Given the difficult conditions, the 2014 training year has been good, thanks to the enormous efforts on the part of businesses. That is the conclusion the presidents of four leading industry associations have drawn today.
In their joint statement, Eric Schweitzer (Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, DIHK), Hans Peter Wollseifer (German Association of Skilled Crafts, ZDH), Horst Vinken (Federation of German Independent Professionals, BFB), and Ingo Kramer (Confederation of German Employers, BDA) concluded:
"The German businesses demonstrate responsibility and great commitment. They provide young people with future prospects as qualified professionals by providing vocational education and training also under difficult framework conditions. This is evidenced by the number of newly concluded apprenticeship contracts in the fields of industry and commerce, the crafts and the independent professions. The domestic industry will promote this important element of safeguarding the skilled labour supply in Germany also by way of a new Alliance for Vocational Education and Training.
In spite of yet another significant decline in the number of school graduates by almost 6 per cent and, in addition, the unchanged trend towards a university education, the contract numbers in the three economic fields have only slightly dropped compared to the previous year.
Leading up to the end of September 2013, 303,129 new apprenticeship contracts have been registered with the chambers of industry and commerce; this is 6,336 fewer placements or 2.0 per cent less than in the previous year. In West Germany, the decline is minus 2.1 per cent; in East Germany minus 2.0 per cent.
In the same period, 128,498 new apprenticeship contracts have been registered in the crafts; that is 2,123 fewer or 1.6 per cent less than in 2013. In West Germany, the decline is minus 1.7 per cent; in East Germany minus 0.9 per cent.
Businesses have growing difficulties in filling their positions
In the field of the independent professions, 41,729 new apprenticeship contracts were concluded by the end of September. That makes 610 fewer contracts or 1.4 per cent less than in the previous year. A decline of minus 1.5 per cent has been recorded for West Germany and minus 1.3 per cent for East Germany.
The businesses put a lot of effort into safeguarding the skilled labour supply in spite of decreasing applicant numbers. This provides also more young underachievers with vocational education and training prospects. By now, about 75 per cent of secondary modern school graduates take up an in-company vocational education and training course.
Yet these numbers also illustrate the growing difficulties businesses have in filling their positions. In the past year, approximately 100,000 apprenticeship placements remained unfilled in the field of responsibility of the chambers of industry and commerce and in the crafts. Plenty of apprenticeship placements remained unfilled also in the independent professions. Due to their apprenticeship placements remaining unfilled, many companies statistically become non-training businesses in spite of their specifically advertised vocational education and training provision.
The domestic industry maintains its promise made in the Vocational Training Pact: every young person willing to and capable of taking up an apprenticeship will be given an apprenticeship offer. The aim must be to match the many open apprenticeship placements at businesses with young people seeking apprenticeships in a tailored way and in time for the training year. What is needed here is the targeted support for young underachievers as well as support for small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to train young people with special support needs. Various forms of 'assisted vocational education and training' are specifically suitable here.
The focus of a future alliance must be on strengthening the vocational education and training system. This includes comprehensive and practice-oriented occupational orientation at schools. Grammar schools, too, must improve their information provision regarding the prospects and opportunities of dual vocational education and training programmes."