German drive for apprenticeships

Citation

(2000), "German drive for apprenticeships", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 24 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.2000.00324hab.006

German drive for apprenticeships

German drive for apprenticeships

Keywords: Apprenticeships, Germany

Vocational training in Germany is reaching significantly higher levels this year. By 30 September 1999, a total of 631,000 new apprenticeship contracts had been signed, up 18,500 on a year earlier. Youngsters who had not found a place totalled 29,400, down 18 per cent on the previous total.

This expansion follows strenuous government efforts to improve the present and future employment situation. There was first the Alliance for Jobs programme, then the 100,000 Jobs for Youth drive. The result has been expansion in both old and new trades; in IT and media courses alone, 34,000 people had been found an apprenticeship. By the year 2003, 20,000 more apprenticeships will become available in addition to the 40,000 already pledged under Alliance for Jobs.

Even so, a government statement said this was still not good enough. Particularly in the eastern Länder, more effort would have to be made to extend the traditional German system of dual vocational training, i.e. classes in college in tandem with on-the-job instruction.

Between 30 September 1999 and 29 February 2000, the number of young people who had not yet found an apprenticeship in western states fell by nearly 70 per cent from 19,600 to 5,900. In the east, the drop was even bigger, by 79 per cent from 9,800 to 2,200. It helped that, in the period up to 1 March, the government was able to call on extra money from the European Social fund to create another 3,500 training places.

Not only are businesses and public sector organisations urged to do more, special effort will now be devoted to making special arrangements for young people who are difficult to place through personality problems, a physical disability or lack of skills.

The need for this is made clear by the fact that the number of unemployed with skills is significantly smaller than the unemployed without and the better the qualification, the greater the job opportunities.

Forty-three per cent of apprentices are women. For both sexes, the top choice is to train for a career in industry and commerce, which accounts for just over half the total. This includes not just traditional industry but also banking, insurance and hotels/catering. Farming as a career drew few people and domestic courses even fewer.