Around 155,000 training contracts in Germany were ended prematurely last year. According to experts, one reason for the high rate could also be the favorable situation on the labor market.
According to calculations by the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB), 155,325 training contracts were terminated prematurely in 2022. In 2021 there were 141,207. This means that the so-called solution rate rose to 29.5 percent. The BIBB announced that it was a high. In the previous year it was almost 27 percent. A third of them are in the probationary period, another third after the probationary period but still in the first year of training and another 23 percent in the second year after the start of the contract. Later contract terminations are rather rare.
The termination rate reflects the proportion of training contracts that were terminated early out of all training contracts that were started. The training is usually ended by a termination agreement or by termination, it goes on to say. The vocational training statistics do not determine what form of contract termination took place or on whose initiative the contract was terminated prematurely.
Low rates in the public sector
However, the institute pointed out in the study that this was not just about people dropping out of training. This term is usually used for the final leaving of an educational field without successful completion. Many trainees simply changed companies and professions, and at least half concluded another training contract.
If you differentiate the training contracts according to areas of responsibility, according to BIBB, there are higher solution rates in the skilled trades (2022: 36.7 percent), in the training professions in the liberal professions (34.7 percent) and in housekeeping (32.6 percent). There are medium quotas for training occupations in industry, trade and agriculture (approx. 26 percent). The BIBB finds very low rates for training occupations in the public sector at 9 percent. The solution rates for men and women would hardly differ in the 2022 reporting year – as in previous years.
Complex causes
According to the BIBB, the causes of premature contract terminations are diverse and complex. “It can be assumed that, in addition to the willingness and ability to perform as well as the career choice behavior of the trainees, company training conditions, the quality of the training, the extent of company investments in training, but also the attractiveness of the training occupation have an impact on the probability of contract termination,” it says Study.
According to the BIBB, the reason for the high rate could also be the positive situation on the training market from the perspective of young people. If problems arise in the training relationship, trainees would be more likely to change if they could relatively easily find another training place due to the favorable market situation.
In addition, due to the lack of young talent, companies may be more willing to hire trainees who they consider to be less suitable. “As a result, this could lead to more problems during the training process and early termination of the training relationship.” According to the Federal Statistical Office, 1.2 million people across Germany were in vocational training at the end of 2022. Almost 470,000 new training contracts were concluded last year.