Over here in Germany they have well-established apprenticeship programs for many more jobs than in the US. There are apprenticeships for software developers, for bankers, for "Bürokauffrau/Bürokaufmanm" (office clerks/administrators), for media work, for all sorts of medical jobs, and so on. You name it, and there is probably an "Ausbildung" (apprenticeship) for it here. The apprenticeship programs are still somewhat not as "prestigious" as going to university, but they will get you in the door at a company for that job.
Many people even combine the two, opting to do an apprenticeship and follow it up with studies, or vice-versa, or do both at the same time.
Many people even combine the two, opting to do an apprenticeship and follow it up with studies, or vice-versa, or do both at the same time.