Crafts in Germany rely on vocational education

The Chamber of Crafts Ulm plans to expand its training academy. All in all, 1.8 million euros are to be invested, partly funded by the German Government's economic stimulus package. More­over, the city of Ulm plans to further advance two contiguous vocational training centres.

"These measures hit the spot", says Dr Tobias Mehlich, managing director of Ulm's Chamber of Crafts. "Vocational education and training, that is education anchored in school and practice, must not fall into oblivion. That is why we greatly appreciate the city's plans."

Run by the Chamber of Crafts Ulm for decades, the highly modern vocational training academy provides students with a wide range of offers – from basic job training to specialised further training courses or exam preparation courses for future master craftsmen.

With the current investments, the centre improves its training equipment in several areas, with a focus on energy-related topics. "Our society will only be able to make use of mobile energy when its craftsmen know how the connection between the carburetor and the power supply works and when they learn how to maintain and repair electric cars", says Mehlich. "With the current investments, we engage in this new kind of knowledge transfer."