Companies are desperately looking for young people, but fewer and fewer young people are interested in vocational training. The number of training contracts concluded has increased slightly, but the basic problem remains.
Little is happening on the training market. New figures from the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB) show a slight increase in the number of training contracts concluded this year. But the fundamental problems in the system continue to worsen: a decreasing number of young people are interested in vocational training, while companies are looking for young people and are unable to fill more and more positions. “This is a warning sign that we urgently need to get more young people into training,” said Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger.
According to the BIBB, a total of 475,100 new training contracts were concluded this year. Although that is 2100 more than last year, the experts speak of stagnation with this small increase. Compared to 2019, before Corona, there were almost 10 percent fewer new training contracts. After the Corona slump in 2020, the number of jobs on offer has been increasing again since last year and was 544,000 this year. This was offset by 535,000 young people who were interested in training (successful and unsuccessful applicants). However, the number of people interested in training has been falling for years. Companies are having increasing problems finding young people.
According to the information, the number of vacant training positions increased in 2022 for the third year in a row and reached a new high of 68,900. “This will continue the development of the steadily increasing occupation problems,” it says. BIBB President Friedrich Hubert Esser said that recruiting young people for dual training remains one of the central challenges in securing the future need for skilled workers. Construction and crafts are particularly looking for. In addition to the “general attractiveness” of vocational training, demographic developments are cited as one of the reasons for this development. Reference is made to the falling number of school leavers.
Again this year, companies in the trades and construction industry had problems finding young people, while applicants in commercial or media professions were also unsuccessful. There are also regional differences: In Bavaria and Thuringia, for example, there was a mathematical oversupply of jobs, while in the city states of Berlin and Hamburg there were more interested people than places. Complaints came from business about poorly trained school leavers. Many training positions cannot be filled because students have not been sufficiently taught the necessary skills in core subjects such as German and mathematics, said Oliver Zander, managing director of Gesamtmetall.
“Politicians must finally assume their responsibility here and guarantee the fundamental right to school education and minimum educational standards.” The trade unions see the responsibility in the companies: “The employers must now finally approach all young people and offer them attractive career prospects. The country can no longer afford the cherry picking of the companies on the training market,” said Hans-Jürgen Urban, board member of the IG Metal.
IG Metall and the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) renewed their demand for a training guarantee, which companies that do not provide training should help finance. The government must get the project laid down in the coalition agreement up and running quickly, said Elke Hannack, board member of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB).
