The Day of the Crafts was held for the fourth time on 20 September 2014. The motto "Pack mit an" (Pitch in) focused on the job opportunities available in the crafts. Sigmar Gabriel, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, used the occasion to encourage young people to pursue the excellent job opportunities in the crafts.
Gabriel: "With its 130 vocational education and training occupations, the crafts offer excellent job prospects and opportunities for the future, especially for young people. This is because vocational education and training in Germany is a success story and enjoys a model reputation worldwide. It also provides the basis for the enduring competitive capability of our crafts industry. This is why I call upon young people in particular: let the enthusiasm about the 'Future Workshop Crafts' grab you on this Day of the Crafts and pitch in."
The crafts have been advertising their merits to the public since 2010 with the nationwide campaign "Das Handwerk. Die Wirtschaftsmacht von nebenan." (The crafts. The economic power next door.) The campaign in particular aims at the recruitment of young talent, in addition to providing information about this sector.
The Day of the Crafts has been the annual highlight of this campaign since 2011. This is the fourth consecutive year that, on the Day of the Crafts, chambers of crafts and district craftsmen's associations, guilds and businesses throughout Germany invite young people to gather information about varied and innovative occupations, exciting careers, teamwork and state-of-the-art technology.
Qualified skilled workers play a key role in the future of the crafts. The energy transition, new fields of technology, digitalisation, intelligent domestic engineering and electromobility further increase the demand for qualified specialists. The vocational education and training provision matches academic standards. This is why the master craftsman's certificate was made equal to the bachelor degree. By now, in addition to a wide range of dual system study courses, also "trial" study courses including an additional master craftsman degree exist.
Improving the transition from vocational to academic education
In their search for qualified young talent, the crafts address also school graduates holding a university entrance qualification as well as university dropouts. The crafts' efforts in soliciting the young generation increasingly fall on fertile ground: every tenth new apprentice in 2013 was a school graduate holding a university entrance qualification. The federal government supports small and medium-sized enterprises in winning over university dropouts for apprenticeships and continuing education with a number of programmes, including the Kompetenzzentrum Fachkräftesicherung (Competence Centre for Safeguarding the Skilled Labour Supply).
Moreover, targeted advice at the universities and individual vocational education and training concepts are used to improve the transition from vocational to academic education. Some chambers of crafts and universities already closely co-operate regarding advisory services, placement and personal development (coaching). In turn, the recognition of occupational competences in the crafts to provide proof of achievement towards taking up a university course is already possible in certain fields.
Also, numerous projects and measures promote the inclusion of people with a migration background into vocational training and employment. Likewise, more and more women identify opportunities in the crafts. These days, a fifth of all trade businesses are managed by women; a fifth of master craftsmen are women and a woman is behind every fourth new business establishment in the trades.
And the economic situation in the crafts? The first two quarters of 2014 were the best in 20 years. The mood in the crafts and the general state of it are at a high. This strengthens also its vocational education and training provision. 109,000 apprenticeship contracts have been concluded in the crafts since the beginning of the year.