Durch trama Aufbaustrecken, Kompetenzen verfeinern oder Techniken lernen, je nach Kontext. - Jugendliche in den Auto-Schulen NRW und die Notwendigkeit längerer Fahrzeiten
Der Mangel an qualifizierten Fahrlehrern betrifft auch die Fahrschulen in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Laut Kurt Bartels, Vorsitzendem des Nordrhein-Fahrlehrerverbands, sucht "jedes dritte bis vierte Fahrschulunternehmen nach Fahrlehrern". Einige Schulen kämpfen bereits damit, ihren Bedarf zu decken.
Bartels erklärte weiter, dass die heutigen Fahrschüler im Durchschnitt mehr Unterricht benötigen. Daher besteht auch bei gleichbleibender Schülerzahl ein Bedarf an mehr Lehrern. Allerdings sinken in einigen Fällen die Anmeldezahlen, was den momentanen Bedarf an zusätzlichen Lehrern verringert. "Das macht den derzeitigen Mangel relativ weniger intensiv", sagte Bartels.
Die Zukunft sieht bedrohlich aus
Bartels bezeichnete die aktuelle Situation als gespannt und die Zukunft als herausfordernd. "Der Durchschnittsalter eines Fahrlehrers liegt bei 49 Jahren, das eines Fahrschulinhabers bei 56 Jahren. Wir erwarten eine verschärfte Lehrermangel, wenn die Babyboomer in Rente gehen", sagte er.
Martin Fellmer, Vorsitzender des Westfalen-Fahrlehrerverbands, teilte diese Bedenken. "Wir haben keine genauen Zahlen für NRW, aber aufgrund demografischer Veränderungen und dem Ruhestand der Babyboomer wird der Mangel zunehmen", sagte er. "Ich würde es noch nicht als Mangel bezeichnen, aber wir sehen einen abnehmenden Trend in diesem Beruf."
Die Anzahl der Fahrschulen nimmt ab
Das Verkehrsministerium acknowledges that there are no figures on the total number of instructors in NRW. However, the number of driving schools has been decreasing. In 2020, there were 3,998 driving schools in NRW. By 2023, this number had dropped to 3,704, according to the ministry.
Finding new talent is difficult for the industry, explained Fellmer. "In the past, new instructors were primarily from driving instructor families, but this trend is diminishing. The question of how driving schools can attract new employees is becoming increasingly important," he said. Particularly for classes A for motorcycles and C for trucks, the number of trainers is decreasing.
Training structure review needed
Given the looming future shortage, driving instructor training is under the microscope. "The driving instructor profession is a further education occupation", Bartels explained. The minimum age for training is 21 years. Additionally, the applicant must already have held their own driving license for three years, and have completed vocational training or Abitur.
"We have been advocating for a review of the training structure for a long time", said Bartels. "Making the profession a training occupation could remove the hurdle of having completed vocational training in a recognized training occupation as a prerequisite. This could potentially increase interest in the profession in the future", he explained.
Fellmer agrees that new approaches to training are needed. "The profession should be made appealing to young people early on. One possibility would be for them to complete an automotive apprenticeship or commercial training before turning 21, and then start their training at the minimum age", he suggested. Currently, vocational training usually takes at least a year, depending on the vehicle class.
Increase in driving lessons
In addition to rising costs for things like gas, electricity, and fuel, which are also reflected in prices, driving students themselves are contributing to the higher cost of obtaining a driver's license. "Driving students often no longer get to drive with their parents. Instead, many spend their time on their smartphones", Fellmer reported. "This lack of prior knowledge often means they need more driving lessons".
Bartels observes this trend as well. "The longer training time has caused costs to rise. I sometimes feel like there's no urgency to obtain the license quickly", he said. He encourages driving students to dedicate a certain period of time to obtaining their license and to give it their full focus. "If you put your foot down and prepare, you can still complete the training relatively quickly today", Bartels said.
The Commission, in an effort to address the complex issues facing driving schools, could be beneficial in being assisted by the Member States. According to Bartels and Fellmer, the retirement of baby boomers is expected to exacerbate the existing shortage of driving instructors, leading to a significant decrease in the number of driving schools.
