New pathways for young people entering the fire service

Dual training occupation: Direct entry for school leavers possible from 2018.

Hamburg is taking a new approach to recruiting new workers for the fire service and is introducing dual vocational education and training for fire service personnel. Whereas until now applicants must have completed training in one of the skilled crafts, school leavers can also apply to the fire service in future. This has been made possible by a new dual training occupation that offers 48 training positions annually - a joint initiative between the ministry of the interior and the trading authorities.

Ensuring the supply of skilled workers in Hamburg is an important target for the senate. Together with their vocational education and training (VET) partners, the authorities are developing specific targeted training provision and even entirely new training occupations to support this. This is now also in place to support the recruitment of young workers for the Hamburg fire service and for all Hamburg companies with their own fire department.

The Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the Fire Service Academy have worked together across authorities to develop a strategy for the training of professional fire service personnel. As part of this, Hamburg will be offering high-quality, attractive training for future school leavers who have at least a general school-leaving certificate. The trained skilled workers are then able to work in the public professional fire service and alternatively also in the works fire department of large companies.

The three-year training programme (minimum age 16.5) is split into two parts: inter-company compact training in the skilled crafts lasting 18 months at the "Ausbildungszentrum Bau" - training centre for the construction trade - followed by another 18 months of fire service training at the fire service academy and the institutions of the professional fire service. Teaching at the Vocational School for Health, Aeronautics and Technology in the Hamburg-Mitte district will run in parallel throughout the three year training programme.

Senator of the Interior Andy Grote commented: "In order to manage the significant increase in personnel in the Hamburg fire service and to ensure that the fire service continues to perform their key role in the security structure of the city in future, we have to reach all those people who are interested and provide them with an attractive option for entering the fire service. The new dual vocational education and training means we can make it possible for young school leavers to join the fire service directly and in so doing enter an occupation with highly attractive prospects. The "circuitous pathway" via the required, completed vocational education and training will cease to apply in future. The craft trade skills for the occupation will be delivered within this training programme and will be specifically related to subsequent employment activities in the fire service. This means that the fire service will receive additional, new skilled workers with an excellent level of multifunctional training in the skilled trades and will become one of the largest training companies in Hamburg as a result. We are looking forward to lots of enthusiastic young people, keen to discover the fascinating world of the fire service as an occupation."

Senator for Education, Ties Rabe commented: "The Hamburg vocational schools contribute significantly to ensuring the supply of skilled workers in Hamburg. In support of this they share responsibility with companies, authorities and institutions for developing and creating specific innovative measures and specialist training provision. One such example of this innovative collaboration has resulted in the new dual training occupation for works fire fighters. This offers a high-quality, attractive training programme to future school leavers in Hamburg. The Vocational School for Health, Aeronautics and Technology in the Hamburg-Mitte district acts as the vocational school learning location in this case and provides superb professional and pedagogic facilities as well as the necessary premises. It has vast experience in the area of occupations related to aeronautical technology and health as well as in the area of tool making and cutting machine operation. This makes the school an ideal partner for training in this new, challenging occupation."

The training regulation for training as a works fireman or works firewoman with the examination taken via the Chamber of Industry and Commerce forms the basis for the new training occupation which has been in force across Germany since 2015. The recruitment office for the Hamburg fire service is looking forward to large numbers of motivated applicants able to apply for the new positions as of now.