Last year more young people started training. However, the number of new trainees is still below the pre-Corona level. Many positions remain unfilled.
The number of new training contracts has increased for the third time in a row after the slump in the first year of the corona pandemic. According to the Federal Statistical Office, almost 480,000 people concluded contracts for so-called dual training in companies and at vocational schools in 2023. There were around two percent or 10,000 new contracts more than in 2022.
However, the pre-Corona level of 2019 has not yet been reached again – the number was still six percent below. There have been significant losses on the training market over the past three years. To this day he hasn’t really been able to recover from that.
More men than women
Men have recently concluded significantly more training contracts than women; at 2.8 percent, the increase was almost three times as strong as for women. Crafts, industry and commerce as well as agriculture and the public service have recorded particular influx. However, numerous positions remain unfilled.
The total number of trainees in Germany remained stable in 2023 compared to the previous year. At the end of the year, around 1.2 million people were in training. That was only 0.1 percent less than in 2022. This means: the trend of falling trainee numbers from previous years has almost stopped for the time being.
Trend towards studying
Traditionally, vocational training is very important in Germany. However, the number of trainees has declined significantly over a longer period of time. In 2010, for example, according to figures from the Federal Institute for Vocational Training, the total number of trainees was 1.5 million. On the one hand, this is due to demographics, because there are fewer school leavers, but on the other hand, it is also due to the trend towards higher school qualifications and university studies.
problems on the training market
Another problem: In recent years it has become increasingly difficult to bring together young people interested in training and companies seeking training.
A development that is repeatedly discussed in view of the shortage of skilled workers is the increasing number of contract terminations. According to the Federal Institute for Vocational Training, a total of 155,325 training contracts were terminated early in 2022. In 2021 there were 141,207. This means that the so-called solution rate rose to almost thirty percent – a high, according to the institute. The figures for the 2023 training year are not yet available.
Resolution does not equal termination
However, the latest data report on the vocational training report points out that it is not just a matter of complete abandonment of training. This term is usually used for the final leaving of an educational field without successful completion. Many trainees simply changed companies and jobs. At least half concluded another training contract.
If you look for the reasons for this development, it becomes complex. The attractiveness of the job plays a role, as does the quality of the training and also personal talent and willingness to perform. The Federal Institute for Vocational Training also points to the shortage of skilled workers, which strengthens the position of trainees. This could lead to companies sometimes hiring trainees who they consider to be less suitable.
To ensure that more people actually complete their training, various tutoring programs have now been launched by the Chambers of Industry and Commerce. They are intended to help young people complete their education. The youngsters are then supported, for example, through tutoring for vocational school lessons, and help is also available if they have language difficulties. Sometimes trainees also receive social-educational support.