APPRENTICESHIPS ON THE RISE?: The rising popularity of apprenticeships usually goes under the radar. But in the last few weeks we’ve seen a poll of U.K. teens showing an increase in the popularity of the idea. And there’s bits of news from Kentucky and Chicago. And don’t forget Idaho.

But don’t start thinking the USA can replicate the German system, where more than half of young people serve at least one apprenticeship. As I wrote about in Apprenticeships: Useful Alternative, Tough to Implement, the German system depends for its success on strong national unions and complex licensing requirements.  The German model would be quite unpopular here.