“As in previous years, more vocational training positions were registered than applicants in the 2023/24 year of career guidance. The gap between the two sides of the market has narrowed as the number of applicants has increased, while the number of vacancies has fallen at the same time. We also believe that the challenges surrounding matching young people with vocational training positions have increased. There remains a considerable amount of untapped potential. In an era of shortages of skilled workers, we cannot prosper without young recruits,” said Andrea Nahles, CEO of the Federal Employment Agency of Germany (BA), at the presentation of the results of the 2023/24 career guidance year.

From October 2023 to September 2024, 519,000 vocational training positions were registered at the federal employment agencies and Jobcenters. That’s 26,000 fewer than in the same period last year. This reduction is due to a fall in the number of in-company vocational training positions, which, at 502,000, accounted for the majority of the vocational training positions.

In the same period, 432,000 applicants made use of the placement services for vocational training positions. That’s 9,000 more people than in the same period in the year before.

As in previous years, significantly more in-company vocational training positions were available than applicants, although the difference was smaller (a fall of 29,000 to 71,000). There were 86 registered applicants for every 100 registered in-company vocational training positions. In the previous two years, there were 80 registered applicants per 100 registered in-company positions.

At the end of the careers guidance year on 30th September 2024, 69,000 vocational training positions remained unfilled. That’s 4,000 fewer than in the previous year. It has proven particularly difficult to fill vocational training positions in the food service occupations, in construction and construction-related roles, in hotel and catering roles, in the metalworking occupations, in the field of orthopaedic care and rehabilitation, in the field of sales and in the driving occupations.

At the same time, on 30th September, some 31,000 applicants were yet to have secured a vocational training position, 5,000 more than in the previous year. This means that 7 percent of registered applicants were without a vocational training position or an alternative offer.

For years, balancing the vocational training market has been made more difficult by the fact that supply and demand frequently fail to match up at either the regional level or in terms of skills or qualifications. The fact that there has been a significant increase in the number of applicants who have failed to find a role while so many vocational training positions have remained unfilled can be taken to mean that there has been an increase in the difficulties of matching applicants with vacancies.

By the end of September 2024, 198,000 applicants had begun their vocational training, 3,000 fewer than in the previous year. This corresponds to a share of 46 percent. 16 percent opted to either continue their studies at school, to do an internship or to enter higher education, while 2 percent had decided on a publicly-funded qualification, such as a preparatory vocational education course or an introductory training course for a trade. Another 7 percent had taken up employment, 2 percent were working in the field of charitable social services and 5 percent had registered as unemployed. For 13 percent of applicants, there was no information on their whereabouts.

In addition to the unplaced applicants, as of 30th September, 39,000 young people had found something else to do, such as continuing to study at school and aiming to find a dual apprenticeship in the future. Their number also increased by 2,000 compared with the previous year.

The attempts to match these youngsters and other applicants who are yet to find a role with the vocational training positions that remain available will continue at least until the end of the year. Experience also shows that young people who are looking for an apprenticeship for a second time for various reasons will be contacting us over the next few weeks. Companies also report vocational training positions that have become available again.

Together with the unfilled vocational training positions registered at the federal employment agencies and Jobcenters at the end of September, the introductory training courses, non-company vocational training positions and preparatory vocational education courses, many offers are still available to enable young people who are willing and able to begin training to start their working lives. Companies also continue to have the chance to fill their available vocational training positions.

Further statistical information is available on our statistics page Topics in focus > training (available in German).