- Federal Institutions Continue Offering Apprenticeship Opportunities for Elementary School Pupils
While high school dropouts and junior high school graduates also have decent chances, according to the Federal Labor Agency, of securing an apprenticeship at the start of the new training period, main school graduates stand out as well. A substantial number of the remaining vacant apprenticeship slots, often snatched up by main school graduates, are prevalent in occupations such as sales representative, logistics expert, or medical and dental assistant.
Persistent staffing shortages and, consequently, better opportunities for job seekers exist in the food service industry, construction, sales, event catering, transportation, and logistics, as well as in numerous craft fields, including metalworking and HVAC.
The percentage of main school graduates among all school leavers is 16%. However, they account for 30% of the youth who register with employment agencies for apprenticeship placement.
Although there aren't any set barriers for apprenticeship slots, in reality, main school graduates can only access 60% of all available apprenticeships, compared to 93% for junior high school graduates and 100% for high school graduates. currently, the best chances for an apprenticeship lie in the federal states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Thuringia.
"Every young person searching for an apprenticeship is a potential skilled worker of tomorrow. Therefore, we mustn't let any young person slip through the cracks," stated the Federal Labor Agency. Employment agencies can not only help with the search but also the training itself, providing assistance such as guided training, mobility allowance, or training grants.
Since October 2023, over 400,000 applicants have registered for an apprenticeship position, 10,000 more than the previous year. By July 2024, 121,000 of these applicants remained without an apprenticeship or alternative opportunity. Meanwhile, 492,000 apprenticeship positions were registered, 22,000 fewer than the previous year. Among these, 204,000 remained vacant. Employment agencies will continue to place applicants in apprenticeships for the current training year until the end of the year.
Vocational training programs, such as those for medical and dental assistants, often have vacant slots that main school graduates can pursue after registering with employment agencies. Despite making up only 16% of all school leavers, main school graduates secure 30% of the apprenticeship placements through these agencies and can benefit from vocational training in various sectors, including sales, logistics, and craft fields like metalworking and HVAC.
