The Coburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) held a graduation ceremony at the town's Rosengarten Congress Centre to honour 294 trainees who have completed their qualification in a range of commercial, business, and technical occupations.
Chamber President Friedrich Herdan delivered an address in which he once again extolled the virtues of dual training. In Mr. Herdan's view, dual training offers the best means of entry to a fulfilling professional future. He added that the certificates awarded were recognised across Europe and provided fantastic opportunities for advancement. He also praised the training graduates for the determination they had shown in successfully completing a demanding final examination.
"Digitalisation is bringing about a historic shift in the world of work," Mr. Herdan said. "In order to overcome this, we need well trained skilled workers."
He went on to say that completion of dual training would help the graduates to cope with the changes ahead. "You will make a major contribution to the future viability of this economic location," added Mr. Herdan.
Gerhard Schmid, Principal of the State Vocational Training Centre, shares the belief that practice-related training is the best path to secure and interesting employment. "Vocational education and training opens up great opportunities for development," he said. He emphasised that upper secondary schools and universities were not the only institutions to which gifted youngsters should aspire. "Vocational schools are particularly effective in honing the talents of young people with clever minds and nimble fingers."
Martin Mittag, a member of the Bavarian Parliament, believes that the prospects for young skilled workers are extremely promising right across the state given full employment, burgeoning order books, and the ongoing economic growth. He pointed out that the current labour market in Coburg offered plenty of opportunities for further development. "The entire Coburg area is a hub for trade and industry as well as for training."
Pupil representative Adrian Zirkelbach stepped up to the lectern to give a brief review of the early days of training. Rainer Kissling, Head of Vocational Training at the Coburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was able to provide the relevant statistics. A total of 302 candidates had sat the examinations. 164 had achieved qualifications in 22 commercial and related occupations. 138 candidates had successfully completed training in 21 business and technical occupations. Eight participants had failed the examination. These 294 successful candidates represented an overall pass rate of 97 percent. The average mark awarded in the commercial occupations was 2.6 (on a scale of 1 to 6). The corresponding figure for the business and technical trainees was 2.5. 33 trainees achieved the top mark of "very good". Mr. Kissing and Siegmar Schnabel, the Managing Director of the Coburg Chamber, presented special awards to these top performers.