In 2006 the partners of Germany’s national pact for vocational training approved a list of criteria for Ausbildungsreife, readiness for an apprenticeship. The Federal Employment Agency published it, and career advisers use it to judge whether a school-leaver is ready to start training. Under the criterion of reliability, the first sign is this: Sie/er erscheint pünktlich zum vereinbarten Termin (Unterricht, Praktikum, Beratungsgespräch). He or she arrives on time for the agreed appointment, whether a class, an internship or a guidance interview.