Cost and Benefit of Apprenticeship Training: A Comparison of Germany and Switzerland

For the first time it has been made possible to merge a German and a Swiss firm-level data set that include detailed information about costs and benefits of apprenticeship training. Previous analyses based only on aggregate data showed that the net costs of training apprentices are substantial in Germany, whereas apprenticeship training is on average profitable during the training period for firms in Switzerland, even though the two training systems are rather similar. This paper analyzes the reasons for these differences with matching methods. We simulate the impact of changes in certain parameters such as wages, apprenticeship system-related factors and allocation of tasks to apprentices on the cost-benefit ratio using the counterfactual values of the other country. The results show that most of the difference in the net costs of training between the two countries can be explained by a higher share of productive tasks allocated to apprentices in Switzerland and the differences in relative wages.apprenticeship training, cost and benefit analysis

First application of a new portable, miniaturized system for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Extracorporeal assist systems for respiratory and circulatory failure are increasingly used in intensive care medicine. Important technical innovations over the past years have resulted in improved biocompatibility and, consequently, reduced complication rates. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) technology experienced a surge of use during the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, but transport of unstable patients with life-threatening ARDS is still hazardous. We describe the first successful application of a newly developed, compact and easily portable ECMO device in a patient with severe ARDS due to influenza A (H1N1). Support with the miniaturized ECMO resulted in immediate improvement of gas exchange and a highly protective ventilation. Inspiratory pressure was decreased from 40 to 29 cmH2O and tidal volume per kilogram of predicted bodyweight could be reduced from 6.5 to 3.3 mL. Small and efficient heart-lung assist systems will become a tool of growing importance in intensive care medicine, both for profound respiratory and cardiac failure in the future. The reduced weight and compact design of the device greatly facilitates transport and handling of unstable patients on ECMO