Strict selection criteria has been a result of supply and demand. Building upon the junior secondary program, the Berufsschulen Intermediate Technical Schools or ITS are two and three year vocational schools that prepare students for a profession. In 1992-1993, 1.8 million students were enrolled in this school. It offers full-time vocation specific programs and are often attended by those who train for a specialty or those in the workforce who want to earn the equivalent of an intermediate school certificate from a realschulen. These three schools can be attended after graduating with an intermediate school certificate from a realschule or equivalent school.
Teaching methods use a dual system of classroom study and work-related apprenticeship.
Students can earn the fachhochschulreife after successfully completing vocational education and passing a qualifying entrance exam. This entitles a student to enter a fachhochschule or training college, and to continue post-secondary occupational or professional training in engineering or technical fields. Vocational education and training is a joint government and industry program. In 1992-1993, higher education was available at 314 institutions of higher learning and had 1.9 million students enrolled. German university students can complete their first degree in about five years.