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 Crafts. Students aged 15 and over receive 120 Euro per week during their holiday apprenticeships. 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 Association 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 premium for a maximum of four weeks of apprenticeship per year, which would provide them with a total of 480 Euro in support. The condition is that they are still students during the apprenticeship period, explains the Chamber. The Ministry's funds have been increased by an additional 25,000 Euro for all three Thuringian Chambers of Crafts 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 premium for apprenticeship weeks in Erfurt is provided by the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, specifically the BMWi. This initiative has gained significant support from the Chamber of Crafts in Northern Thuringia. The program offers financial aid to students undertaking apprenticeships in various crafts fields, such as organ building, masonry, hairdressing, and roofing, in the Erfurt Chamber district.
