Skilled labor shortage: Apprentices urgently wanted

Everyone is talking about the shortage of skilled workers—and it is already making itself felt in many ways: 43% of 9,000 companies stated in an Ifo survey that they already have too few skilled workers. A serious example of this can now be seen in the field of apprenticeships: more than 220,000 apprenticeship positions are currently still vacant, but only around 117,000 young people are looking for an apprenticeship. The shortage of skilled workers is therefore set to worsen in the future. What is the reason for this shortage of apprentices? In some cases, it is simply a lack of knowledge, as some apprenticeship occupations are not even known to potential candidates. There is also an increasing lack of other basic knowledge. On the other hand, it is also problematic that society places a great deal of focus on university studies, while too little importance is attached to vocational training. According to a DIHK expert, the broad spectrum of apprenticeship occupations must be communicated in good time, instead of presenting university studies as the ideal case across the board. However, companies are also seen as having a responsibility: In some cases, the requirements for applicants would have to be lowered and any skills that are lacking at the start of training would have to be compensated for through the company's own programs or government programs. Higher wages can of course also be attractive, but improving working conditions is much more relevant. At the same time, companies must be aware that, despite all these possibilities, the shortage of skilled workers cannot be completely alleviated—reorganizing work, more technology, and investment in automation options are additional decisive factors. If you also have ideas for the future of work and the economy, you can present them in September at the re:publica program as part of the Hamburg Reeperbahn Festival: The current call for participation is open until August 6.

We were also interested in these topics:

• Career choice: The STEM field in particular is still heavily male-dominated. Now, a study by the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research has investigated when girls do (or do not) choose a career in this sector: Unlike boys, they only choose a job in the STEM field if they have above-average digital skills. This was the conclusion of an evaluation of data from the National Education Panel.

• Social media: How does the creator of the most iconic bird on the internet feel about Twitter's logo change? Die Zeit spoke to the graphic designer responsible, Martin Grasser, about this topic.

• Working hours: The average weekly working hours of Germans have fallen: a full-time working week now lasts 40.4 hours on average. All data from the Federal Statistical Office on this topic has been compiled by Der Spiegel.

• Employee loyalty: Across Europe, employee loyalty to their employers is at an all-time low: only 13% feel emotionally attached to their employer. This is the conclusion of the “State of the Global Workplace Report 2023” published by the consulting agency Gallup.

• Teaching professions: Thousands of trainee teachers are officially unemployed during the summer holidays – their employment contracts end on the last day of school. The Tagesschau has summarized the problems this causes.

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