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This paper looks at the educational pathways for young people in Germany to make the transition from school to working life. The paper first introduces the three formal pathways in Germany: general academic education, the apprenticeship pathway and the school-based vocational pathway, with emphasis on the features that are important for the participation of young people in each pathway. Links between the general and the two vocational pathways are described with questions arising about access to tertiary education for graduates of the two vocational pathways. On the basis of empirical data, the author then traces the actual pathways of young people and analyses their decisive factors, with the main emphasis being placed on the dual vocational pathway. Finally, the challenges facing vocational education policy are discussed and future lines of development are outlined.