Steven Brint compares the US to Germany:
Students in Germany are trained for a particular occupation, and they cannot easily move to a new one. Our approach has been to say "it's never too late" to move up the ladder with a higher-level credential. We are long on second and third chances, and anxious about "forcing" students to commit to a particular line of work. Our system is one that provides opportunity to obtain credentials, but lacks responsibility for employment. This is expensive and wasteful, but it is also optimistic in a cockeyed way.
The Dish 