Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs calls for free master craftsperson qualifications

An initiative by the Bundesrat (German Federal Council) shall call on the federal government to make the master craftsperson qualification and comparable qualifications free of charge.

Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) is calling for free advanced training for the master craftsperson qualification and equivalent advanced training qualifications. "The federal government must ensure that advanced training for a master craftsperson qualification is free of charge, just like a university degree," explains the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs. He adds that it is increasingly difficult for companies to find the skilled workers they urgently need. The situation in the skilled trades is no different to that in industry and in service sector businesses.

According to a press release from his office, Aiwanger has proposed a Bundesrat initiative in the Bavarian Council of Ministers. The initiative calls on the federal government to amend the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (AFBG) and to ensure free advanced training for the master craftsperson qualification. In the view of the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, advanced vocational training is not entirely free of charge and is structurally disadvantaged compared to the university degree which, for the most part, is free.

Bavaria is already using the "master bonus" of €2,000 to compensate for this unequal treatment of vocational and academic education and training. "However, what's required is a consistent national solution. A shortage of skilled workers ultimately impacts on all areas of the economy equally, from the foothills of the Alps to the North Sea Coast." It is now up to the federal government to put an end to this discrimination.