Chamber of Crafts Swabia welcomes master craftsman bonus

About a million euro is allocated each year to successful participants of master craftsman courses and advanced training in the crafts by way of the master craftsman bonus. This is why the chamber of crafts perceives the bonus as a success.

The Chamber of Crafts Swabia (HWK) views the master craftsman bonus as an appropriate and important measure. Hans-Peter Rauch, the HWK's new president, is certain: "Vocational advanced training is made more attractive by this. From our point of view, the master craftsman bonus was the logical consequence after the abolition of the university fees."

HWK Managing Director Ulrich Wagner goes a step further: "The master craftsman bonus is a first step in the right direction. Yet we still are a long way away from any equality of academic and vocational advanced training. There remains plenty of distance to be covered."

Franz Josef Pschierer, State Secretary at the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology, likewise spoke in favour of strengthening vocational advanced training during a press conference on the premises of the Chamber of Crafts Swabia (HWK): "Bavaria's success is characterised by our ability to develop as well as implement products. This is why, for me, vocational education and training is equal in value to a university course. With the master craftsman bonus we have an instrument to once again encourage more people to pursue a vocational career."

Since 1 September 2014, successful graduates of the master craftsman advanced vocational training programme receive 1,000 Euro funding in the form of the "Master Craftsman Bonus" from the Bavarian state. The measure aims at rendering the decision towards a master craftsman diploma more attractive.

The bonus is awarded not only for advanced training towards a master craftsman diploma, but also for other, equal advanced training programmes, such as the business economist, the energy consultant and the sales manager in the craft-based food industry. The sole criterion here: the advanced training programme must comprise at least 400 course hours. Each year, 1,000 people complete such advanced training programmes at the Chamber of Crafts Swabia (HWK). Two thirds of the participants are master craftsmen; one third study towards other qualifications.

The Bavarian Ministry for Economic Affairs has allocated 20 million Euro for the master craftsman bonus in its current budget. Baviaria is the only federal state providing funding on that scale. Ulrich Wagner: "We welcome the fact that vocational education and training receives stronger support and is thereby made more interesting, because in the crafts the costs are mostly borne by the employees and employers themselves." In addition to the master craftsman bonus, the Master BAföG continues to be available, Wagner points out. The Managing Director expressly welcomes the fact that a graduate may use the master craftsman bonus several times, for example, first for a master craftsman diploma and then for the business economist (HwO) degree.

Positive feedback also came from the three advanced training programme participants Jessica Roxanne Hanson (sales manager from Friedberg), Tobias Held (master agricultural machine engineering mechanic from Mering) and Jens Quilitzsch (master bricklayer and concrete construction engineer, business economist HwO) from Untermeitingen, who were amongst the first recipients of the master craftsman bonus in Swabia. Jessica Hanson already has budgeted the money: "In addition to the sales manager I want to pass the master craftsman examination in the butcher's trade next year, so the 1,000 euros are very welcome", the determined young woman explains. All three bonus recipients particularly praised the uncomplicated procedure. "The chamber of crafts did it all for us - excellent!"

For the HWK Swabia, the strengthening of vocational education and training not only sets an important signal for the young generation to enter into a career in the crafts, but it also is of extensive economic significance: "Especially the small and medium-sized enterprises in the crafts are the anchor for the German domestic market. These businesses need competent young talent, people who can manage such businesses in an entrepreneurial role also in the future, thereby strengthening the service provision in the region whilst being guarantors for vocational training and innovation", Wagner emphasised. He also stressed that the status and opportunities of vocational education and training must become more pronounced throughout society.