The “Summer of Vocational Training” is an important building block for a sustainable path to ensuring sufficient availability of skilled workers in Germany: from May to November 2022, the partners of the Alliance for Education and Training have promoted vocational training all over Germany with more than 750 events and campaigns. During the whole duration of the campaign, young people could gain insight in the large variety of more than 300 skilled occupations and career opportunities. Many teenagers were introduced to potential training companies. The Summer was also accompanied successfully in the social media channels using the hash tag #AusbildungSTARTEN!
Four leading themes have shaped this Summer of Vocational Training: “Providing career orientation”, “Showing the attractiveness of vocational training”, “Strengthen the range of talents” and “Promote additional efforts to match potential apprentices with training companies”. Thus, the second Summer could set an important example for the quality and opportunities of a professional career, ensuring a supply of new blood among skilled workers and for Germany as a centre of commerce and industry, thanks to the joint effort made by the Alliance partners. The current figures reported from the vocational training market show how important it is to promote vocational training and the dual system.
Between October of 2021 and September 2022, 2.6 percent of applicants for an apprenticeship less have registered with the German Federal Employment Agency in comparison with the previous year. This is contrasted with a growth of 4.4 percent in reported apprenticeships on offer.
Therefore, the Alliance for Education and Training continues to be committed to further strengthening vocational training even after the official end of this year’s Summer of Vocational Training. And the efforts to place apprentices with training companies are continuing: According to the Federal Employment Agency, there were still about 69,000 apprenticeships on offer that remained vacant at the end of September. In most cases, it is possible to enter into the current vocational training year as late as November. The apprenticeship websites of the chambers of commerce still have numerous vacancies on offer. In addition, interested persons can also look for information on attractive apprenticeships on offer using the Jobsuche (available in German) and the BA app AzubiWelt. The employment agencies, chambers of commerce and local associations support the placement.
Simultaneous with the current additional efforts to place potential apprentices with training companies, the application stage for the upcoming vocational training year of 2023/2024 has started. Students graduating from school in the upcoming summer can already find current apprenticeships on offer in the BA Jobsuche (available in German) and the apprenticeship websites of the chambers of commerce. Among others, support for choosing your profession is provided by the BA website “Starthilfe für deine Zukunft” [Jump-starting your future] (#AusbildungKlarmachen) (available in German) which gives you the option to contact the local career advice service.
In the upcoming year, the Alliance partners will also pool their strengths in the Summer of Vocational Training to provide young people with reasons and orientation for vocational training, actively counteracting the shortage of skilled workers. You can find up-to-date information on scheduled events and the Alliance for Education and Training on the website www.aus-und-weiterbildungsallianz.de (available in German).
Contacts at the Press Offices and for Public Relations
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Stephan Gabriel Haufe
E-mail: StephanGabriel.Haufe@bmwk.bund.de
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Dr. Kristin Schneidewind
E-mail: Kristin.Schneidewindt@bmbf.bund.de
Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Press Office
Email: presse@bmas.bund.de
Commissioner of the Federal Government for Migration, Refugees and Integration
Elena Singer
E-mail: elena.singer@bk.bund.de or presse-integration@bk.bund.de
Federal Employment Agency
Matthias Hertle
E-mail: Matthias.Hertle@arbeitsagentur.de
Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs
Torsten Heil
E-mail: Torsten.Heil@kmk.org
German Confederation of Skilled Crafts
Beate Preuschoff and
Michaela Steinhauser
E-mail: steinhauser@zdh.de and preuschoff@zdh.de
Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Thomas Renner
E-mail: renner.thomas@dihk.de
Federation of German Independent Professionals
Natasha Volodina
E-mail: natasha.volodina@freie-berufe.de
Confederation of German Employers' Associations
Julika Lendvai
E-mail: j.lendvai@arbeitgeber.de
German Trade Union Confederation
Jan Piegsa
E-mail: jan.piegsa@dgb.de