Many young people have an outdated idea of craft businesses in their heads. Bennet Jost is convinced of that. He is the managing director of Jost Electric Services and organized the first summer craftsmen’s festival in Oberhaching this Saturday. He wants to show that training in a craft business is worthwhile.
For several years now, many companies in the Munich district have been observing that fewer and fewer young people are interested in an apprenticeship. From a total of around 1900 registered apprenticeships in the district, 800 are currently still available, according to the industrial union for construction, agriculture and the environment.
Bennet Jost wants to counteract this. With the summer party starting at 12.30 p.m., he wants to represent the craft at his company as he perceives it: “Fresh, young and with cool ideas.” He and his company in Oberhaching are expecting around 250 visitors on Saturday, albeit spread over the day. According to the public order office, only 100 people are allowed to be present at the same time so that the contact restrictions are adhered to. Jost organized beer benches, a BBQ grill and drinks. There is also a DJ who is supposed to keep the party going until late at night. “The young people are all in a party mood,” says Jost. And that’s exactly what he wants to achieve in the end.
At the end of July, the employment agency reported that 3506 apprenticeships were still vacant in the attractive business location of Munich. At the same time, 2126 young people have not yet found an apprenticeship position. For every person without an apprenticeship contract there would be 1.6 vacancies. “But I am very confident that there will still be a big race to catch up,” says Christoph Leicher. He is chairman of the regional committee of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) for the district of Munich. The reason for this is that many trainees have not yet made a final decision on a company. “There is still some time until October. Especially because of the digital learning situation at universities, many are still opting for an apprenticeship.”
Years ago there were too many applicants
The catch-up effect has not only to do with the corona pandemic: “It happens every year,” says Leicher. Nevertheless, he estimates that around 650 apprenticeship positions remain vacant. As the managing director of the family company Leicher Engineering in Kirchheim, he is very familiar with the often difficult search for apprentices. Ten years ago the situation was different: “Back then there were too few positions and too many applicants. The situation has turned completely upside down.”
According to Leicher, the fact that fewer and fewer young people are choosing an apprenticeship is also due to the school system: “The curriculum would have to be fundamentally changed.” There has to be more career orientation because in many professions it is not at all clear what everyday work looks like. “The teachers themselves can often not get across that well enough because they too often only receive theoretical knowledge. There is no practical relevance,” says Leicher. The Munich Employment Agency therefore recommends that young people do internships in many different areas so that they can better decide on a career. The last few weeks of the holiday could still be used sensibly. Because of the pandemic, however, it was difficult recently, which unsettled students and parents.
The Employment Agency points out that higher education is attractive to most students because it is more socially recognized than training. School leavers are less and less willing to accept physically demanding work. But money also plays a role. And “the earning opportunities are particularly good in the skilled trades,” says the agency. That should not be overlooked. Christoph Leicher says that young people benefit from an apprenticeship for their entire life. “You learn something useful for three years. This is the ideal time to find out what suits you and what you enjoy.”
Company boss Bennet Jost noticed during his time as a trainee and as a journeyman that the craft was not represented enough. The summer festival that he is now organizing with his two-year-old company is the first of its kind in the district. “At least as far as I know.” If everything goes well, he plans to have other companies take part next year. “I want to focus more on the trades,” says Jost. “For example, a carpenter could come and test the craftsmanship of the visitors.”