Practical experience and the internet come first when young people plan their future careers. More than three quarters of the trainees questioned by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) as part of a current research project, considered an internship the best possibility to gather information about an occupation - followed by the internet (64 per cent) and visits to a firm or factory (48 per cent).
40 per cent of the young women use the "Girl's day" as source of information. In general, they make up their minds about their careers ahead of time and know more precisely what they want compared to young men, for whom the choice of an occupation is often more coincidental.
For both young women and men it is most important to find an occupation that is enjoyable and matches their interests. But also security aspects are of great importance. Young people want to be protected against potential job dismissals and consider a good income after finishing their apprenticeship very important. For 40 per cent of the young men and 33 per cent of the young women the latter plays an important role when choosing their vocational training.
When it comes to advice and support, parents are asked first. 60 per cent of the questioned trainees stated that their parents had a huge impact on their career choice, followed by friends (32 per cent) and teachers (30 per cent).