A new pathway for workforce development: How a German-American co-op is taking shape in South Carolina

As U.S. companies across manufacturing, engineering, and advanced industries continue to grapple with a shortage of skilled talent, one German institution believes part of the solution lies in rethinking how higher education and industry work together.

Nordakademie University of Applied Sciences, a Germany-based institution with more than 30 years of experience partnering directly with employers, is bringing its proven dual-education model to the United States. At the center of this effort is a new German-American Co-op program launching in partnership with the College of Charleston and industry partners in South Carolina.

“We are here because companies asked us to come,” said Stefan Wiedmann, President and CEO of Nordakademie, in a recent interview with SCBIZ. “They are frustrated by the lack of qualified employees, especially those who combine engineering knowledge, management skills, and real-world experience.”

A Model Built by Industry, for Industry

Nordakademie was originally founded by companies seeking graduates who could contribute immediately. Its approach blends academic instruction with structured, paid work experience—an integrated system that has long been a cornerstone of Germany’s workforce development strategy.

The German-American Co-op follows that same philosophy. Students alternate between ten weeks of academic coursework and fifteen weeks embedded within a partner company. What sets the program apart is alignment: classroom learning and workplace experience are deliberately synchronized.

“If students learn marketing in college, they work in the marketing department at their company next,” Wiedmann explained. “That transfer from theory to practice is intentional.”

Over the course of three years, students rotate through multiple departments, gaining exposure to operations, finance, production, and more. By graduation, they are not only academically credentialed, but deeply familiar with how a company functions.

“The company knows the student, and the student knows the company,” Wiedmann said. “On day one after graduation, they are productive.”

Global Experience, Local Impact

A distinctive feature of the program is its international component. Students spend at least six months in Germany, gaining intercultural experience that Wiedmann says has lasting professional and personal benefits.

“Living in another culture changes you,” he said. “It shapes how you think, how you work, and how you communicate—even if your company never plans to expand overseas.”

All coursework is taught in English, and students receive language preparation before traveling abroad. The goal is not language mastery, but global perspective—an increasingly valuable asset in today’s interconnected economy.

Opening Doors for Students and Employers

The program is open to students with an associate degree and can also be used by companies as an internal talent development pathway. Students complete hundreds of hours of real company projects that carry academic credit, an uncommon structure in U.S. higher education.

“This is not a traditional co-op or internship,” Wiedmann said. “Students receive credit hours for their project work, and those projects are driven by real company needs.”

For employers, the benefits extend beyond recruitment. The presence of students working on applied projects can inject new ideas and innovation into organizations, while helping build a sustainable talent pipeline.

Why South Carolina?

South Carolina’s strong manufacturing base and growing presence of German companies made it a natural starting point. Wiedmann also pointed to the state’s business-friendly mindset.

“When companies here ask for support, the state listens,” he said. “That kind of collaboration is something many in Germany admire.”

The inaugural cohort is expected to be intentionally small, allowing the program to scale thoughtfully. Over time, Nordakademie envisions expansion into additional disciplines beyond engineering and management.

At its core, the German-American Co-op represents a long-term investment in people—one designed to strengthen competitiveness, expand access to education, and better align academic pathways with the real needs of modern industry.

For a deeper dive into the program and its vision, watch the full interview with Stefan Wiedmann on SCBIZ’s YouTube channel.

Watch the video HERE.