The Bavarian Industry Association has welcomed the introduction of assisted training with the new training year on 1st of September, which represents a useful new addition to the Federal Employment Agency's support instruments.
The objective is to guide more young people with learning disabilities and more socially disadvantaged young people towards successfully completing dual vocational education and training. The firms providing training are also given support.
For the training year 2015/16, this kind of support is being provided for some 10,000 traineeships across Germany, 750 of those in Bavaria.
"Assisted training is based upon the success factors underlying our pilot project – power(me) – which guides young people with deficits in terms of school performance or social competence via a special support programme, to achieve a vocational qualification in the metal and electrical industry.
This project was set up by the Bavarian Employers' Association for the Metalworking and Electrical Industries back in 2011, together with the Federal Employment Agency. Thanks to this project, it was possible to place 154 young people who have had a difficult start in life in metal working and electrical education and training."
Assisted training supports companies and young people at the application and selection stages. During their training, these young adults also received catch-up lessons.
Brossardt: "Vocational education and training is a central pillar for entry into working life. That's why it's vital that as many young people as possible complete their education successfully and can be integrated straight into the vocational education and training system.
"For companies in Bavaria, it is increasingly difficult to find suitable candidates for their training places. According to the Federal Employment Agency, in July 2015, there were 77,200 applicants for 92,467 registered vocational and education training places," said Bertram Brossardt, Chief Executive of the Bavarian Industry Association.
"There are not enough applicants for the number of dual education and training places available. At the moment, we are expecting that some 11,000 dual vocational education and training places across Bavaria will remain unfilled. To fill these gaps, we need to draw on new potential, in particular, from among those youngsters who have not done well at school or are socially disadvantaged."