Apprentices are increasingly aiming to join large companies
In the competition for apprentices, micro enterprises (with fewer than 10 employees subject to social security contributions) are increasingly falling behind. Despite a slight increase in the total number of apprentices to over 1.5 million, there were 3.4% fewer apprentices employed in these micro enterprises at the end of December 2023 compared to the end of the year 2022. In contrast, the number of apprentices in large companies (with 250 or more employees subject to social security contributions) increased by 2.9% over the same period.
"Fortunately, the number of apprentices increased at the turn of the year 2023/2024 for the first time since 2020. But we are observing since a certain time that more and more apprentices apply for large companies. Ten years ago, only 27.6% of apprentices were found in these companies. Now, there are 30.6%. Nevertheless, small, micro, and midium enterprises still train the majority of apprentices, accounting for 69.4% in total," reports Dr. André Pahnke.
However, the number of training companies among micro businesses is continuously decreasing. According to the IfM researcher, this decline should not be directly equated with a decrease in the willingness of small businesses to offer apprenticeships: "Micro businesses often offer only a single apprenticeship position. If this position is unfilled at the end of the year, the business is no longer counted as a training company in the employment statistics of the Federal Employment Agency. This creates the impression that they are providing fewer apprenticeships“. Over time, there is a risk that more and more small businesses will be unable to meet their skilled labor needs through their own in-house training. Moreover, they could potentially withdraw entirely from offering apprenticeships if they cannot find apprentices over a prolonged period or if they are unable to retain them as skilled workers.
Apprenticeship Rate Higher in the West than in the East of Germany
Measured by the apprenticeship rate, which is the proportion of apprentices among all employees subject to social security contributions, the highest number of apprentices at the end of 2023 were trained in Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein, and Lower Saxony. The fewest apprentices were trained in the city-states of Hamburg and Berlin.
Overall, the apprenticeship rate in Western Germany is higher than in Eastern Germany. The extent to which this will impact the skilled labor shortage is currently not yet clear.
