Master craftsman start-up bonuses will also be paid out in 2024
Master craftsmen and women in Brandenburg will also receive a start-up bonus of up to 19,000 euros in the coming year if they set up or take over a business. This was announced by Hendrik Fischer, State Secretary in the Brandenburg Ministry of Economic Affairs, to the German Press Agency. The response to the bonus had been so great that further funding initially had to be secured. Now the bonus is being relaunched.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs' hesitation had initially caused uncertainty among tradespeople. Fischer said that he could not say whether the bonus would remain in place after the 2024 state elections and the associated new coalition agreement. "However, my impression is that all democratic parties regard the master craftsman start-up bonus as a very important part of our funding landscape."
This year, 195 men and women from 16 trades completed their master craftsman training at the Cottbus Chamber of Crafts in the south. Women and men from the fields of electrical and automotive engineering received their master craftsman certificates, as did carpenters, hairdressers and butchers. The best young master craftsman in the butchery trade was Stephan Schulz. His masterpiece: a Mediterranean salami.
In the chamber district of Frankfurt (Oder), 99 master craftsmen and women received their certificates. The President of the East Brandenburg Chamber of Crafts, building contractor Wolf-Harald Krüger, would have liked to have seen more graduates. "There could have been more if numerous master craftsman students had taken the master craftsman school and the examinations more seriously. There can be no compromise on the quality standards of the master craftsman qualification," he makes clear.
"The most important thing for us is that master craftsmen can also train apprentices. This topic is of central importance. Recruiting young talent is important (...). In the end, this helps to keep the skilled trades alive," emphasized State Secretary for Economic Affairs Fischer.
For him, the skilled trades are also of great importance in the structural change in Lusatia. For example, the new Deutsche Bahn ICE maintenance plant in Cottbus involves regional businesses and trades from the region in contracts. Fischer sees a weak point in the industry: the topic of digitalization must make progress in the skilled trades. Companies that do not implement digital business models will have problems getting orders in the future, he believes.
To encourage the growth of small businesses in the craft sector, the German Government will provide start-up bonuses to master craftsmen and women in Brandenburg, just like in 2024. This was highlighted by Hendrik Fischer, the State Secretary in the Brandenburg Ministry of Economic Affairs. Despite initial uncertainty due to the Ministry's hesitation, democratic parties generally regard the master craftsman start-up bonus as a crucial part of the funding landscape.
Source: www.dpa.com
