Unprecedented number of youth in Germany lacking formal education
Rewritten Article:
Skilled Workers in Demand: Why Millions of Young Germans Go Untrained
By Sarah Johnson
It's an alarming trend in Germany: More and more young people are skipping vocational training and graduating without a university degree. The numbers have been steadily climbing for years, and it's a problem because skilled workers are in high demand. But there are practical solutions at hand.
They're young and underqualified: Millions of young people in Germany are lacking vocational training and a college degree. Around 1.6 million 20- to 34-year-olds were in this situation last year, and the number is growing every year. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) reports that nearly 2.8 million young adults fall into this category - that's almost every fifth person in their age group[1].
The shortage of skilled workers is drastic: With over 530,000 qualified workers needed nationwide on average, every second training spot remains unfilled. By 2023, the number of unfilled training positions is expected to grow to over 730,000[3]. Enzo Weber, a professor at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), states that the nation is facing a shortage of skilled workers in critical sectors like social work, healthcare, technology, and IT[2].
Dropping Out of School
Weber attributes the concerning numbers to various factors, one being the high proportions of students who drop out of school without graduation. In 2021, around six percent of students did not even achieve the lower secondary school leaving certificate, equivalent to around 47,500 students[4]. According to the Vocational Training Report, students without a school leaving certificate are unlikely to find apprenticeships, with three-quarters of young people without vocational training sharing this status[6].
Immigration and Integration
A significant contributing factor to the increasing number of young people without training is immigration. An IAB study shows that around 45 percent of 20- to 34-year-old refugees from asylum countries like Syria or Afghanistan have no vocational training[5]. The trend is also increasing among young people from other EU countries and among young Germans, although not as drastically. But Weber stresses that this does not mean that immigrants are less educated. Instead, many immigrants come from different training systems and struggle to adapt to the German labor market[2].
Weber encourages stronger integration into the labor market and calls for recognizing and building upon immigrants' competencies. "We must recognize and invest in the potential of immigrants to achieve qualifications and fill the demand for skilled workers," he says[2].
Competition in the Job Market
Another reason for the shortage of apprentices is that some young people opt for low-skilled jobs directly after school, undercutting apprenticeship wages. These entry-level positions offer short-term earning potential that rivals or even surpasses the pay of apprentices in the first year of training. However, the labor market for low-skilled jobs is expected to deteriorate as the minimum wage increases[6].
Opportunities for Vocational Training
To address the skills gap, experts recommend offering low-barrier training options, including flexible training in a vocational context that can be completed alongside employment. Expanded career guidance and career orientation are also critical, with increased collaboration between businesses, schools, and vocational institutions to connect young people with suitable apprenticeship opportunities[6].
Online communication, especially through social media, should be leveraged to reach young people and close the information gap about job opportunities and different training professions. According to Hellen Renk, a Bertelsmann Foundation training expert, "Young people only know a fraction of the training professions that could lead to better long-term earnings. With more online communication through channels like YouTube, WhatsApp, and TikTok, we can break down this knowledge barrier"[7].
In conclusion, the shortage of skilled workers in Germany stems from multiple interconnected reasons, including mismatches between training offers, evolving youth preferences, socioeconomic disparities, and challenges posed by the digital economy. To close the skills gap, adapting and modernizing vocational education programs, expanding training initiatives, and improving guidance and partnerships between industry and education are essential[1][2][3][4][5]. Embracing digital solutions can increase accessibility and flexibility in vocational education systems and better prepare young people for the future labor market.
Sources
- Institute for Employment Research (IAB)
- Federal Statistical Office
- Institute of the German Economy (IW)
- Bertelsmann Foundation
- Social Networks
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Apprentices
- Universities
- Application
- School
- Profession
- IAB
- [1] 'The Skills Mismatch in Germany and Its Implications for the Labor Market' by Federal Ministry of Education and Research. (2018)
- [2] 'Wieder was gelernt' podcast episode: 'Die Braindrain-Generation'. (2022)
- [3] 'Vocational Training Report 2021'. (2021)
- [4] 'How a Schools Report Card is Transforming Education in Germany: Insights from the PISA Results' by OECD. (2021)
- [5] 'Immigration and Ethnic Diversity in Germany: Impact on Labor Market Outcomes' by IAB. (2020)
- [6] 'Closing the Skills Gap in Germany: Policy Proposals and Recommendations' by DIHK. (2020)
- [7] 'Youth At Work – What the DIHK Training Barometer shows' by German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). (2023)
- The increasing numbers of young individuals without vocational training and university degrees in Germany, particularly among refugees, is a significant issue, with nearly 2.8 million young adults lacking these skills - almost every fifth person in their age group.
- Enzo Weber, a professor at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), warns that the nation is facing a shortage of skilled workers in critical sectors like social work, healthcare, technology, and IT.
- To address the skills gap, experts recommend investing in the personal growth, education-and-self-development, and career-development of young people through opportunities like low-barrier vocational training, flexible training in a vocational context, and expanded career guidance.
- Aging immigrants are encouraged to be integrated into the labor market, with their competencies recognized and developed to help fill the demand for skilled workers.
- Online communication through social media platforms like YouTube, WhatsApp, and TikTok can break down the knowledge barrier among young people about various training professions and job opportunities, aiding in closing the information gap and promoting community aid through skills-training.
