With its fifth “Summer of Vocational Training”, the Federal Employment Agency is supporting vocational training and apprenticeships in Germany together with the federal government, the federal states, industry and trade unions. From the beginning of May until the end of October, all the partners in the Alliance for Initial and Further Training will be providing information at numerous events and on social media platforms. The events will address young people as well as parents and companies, and show that #STARTING an apprenticeship or vocational training is worthwhile.

Daniel Terzenbach, Director of the Federal Employment Agency, knows how important choosing a career can be: “Embarking on vocational training or an apprenticeship can be the key to a successful start to working life. To get off to a good start, however, it is important for applicants to know what to expect. Companies offer more than 340 vocational training occupations. Nobody can ever know what exactly they entail. This makes it all the more important to have the kind of information that all partners are making available in the Summer of Vocational Training.” About a quarter of those who embark on vocational training or an apprenticeship fail to finish it, which shows how important it is for applicants to be well informed, to go on work placements and taster days, and to seek advice at an early stage.

By the end of April, 354,000 applicants had registered at the Federal Employment Agency, while 430,000 vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities were available throughout Germany. “Despite the tough current economic situation, the chances of finding an apprenticeship this year aren’t bad. Success isn’t guaranteed, however. After all, the available positions do not always match with the career paths in which the applicants are interested, and the market conditions differ from one region to the next,” explains Terzenbach.

The 2025 “Summer of Vocational Training” is actively supporting dual vocational training and education. In this context, the focus is on diversity, attractiveness and career opportunities. This summer, all the partners in the alliance will be providing a wide range of information on apprenticeships and vocational training, including funding opportunities and support with clearing applications in the autumn. The “Summer of Vocational Training” also aims to strengthen the regional activities of the training providers in the area of career orientation. 

The partners in the alliance will also be organising numerous events on dual vocational training at the federal and regional levels; these will be published shortly on the alliance’s website.

Dual vocational training opens up a wide range of career paths for young people, and provides them with practical knowledge which is of value in companies and organisations as well as for self-employment. Dual vocational training makes a key contribution to securing the next generation of skilled workers and strengthening the competitiveness of the economy. At a time of upheaval – characterised by digitalisation, demographic change and the need for sustainable solutions – Germany depends on well-qualified professionals and skilled workers so that it can successfully rise to future challenges.

To the website of the Alliance for Initial and Further Training (available in German): https://www.aus-und-weiterbildungsallianz.de/