The metal working crafts demand improved financial backing for the industry-wide vocational education and training. During a press conference in the context of the Internationale Handwerksmesse (International Trade Fair for the Crafts) in Munich, Christian Metges, Vice-President of the Bundesverband Metall (BVM - Federal Metal Association), emphasised that vocational education and training must be strengthened also in relation to academic education. Otherwise, he said, Germany will soon be left behind as regards technological innovation.
The Vice-President of the BVM therefore urgently asked policy-makers to allocate more funds to vocational education and training and not to pit it against academic education.
As an example for industry-wide vocational education and training, the BVM presented the training centre in Garching, which is equipped with state-of-the-art technical facilities, for instance, in the field of CNC systems. The centre received two thirds of funding from the federal government and the federal state and one third from the local guild; Christian Metges had to concede that the local guild's members include on average very prosperous enterprises capable of shouldering such a high investment.
However, so the BVM, parallel to technical equipment the issue of human resources likewise requires safeguarding. Although the issue of skilled labour currently is seen from a somewhat more relaxed point of view, it is important to continue to consequently and increasingly groom young talent to satisfy the on-going demand. In addition to the BVM's young talent campaign, this is the aim also of the Xenos project, which specifically solicits migrants and women to enter into a career in the metal working industry.
Overall, the metal working industry benefits from the building boom experienced in Germany. Since this is indicative of a changing trend also in Europe, this results in mitigation of the competitive and price pressure on businesses.