In its Vocational Education and Training Report 2013, the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) warned about the development of a "two-class society". Although, due to demographic changes, the labour market has entered into a phase of relaxation, only young people with good school graduation results profit from this. The risk of falling by the wayside increases with graduation results failing to provide qualification for occupational training.
Industrial mechanic, machinist, qualified bank clerk, sales assistant and industrial clerk: these are the top five vocational education and training professions. The apprentices themselves provided this assessment. Is there an apprenticeship plan in effect? How much overtime must be taken into account? How good is the quality of education received at the vocational college? How many tasks must be fulfilled that are not part of the apprenticeship programme? And, of course: how satisfied are the young people overall with their apprenticeship?
The DGB polled about 18,600 young people for its study. For some vocational education and training courses, the results were extremely devastating, explains Florian Haggenmiller, Federal Youth Secretary at DGB. "The vocational education and training occupations of chef and restaurant specialist are held in low esteem by the apprentices."
All in all, the apprentices across all occupations requiring vocational education and training tend to be satisfied. The amount of overtime that apprentices have to put in has been in decline for years. The number of apprentices who are subsequently given a permanent contract has been increasing since many years.
Demands and requirements tend to be significantly higher than only a few years ago
However, one has to obtain an apprenticeship placement in the first place. 1.4 million young people in the age group between 20 and 29 have no school qualification making them eligible for vocational education and training. According to Haggenmiller, they fall by the wayside in the search for an apprenticeship placement.
"We do note – also by way of personal experience and experience in our trade union work – that the demands and requirements placed on young people tend to be significantly higher than only a few years ago. I take a closer look at the young people without an apprenticeship and who are, for example, in a transitional system. Some 40 per cent of these young people have a secondary school leaving certificate, that is, British GCSE equivalent or the qualification to continue towards a university entrance qualification. So nobody can tell us that these young people are unfit for an apprenticeship or not ready for it. This is where, I think, the businesses must be held accountable."
Amongst other things, holding the businesses accountable is necessary also as regards the quality of the vocational education and training provision. For although some three quarters of apprentices are satisfied, a quarter remains dissatisfied with their apprenticeship. By way of an example, Florian Haggenmiller illustrates the consequences this can have for businesses:
"The fact that, this year, restaurant specialists no longer rank amongst the top 25 apprenticeship occupations is of course also due to the low quality of the vocational education and training provision in this field, with the consequence of decreasing numbers of apprentices entering into this profession."
If individual sectors then experience a skilled labour shortage, bad apprenticeship conditions are to be blamed for this development.
Gender equality: a lot remains to be done
And also as regards gender equality a lot remains to be done, for women tend to be disadvantaged compared to men as early as during their apprenticeship, says Haggenmiller:
"This remains a constant factor all through the apprenticeship; they tend to experience worse apprenticeship conditions, have to work more overtime and it does not end upon completion of the apprenticeship: they are less likely to be offered a permanent contract than are their male colleagues."
Add to this the fact of lower remuneration, as early as during the apprenticeship: whereas male apprentices earn an average of 716 Euro per month in their third year, their female colleagues tend to earn 90 Euro less. Yet this is frequently due also to the choice of occupation.