This two country comparison will draw on data gathered within the English and the German studies within the aeronautics sector. In each of the Participa partner countries it was possible to opt for one additional sector (as well as ICT), in which to look at learning and CVET participation. The German and English partners found it particularly promising to look at the aeronautics sector since it plays a significant role in each partner’s regional contexts.

The aeronautics sector is especially interesting for two reasons:

• it is highly regulated across Europe and provides for more or less universal HRD needs: there are common licensing and training standards (such as JAR and CAT) and
• it involves a high degree of learning on the job, since problem-solving, troubleshooting under the use of expert systems etc. are core activities in typical aeronautics industry work settings.

On this ground, as well as based on contrasting with results in the IT sector, “quasi-experimental” conclusions can be drawn for particular regional/national CVET mentalities or cultures as factors contributing to the differences and variations in the identified learning and CVET patterns."