In the Federal Republic of Germany, the individual states have exclusive responsibility for publicly run education, which includes vocational schools. Responsibility for vocational training on the job rests exclusively with the federal government. The roots of vocational training are in medieval apprenticeship training and religious and industrial Sunday Schools. The dual system refers to training in which private firms and public vocational schools cooperate. Under the vocational training act, young persons under age 18 may be trained by firms only in recognized skilled occupations. Such training must be based on the relevant training ordinance, which lays down objectives and content. Two types of vocational schools are those that primarily impart vocational qualifications and those that primarily confer qualifying certificates. Problem groups in vocational training are handicapped youth, girls, foreigners, and people without training contracts. Adult vocational training encompasses further vocational training, retraining, reactivation, and rehabilitation. Within the framework of their labor market policy, the labor authorities initiate and finance courses of vocational preparation and the improvement of integration prospects. Issues include improvement of vocational education within the dual system and financing of on-the-job training. (Appendixes include a 136-item bibliography and list of terms.) (YLB)