University dropouts sought after as skilled professionals

Thomas Müller was close to the final achievement. A budding secondary school teacher from Friedrichshafen at the time, he had completed six of seven semesters in addition to internships and had found joy in imparting knowledge. Yet the more often he stood in front of a class, the more he found: "I am not really that much into teaching." Without further ado he dropped out of university and went to look for an apprenticeship placement.

Almost by chance the now 28-year old came across the occupation of Information Technology (IT) system management assistant. His application at the company Synergetic Agency, an internet agency in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, proved successful. His boss Lars Wolfram does not perceive the failed university course as a flaw. "From a management point of view, it is better to notice when one has to abandon something", he says.

Müller is not an individual case. According to figures of the Deutsches Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung (DZHW) – German Centre for Research on Higher Education and Science Studies, the drop-out rate amongst bachelor students is 28 per cent. The rate tends to be higher in technical, mathematical and natural science subjects. The DZHW does not provide absolute figures. The nationwide number of university dropouts is estimated at 100,000 per year.

All of them underachievers? Far from it. More and more companies compete for these ex-students. "University dropouts are an important target group and their numbers are considerable", says Vera Demary, project manager at the Kompetenzzentrum für Fachkräftesicherung (Competence Centre for Safeguarding the Skilled Labour Supply) at the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW).

The competence centre has identified university dropouts as its special focus for the current funding period. This is because so far, according to Demary, only individual companies and model projects focus on this particular target group.

Federal Education Minister Johanna Wanka (CDU) announced an initiative in 2014 aimed at winning over university dropouts for occupations in the crafts.