Throughout Germany, there are far more vacant apprenticeships than people seeking an apprenticeship, even this year. From October 2022 to July 2023, 392,000 applicants registered with the employment agencies and job centres for an apprenticeship position. In July, 117,000 young people had not found an apprenticeship position or an alternative. Many companies are urgently seeking applicants so they can recruit skilled workers for the future. Even though the apprenticeship year has already started, young people can still start an apprenticeship.
They can find out about the apprenticeships available in their local area and its environs from the careers advisors at the job centres and careers advice centres for young people. Such discussions take the individual’s wishes and talents as their starting point, and often provide important input for the making of applications.
Candidates who are currently still on the lookout are interested in these occupations
This apprenticeship year, young people are again particularly interested in training as a salesperson, as a businessman in office management or as a car mechanic. The Federal Employment Agency is encouraging people to also consider other apprenticeship occupations, of which there are 328 in total, and advises young people to arrange an individual counselling interview for career guidance. The careers advisors can offer a neutral perspective on the future development of occupations and employment opportunities.
Most apprenticeship positions in these occupations are vacant
Most of the 228,000 apprenticeship places still vacant in July 2023 were registered in these occupations: salesperson (20,000 unfilled apprenticeship positions), management assistant in retail business (18,000 unfilled apprenticeship positions) and clerk in office management (9,000 unfilled apprenticeship positions). There are still apprenticeship places to be filled in many occupations besides these, however. According to the BA’s data, it is particularly difficult to fill apprenticeships in sales occupations, warehousing, metal occupations, construction and construction-related occupations (e.g. sanitary, heating and air-conditioning technology), food occupations (e.g. bakers) and vehicle driving.
The website https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/k/ausbildungklarmachen (available in German) in leads to the digital tool “Check-U” – which allows users to get an idea of their skills and interests – the apprenticeship search feature, and the appointments feature for careers advice, whether in-person and on site or by video.
The apprenticeship market is still busy in July. These figures therefore only allow a preliminary assessment of development in the current reporting year.
- Registered applicants and registered vocational training places (available in German)
- Top 10 occupations of unplaced applicants (available in German)