European Commission Reveals Findings in Detailed Report
In the Middle Lower Rhine region, the focus of dual training remains on combining work-based training with formal education, preparing students vocationally and educationally with nationally recognized qualifications. This system, which typically starts apprenticeships between ages 15 and 18 and lasts about three years, is designed to align training programs with specific industry needs to enhance labor market mobility.
However, several challenges persist in this region, as highlighted by industry leaders.
Employer Concerns About Retention
One of the main concerns for employers is the retention of apprentices. Since apprenticeships cost companies upfront, employers are cautious about training apprentices who might leave for university later. This is especially true for those active in STEM clubs, who might be seen as overqualified for skilled trades.
Discrimination in Hiring
Some evidence suggests that hiring decisions may be influenced by factors such as ethnic background rather than purely academic performance. While this appears to be more noted in East Germany, it may have relevance in adjacent regions like the Middle Lower Rhine.
Matching Apprentices’ Long-term Intentions
Information asymmetry causes uncertainty for firms about whether apprentices will stay after completing their training, affecting willingness to invest in apprenticeships.
Despite these challenges, Carsten Zielke, a training company owner with four Edeka stores in Viersen and Willich, has been training over 20 years, annually training 15 to 20 trainees in various professions. Zielke faces the challenge of finding motivated young people who are genuinely interested in the retail profession and daily work. To recruit trainees, Zielke utilizes various methods, including online platforms, social media, training fairs, print media, and collaborations with schools and educational institutions.
The IHK region, which includes the Middle Lower Rhine, offers approximately 230 training professions. Last year, the number of new training contracts concluded in Kreis Viersen was 702, totaling 3,744 in the entire IHK district. However, the total number of newly registered training relationships decreased by 4.4% overall last year in the IHK district.
The number of school leavers is expected to rise in the medium term. Despite a decrease of 5.8% in school leavers from general schools between 2017 and 2024, the long-term decline in school leavers is slowly coming to an end, according to Steinmetz's explanation. Daniela Perner, CEO of the IHK region education, states that overall, trainees are increasingly older at the start of their training. A majority (669) of the new trainees in the region were 19 years old at the start of their training, while 571 were 24 years and older. Only 158 trainees were 16 years old at the start of their training.
Jürgen Steinmetz, the CEO of IHK, sees reasons for hope in the school leaver numbers despite the decrease in training contracts. Steinmetz emphasizes the importance of continuing to deal with the topic of education and supporting the economy in the acquisition, selection, care, examination, and further qualification of trainees and skilled workers.
For more detailed information, the complete IHK education report 2024 can be found online at www.mittlerer-niederrhein.ihk.de/27192.
[1] Source: Various industry reports and studies on dual training in Germany.
- Employer-focused economic and social policy should address retention concerns by offering incentives for companies to train apprentices, providing assurance that they will not leave for university immediately.
- To combat discrimination in hiring, the implementation of transparent, skills-based assessment methods could help ensure that hiring decisions are based solely on a candidate's competencies in finance, business, career development, learning, and other relevant areas.
- Career-development programs, such as personal-finance workshops and education-and-self-development seminars, can help align apprentices' long-term intentions with the needs of their employers and improve their willingness to invest in apprenticeships.
- In light of the increasing number of school leavers and older trainees, targeted skills-training initiatives should be implemented to foster a steady pipeline of motivated and qualified professionals to support the growing demand in the Middle Lower Rhine region's various industries.
