Professional success possible also without university course!

The nationwide best Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) apprentices of the current examination class were distinguished by Eric Schweitzer, President of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), and by Günther Oettinger, EU Commissioner for Energy.

In his welcome address, Schweitzer congratulated the awardees: "You have accomplished a fantastic achievement. You are the best apprentices 2013 in your occupation - not only in your region, not only in your federal state, but in all of Germany. And that given a competition of more than 330,000 participants in the IHK final examinations."

The DIHK President thanked the businesses providing vocational education and training, the parents and the vocational college teachers, without whose commitment the success of these best of their class would not have been possible.

In his address, Schweitzer cautioned against the persisting trend for a university course: "For years, under pressure from the OECD, we have done everything to increase our rate of academics. By now, our lecture rooms burst at the seams, whereas businesses around the country are desperate in trying to recruit apprentices. Because of this, our status as a site for industry is in danger of being damaged. For Germany’s innovation power and competitiveness is highly dependent on our dual system of vocational education and training."

Schweitzer continued to say that many IHK vocational education and training courses can easily compete with the university education provision in other countries and, given their proximity to practical work, provide a decisive advantage. A broad range of interesting occupations provides career opportunities for secondary modern school, comprehensive school and sixth form students alike. Conversely, high rates of academics are not a guarantee for a flourishing economy and low youth unemployment rates, as is evidenced by the example of the South European crisis countries.

All in all, 224 nationwide best apprentices were awarded in 217 different occupations. Five times, two best apprentices shared the title of champion and amongst the industrial business management assistants there were even three best graduates with exactly the same number of points achieved in the final examination.

The federal state with the highest number of best graduates was North Rhine-Westphalia (50), followed by Bavaria with 36 and Baden-Württemberg with 26 best graduates. The awardees were 92 women and 132 men.

Some 1,000 guests attended the event – alongside the graduates' parents also representatives from the businesses providing vocational training, vocational college teaching staff, members of the German Bundestag as well as presidents and managing directors of the chambers of industry and commerce.