Status: 04/13/2022 4:00 p.m
In Germany, fewer new training contracts were signed in 2021 than before the pandemic. At the same time, the number of applications fell. Fewer junior staff also successfully completed their training.
Since the beginning of the Corona crisis, companies in Germany have found it more difficult to fill their training positions. Last year, 467,100 people in this country concluded a new training contract – more than in 2020, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office. However, the level from the pre-crisis year 2019 was again not reached.
A new study by the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB), which was presented in Nuremberg, came to the same conclusion. According to this, when the institute was surveyed, almost half of the companies stated that the number of applications had decreased. About 40 percent also reported that the quality of the applications had decreased.
Less completed training
At the same time, according to the companies, the number of completed vocational training courses also fell: In just 38 percent of the training companies, a junior employee was able to successfully complete their training. Two years earlier, this proportion had been 55 percent. The reasons given by the companies were the smaller training years and restrictions caused by the pandemic, such as postponed examinations or content that could not be taught in the planned time.
Basically, the dual training system suffers from the competition of academic educational paths and the declining numbers of school graduates. The number of applicants has been declining for years. In addition, numerous information events at schools and internships were canceled due to the Corona crisis. This is precisely why IAB Director Bernd Fitzenberger emphasized the relevance of the dual system in combating the shortage of skilled workers. However, both the occupation of the training places and the successful completion have suffered significantly in the pandemic.
Companies want to become more attractive
About a third of the companies reported that it was more difficult to get in touch with potential applicants during the Corona crisis: 43 percent offered fewer or no internships for students – especially the companies that were particularly affected by the economic consequences suffered from the pandemic.
In order to fill training places, many companies say they are trying to become more attractive to applicants, for example through better pay and additional benefits. A good half of the companies also stated that they made compromises when it came to the quality of the applications, for example when it came to school-leaving certificates. “This is an important step, since the many unfilled training places are offset by a high number of unplaced training place seekers, who are often young people with low school qualifications,” said IAB researcher Ute Leber.