Apprenticeships in the Neumarkt district: The big shortage of skilled workers strikes!

Apprenticeships in the Neumarkt district: The big shortage of skilled workers strikes!

In the district of Neumarkt, a race for specialists rages. The situation is becoming increasingly serious, because many training positions remain vacant. Fabian Thorak, 22 years old, is one of the few who actively take care of their professional future. He has completed his apprenticeship as a cook and is now in a second apprenticeship as a butcher at Wittmann’s in Neumarkt. His boss, Norbert Wittmann, emphasizes how important the butcher trade is for the region and regrets the closures of companies that are caused by the decline in successors. In fact, senior master Karl Schneider reports numerous closed butchers, which endangers the cultural diversity and tradition in the region.

An alarming statistics give rise to concern: In September 2024, 395 training positions offered from 1747 were vacant, which corresponds to almost a quarter. The number of training applicants has dropped by 2.7 percent, while the increase in foreign applicants with 13.5 percent is remarkable. Patrick Brandl from the Neumarkt district craftsmen warns that not only the craft, but also the construction industry, finds less and less offspring. The conditions are clear: new strategies are urgently needed to bring young people closer to the advantages of training in the craft.

craft in focus

A nationwide study shows that the shortage of skilled workers in the craft succeeds. In 2022, 236,818 vacancies had reached record values, of which 128,891 could not be filled. The reasons for this are diverse: a good economy in the building trade, political climate protection goals and a demographic change in health craft ensure increasing demand for skilled workers, such as the Kofu Notice. Specialists are missing, especially in the building trade, which is central to the energy transition. There are bottlenecks primarily in the building electrics and the sanitary, heating and air conditioning technology.

parents often have other ideas for their children's professional career and prefer academic professions. As a result, fewer young people consider training in the craft. Smaller companies also find it difficult to compete with the large companies in trainee recruiting. Despite increased salaries and attractive additional services such as over -tariff payments and additional vacation days, the training positions are in great demand and often vacant.

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