The crafts - a success story thanks to qualification and quality

The Federal Government Representative for the East and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Iris Gleicke, opened this year's Internationale Handwerksmesse (IHM - International Trade Fair for the Crafts) in Munich under the motto "Können kennt keine Grenzen" (Capability knows no bounds).

Beforehand, Federal Minister Gabriel addressed the audience in a video message, clearly committing himself to the dual system of vocational education and training and to the master craftsman certificate. State Secretary Gleicke followed up on this and declared:

"The dual system of vocational education and training, as has been successfully practised in the German crafts for decades, is considered exemplary in Europe and across the world. We remain faithful to this. We also pledge ourselves to the chambers. Self-government has been closely connected with our dual system of vocational education and training for many decades. It is lived self-responsibility and today as contemporary as it was 200 years ago. And Germany will not cease to defend the master craftsman certificate also against the background of the European discussion regarding the Services Directive. For the master craftsman certificate and the master craftsman obligation are of essential importance for the quality of vocational training in the crafts."

The fact that the number of exhibitors, delegations and visitors to the trade fair from abroad had once again increased was welcomed by Gleicke as "particularly gratifying". The European SME envoys likewise gathered information regarding the performance capability of the crafts. They are important proponents of small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe.

The network of European SME envoys, established in 2011, consists of government representatives and members of European umbrella organisations. It takes a committed stance for the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises and thus also of the crafts on a European level, for instance, regarding easier access to funding, new market opportunities and the reduction of bureaucracy. The SME envoys place central importance on combating the high rate of youth unemployment in Europe.

The trade fair took place under gratifying starting conditions: the mood in the crafts was good, even though turnover figures in the crafts requiring licensing have been slightly in decline of late. With more than one million businesses, the German crafts are an important pillar of the German economy. It employs 5.3 million people and most recently has had an annual turnover of more than 500 billion Euro.

Moreover, the crafts provide vocational education and training for more than 400,000 young people. The crafts themselves expect a positive economic development for 2014 with growth rates of up to two per cent and an increase in employment figures by about 25,000 people.