterogeneous Effects?

Author

Listed:
  • Kathrin Weis
  • Samuel Muehlemann
  • Harald Pfeifer

Abstract

In Germany, works councils possess co‐determination rights concerning apprenticeship training, which may influence training outcomes in firms. While the literature commonly assumes homogeneous effects of works councils, this study reveals considerable heterogeneity in their involvement in training‐related decisions. Using representative German firm‐level data, we explore two dimensions of works councils’ heterogeneity: their participation in various apprenticeship‐related decisions and their overall perceived success in enforcing their agendas. We document how these dimensions of works council heterogeneity are associated with firms’ decisions on whether to train apprentices, the intensity of training (the number of apprentices relative to total employment) and apprentice retention and dropout rates. Our findings indicate that works council participation is associated with higher training propensity and higher apprentice retention rates, but it has no significant link to training intensity. Interestingly, works councils rated as successful are associated with lower apprentice dropout rates but also lower retention rates for graduates, highlighting a trade‐off between ensuring training quality and navigating the potentially conflicting interests of apprentices and incumbent workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathrin Weis & Samuel Muehlemann & Harald Pfeifer, 2026. "Works Councils and Apprenticeship Training: Heterogeneous Works Councils, Heterogeneous Effects?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 64(2), pages 250-262, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:64:y:2026:i:2:p:250-262
    DOI: 10.1111/bjir.70030
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjir.70030
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/bjir.70030?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Askildsen, Jan Erik & Jirjahn, Uwe & Smith, Stephen C., 2006. "Works councils and environmental investment: Theory and evidence from German panel data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 60(3), pages 346-372, July.
    2. Jens Mohrenweiser & Uschi Backes‐Gellner, 2010. "Apprenticeship training: for investment or substitution?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(5), pages 545-562, August.
    3. Simon Jäger & Shakked Noy & Benjamin Schoefer, 2022. "The German Model of Industrial Relations: Balancing Flexibility and Collective Action," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 36(4), pages 53-80, Fall.
    4. Christian Pfeifer, 2011. "The Heterogeneous Economic Consequences of Works Council Relations," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 131(1), pages 59-71.
    5. Jens Mohrenweiser & Uschi Backes‐Gellner, 2010. "Apprenticeship training: for investment or substitution?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(5), pages 545-562, August.
    6. Smith, Stephen C., 1991. "On the economic rationale for codetermination law," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 261-281, December.
    7. Assar Lindbeck & Dennis J. Snower, 2001. "Insiders versus Outsiders," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 165-188, Winter.
    8. Ellguth, Peter & Kohaut, Susanne, 2022. "Tarifbindung und betriebliche Interessenvertretung: Ergebnisse aus dem IAB-Betriebspanel 2021," WSI-Mitteilungen, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 75(4), pages 328-336.
    9. repec:bla:econom:v:54:y:1987:i:216:p:493-504 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Christian Dustmann & Uta Schönberg, 2009. "Training and Union Wages," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 91(2), pages 363-376, May.
    11. Słoczyński, Tymon & Wooldridge, Jeffrey M., 2018. "A General Double Robustness Result For Estimating Average Treatment Effects," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 34(1), pages 112-133, February.
    12. Ben Kriechel & Samuel Muehlemann & Harald Pfeifer & Miriam Schütte, 2014. "Works Councils, Collective Bargaining, and Apprenticeship Training – Evidence From German Firms," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 199-222, April.
    13. Richard B. Freeman & James L. Medoff, 1984. "Trade Unions and Productivity: Some New Evidence on an Old Issue," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 473(1), pages 149-164, May.
    14. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kathrin Weis & Samuel Muehlemann & Harald Pfeifer, 2024. "Works Councils and Apprenticeship Training: Heterogeneous Works Councils, Heterogeneous Effects?," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0233, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    2. Mohrenweiser, Jens, 2022. "Works Councils," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1103, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    3. Uwe JIRJAHN & Stephen C. SMITH, 2018. "Nonunion Employee Representation: Theory And The German Experience With Mandated Works Councils," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(1), pages 201-233, March.
    4. Pardesi, Mantej, 2024. "Productivity convergence and firm’s training strategy," ROA Research Memorandum 003, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    5. Uwe Jirjahn, 2015. "Research on Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining in Germany: The Contribution of Labor Economics," Research Papers in Economics 2015-10, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    6. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2021. "Works councils and organizational gender policies in Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(4), pages 1020-1048, December.
    7. Clemens, Marco & Goerke, Laszlo, 2026. "Trade union membership and bonus payments: German survey evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    8. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2013. "Active Owners and the Failure of Newly Adopted Works Councils," Research Papers in Economics 2013-04, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    9. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2016. "Owner-Managers and the Failure of Newly Adopted Works Councils," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(4), pages 815-845, December.
    10. Michael Oberfichtner, 2019. "Works council introductions in Germany: Do they reflect workers’ voice?," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 40(2), pages 301-325, May.
    11. Verena Dill & Uwe Jirjahn, 2017. "Foreign owners and the quality of industrial relations in Germany," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 38(1), pages 5-25, February.
    12. Carolin Linckh & Caroline Neuber-Pohl & Harald Pfeifer, 2023. "The employment effects of raising negotiated minimum wages for apprentices," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0202, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    13. repec:bla:annpce:v:89:y:2018:i:1:p:201-233 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Pardesi, Mantej, 2024. "Productivity Convergence and Firm’s Training Strategy," Research Memorandum 003, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    15. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser & Stephen C Smith, 2022. "Works councils and workplace health promotion in Germany," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(3), pages 1059-1094, August.
    16. Kevin Pineda‐Hernández & François Rycx & Mélanie Volral, 2022. "How collective bargaining shapes poverty: New evidence for developed countries," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(4), pages 895-928, December.
    17. Jirjahn Uwe & Tsertsvadze Georgi, 2006. "Betriebsräte und Arbeitszufriedenheit / Works Councils and Job Satisfaction," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 226(5), pages 537-561, October.
    18. Dyballa, Katharina & Kraft, Kornelius, 2015. "Does codetermination affect the composition of variable versus fixed parts of executive compensation?," ZEW Discussion Papers 15-053, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    19. John S. Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn, 2014. "Variable Pay, Industrial Relations and Foreign Ownership: Evidence from Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 52(3), pages 521-552, September.
    20. Uwe Jirjahn & Vanessa Lange, 2015. "Reciprocity and Workers’ Tastes for Representation," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 36(2), pages 188-209, June.
    21. Samuel Muehlemann & Harald Pfeifer & Bernhard Wittek, 2020. "The effect of business cycle expectations on the German apprenticeship market: Estimating the impact of Covid-19," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0171, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:64:y:2026:i:2:p:250-262. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.