The Confederation of German Employers always reminds its members about the responsibility to re-skill unemployed people. Due to the shortage of skills, the retirement age has been lifted to 67 years in Germany so that they can contribute to the economy. E28 billion is spent on skills development and training annually. Tertiary institutions in Germany are owned by the state. However, employers' organisations influence them (tertiary institutions) to align courses to the current labour market. Apprenticeship also assists in terms of skilling students who recently completed their studies. Furthermore, students spend over two to three years on the job training with a firm, but also spend one to two days a week at school. Social partners have a huge influence in the development of the curriculum for these institutions.