The German government has just unveiled its master plan, which is intended to alleviate the shortage of skilled workers. Demand for labour is high; the IAB (Institute for Employment Research) currently reports 1.93 million unfilled vacancies. Politicians are seeking to join forces with businesses and trade associations. The strategy paper just presented contains five key priorities:
1. Focus on training:
Apprenticeship-based careers are to be made more attractive again. The Federal Government wants to support companies in focusing more closely on occupational groups affected by the shortage of skilled workers.
2. Training guarantee:
Teenagers and young adults who have so far been unable to find a training place are given the opportunity to undertake a fully recognised, inter-company apprenticeship.
3. Strengthening further training:
The Federal Government intends to boost continuing vocational training and introduce a training grant, which the Federal Employment Agency will use to support in-company training.
4. A better work-life balance:
One in two working women works part-time. To make it easier to balance family and work, the German government is focusing on tax incentives and more childcare provision.
5. Modernise immigration law:
Educational qualifications, language skills, work experience and age are to be the criteria for an „opportunity card“, which will initially be issued on a temporary basis. This is based on a points system and is intended to facilitate access to the German labour market for skilled workers from abroad. A new immigration law has been announced for late autumn.
Companies in Germany urgently need political support to tackle the structural shortage of labour and skilled workers through effective strategies in the medium and long term. Here at SYNERGIE, we have been on the education of young people, to fill our internal vacancies – on a long-term basis!
In the current training year, we have actually increased the number of apprenticeship places once again. In September, eight young people started their apprenticeships. They are training to become „Office Administration Assistants“ (2) or „Human Resources Services Specialists“ (6). Across all years of apprenticeship, SYNERGIE currently has 15 apprentices.
Demand and training provision
Across Germany, however, the number of apprenticeships continues to decline at an alarming rate: according to the Federal Statistical Office, 470,000 young people started an apprenticeship in 2021. Following the historic low in 2020, the year of the coronavirus pandemic, this represents a disappointing increase of just 0.3 per cent. By way of comparison, before the 2008 financial crisis, there were 600,000 new apprentices – a figure that has been on a downward trend ever since.
In 2021, around 40 per cent of businesses were unable to fill their apprenticeship vacancies. At the same time, 24,000 jobseekers were unable to find an apprenticeship place. This mismatch needs to be addressed in future, as the gap between demand and the supply of training places is too wide. The federal government therefore intends to support companies in focusing more closely on occupational groups particularly affected by the shortage of skilled workers. These include the skilled trades and construction, healthcare and education professions, the IT sector and the retail sector.
The apprenticeship guarantee is on its way
Part of the Federal Government’s training initiative is also a training guarantee for all young adults. According to the Federal Government’s education report, one in seven young adults has no vocational training. This plan is already enshrined in the government’s coalition agreement.
With the introduction of a training guarantee, the Federal Government expects to see 20,000 new skilled workers each year. Following the Austrian model, the state intends to provide state-funded training to all those who are unable to find a training place. Currently, 19.4 per cent of all businesses provide apprenticeships. For SYNERGIE, apprenticeships are and will remain a key element of our corporate strategy. To ensure our apprentices can make a successful start to their careers, we provide them with the greatest possible support. As a committed training organisation, we maintain close contact with vocational schools and, amongst other things, chair the examination board of the Karlsruhe Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) for the occupational group of personnel services clerks.
Source:
https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2022/04/PD22_165_212.html
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