The dual training programme is an attractive model of success with a future. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is not easy at the moment to reconcile supply and demand on the training market. In the “Summer of Vocational Training” (#AusbildungSTARTEN), the partners in the Alliance for Initial and Further Training want to recruit young people and businesses for this model for success. Themed action days and a wide selection of events on a federal, state and regional level are to raise awareness of the various support services. The common goal is that as many young people as possible will be able to start their vocational training at a company.

Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs: “The alliance partners are launching the “Summer of Vocational Training” today. With this initiative, we as an alliance want to mobilise young people, their parents and companies to conclude training contracts for the year 2021/22. For the coronavirus crisis must not become a vocational training or skilled workers crisis. The dual training programme provides a future and security for young people and it enables the companies to find the – future – skilled workers that are so urgently needed.

Anja Karliczek, Federal Minister of Education: “In the ‘Summer of Vocational Training’, the federal government, the states and social partners stand together to put young people into the appropriate training place. This year, the coronavirus pandemic has again made it much more difficult to get a concrete impression of occupations and companies. We are catching up on that now: we present efficient training centres and use innovative formats of career guidance. In this way, we will convince young talents to risk starting their training in 2021. I am convinced of the efficiency of the dual system. For many young people, it is a concrete and forward-looking alternative to university.”

Hubertus Heil, Federal Minister of Labour: “With our protective shield for training places, we fight for every training place. A good start to their professional life is key for young people. They are our skilled workers of tomorrow. That is why we are supporting companies who are continuing to provide training in spite of the crisis. Therefore, we are recruiting trainees and trainers in a number of action days.”

Annette Widmann-Mauz, Minister of State for Integration: The dual training programme is a trademark of our state and creates prospects even in economically difficult times. That is what #AusbildungSTARTEN aims to demonstrate this summer. The important thing is that all young people receive the necessary support for starting vocational training and their professional lives, irrespective of their social background and geographical origins. This helps young people to lead a life on their own two legs and at the same time provides the next generation of skilled workers, which our companies and businesses urgently need. Therefore, the action days on the “diversity of dual training” are making an important contribution to Germany being a strong business location.”

Detlef Scheele, Chairman of the Board of the Federal Employment Agency: “I would like to reassure the young people. We currently have more training places than applicants almost everywhere. There are good prospects of finding a way into a career even during this difficult time with the pandemic. You can contact our colleagues in the career guidance service; we are easy to reach – by telephone or by video chat – and provide completely individual assistance. I would therefore like to appeal to employers to remain active in vocational training in spite of all the challenges. Any employers who do take care of their own future supply of skilled workers now will find it more difficult to find skilled workers after the end of the pandemic. In addition to our diverse guidance and placement activities, we will organise various themed action days during the “Summer of Vocational Training”. Here, we want to link up young people and companies in a targeted manner and to make a further contribution towards ensuring that applicants and employees find one another even under the special conditions of the current year.”

Britta Ernst, President of the Conference of Education Ministers and Brandenburg Minister for Education, Youth and Sport: “With the #AusbildungSTARTEN initiative, the partners in the Alliance for Initial and Further Training are sending out a strong signal for vocational training. I would like to motivate the undecided school leavers to make use of the numerous opportunities that are still available for vocational training in attractive and challenging occupations and to take them into consideration as worthwhile prospects for starting a career. When they have completed a vocational training programme, all the roads to a successful career are open to them! Not only through the offers for professional development, but also directly into the universities.”

Prof. Andreas Pinkwart, Chairman of the Conference of Ministers of Economic Affairs: “The pandemic must not lead to an exacerbation of the skills shortage in Germany. I am delighted that the federal government and the states, industry and the social partners are together making concerted efforts to get young people enthusiastic about a dual training programme with the “Summer of Vocational Training”. Well trained employees provide the foundations for a stable economic development and secure our competitiveness for the long term.”

Kristina Vogt, Chairman of the Conference of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs: “We want to motivate school leavers who are still undecided to choose a dual training programme in attractive and challenging occupations. When they have completed a vocational training programme, all the roads to a successful career will be open to them later: through offers for professional development, or through a university degree. We are supporting and complementing the Summer of Vocational Training within the framework of activities and agreements with the training partners at a state level. Providing good support for both the trainees and the companies is important to us. With the #AusbildungSTARTEN, the partners in the Alliance for Initial and Further Training are sending out a strong signal for vocational training.“

Hans Peter Wollseifer, President of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH): “Especially in these uncertain times, the dual training programme provides young people with a good start to future-proof and challenging occupations with excellent prospects for further training and career advancement, in all future-oriented fields: skilled workers with dual training and further training are indispensable for shaping and transforming the energy and transport revolution, housing construction, the smart home, the healthcare sector and many other fields. A plus point of the dual training programme is personal supervision during the training, which represents an attractive prospect and support for young people, especially after the contact restrictions during the pandemic. Together, we want to use the ‘Summer of Vocational Training’ to get young people in the mood for vocational training, to give them security, take away their fears for the future and help them to find an appropriate vocational training programme for them.

Elke Hannack, Deputy Chair of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB): “The coronavirus crisis has also affected the training market. For the first time since German Unity, the number of new training contracts has fallen below the 500,000 mark, whilst at the same time fewer young people are looking for a training place. In spite of the difficult situation, we are appealing to the young people and to the companies to continue advocating vocational training. There is still movement in the training market. It is worth fighting for every single training place. Because the young people whom we do not train today will not be in the job market as skilled workers in three years time.”