Apart from exercising the overall oversight function over the Department of Higher Education and Training and its entities, the Committee had a duty to investigate and gather information and develop knowledge on international best practices. The information gathered on best practices was then summarised into recommendations which were later transferred to the Department of Higher Education and Training for implementation and intervention where necessary. Germany was the country of choice for the Committee to visit owing to its successful dual education system. Germany is Europe's largest economy and the third biggest economy in the world. The country is highly industrialized with specialization in auto-mobiles, mechanical engineering and mechatronics. The essence of the quality exhibited by German products can in many ways be attributed to the skill level of its industrial workers. Their high skill levels are a direct result of the country's apprenticeship training programmes, more commonly referred to as the dual educational system.