US Secretary of Labor Acosta travels to Germany

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta is traveling to Germany to tour the BMW Group's apprenticeship training facility in Munich and attend the G20 Labor and Employment Ministers' Meeting in Bad Neuenahr.

On Wednesday, May 17, Secretary Acosta will visit the BMW Group's headquarters and manufacturing plant to tour the automotive company's apprenticeship training facility. The secretary will meet with Harald Krüger, chairman of the BMW AG Board of Management, along with other executives of the company. The extensive tour will include opportunities for discussions through all levels of the company from board members to young apprentices. The secretary's visit builds on the initiative to strengthen workforce training in the United States started during President Donald Trump's visit from German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House in March.

Apprenticeships are expanding rapidly in the U.S., as more employers recognize the model's success for attracting and retaining a top-tier workforce to meet the growing demands of a global economy. Germany's dual vocational training system is a public-private partnership that combines classroom learning with on-the-job experience to provide a foundation for a successful career, and the BMW Group is regarded as a successful example of the system.

On Thursday, May 18, and Friday, May 19, Secretary Acosta will take part in G20 sessions in Bad Neuenahr to discuss with labor and employment ministers a range of topics that are important to strengthening the American workforce, such as apprenticeships, job training programs, and empowering women in the workforce. During this meeting of G20 ministers, the secretary will deliver remarks about the importance of apprenticeships in meeting the needs of the quickly evolving global economy.

The secretary will return to Washington, D.C., on Saturday, May 20.