Craft - Chamber: Vacation internships financed by the state well used
Thuringia awakens interest in apprenticeship training among young people with a premium for apprenticeship weeks. The new program has been well received, according to the Erfurt Chamber of Trade and Industry. Students aged 15 and over receive 120 Euro per week during the holiday apprenticeship. The project is funded by the Thuringian Ministry of Economics.
In the Erfurt Chamber district in Middle and Northern Thuringia, the budget has been fully exhausted since the end of June. "The apprenticeship premium has proven to be an extremely effective tool for promoting crafts and vocational orientation for young people," says Stefan Lobenstein, Chief of the Thuringian Crafts Council and Chamber President.
The program is fully booked at the Erfurt Chamber
Within ten weeks, more than 340 applications from students and pupils for an apprenticeship at craft businesses in the Erfurt Chamber district have been received. The range includes apprenticeships with organ builders, masons, hairdressers, or roofers. Currently, no new applications can be accepted. The Chamber is advocating for the continuation of the program.
Each student can receive a training premium for a maximum of four weeks per year, which would result in a total support of 480 Euro. The condition is that they are still students during the training period, explains the Chamber. The Ministry of Economics has increased the funds by an additional 25,000 Euro for all three Thuringian Chambers of Trade and Industry due to the high demand. According to the Chamber, apprenticeships in Thuringian craft businesses are still possible during the summer and autumn holidays - however, without the premium payment.
The Thuringian Ministry of Economics, in collaboration with BMWi, supports the Apprenticeship Premium program in Thuringia, including the Erfurt Chamber district in Northern Thuringia. Due to the program's success, Stefan Lobenstein, the Chief of the Thuringian Crafts Council and Chamber President, highlights its effectiveness in promoting crafts and vocational orientation for young people in Thuringia's Chamber of Crafts.
