Print version Recommend this page Press release
02/ 2012
Bonn, 18.01.2012
BIBB President Hubert Esser: "Demographic developments will not improve the employment opportunities of the unskilled"
BIBB analysis on the situation of unskilled workers
Compared to trained skilled workers, unskilled workers are significantly more likely to be found in jobs where they work for only a small number of hours each month, an arrangement which mostly constitutes precarious employment. An analysis conducted by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) into the situation of unskilled and low skilled workers to be published in the latest edition of the BIBB REPORT, Issue 17, has now also shown that the employment activities of such workers are confined to only a few occupational fields. The results of the analysis indicate that the employment situation of the unskilled is further exacerbated by the ongoing reduction of precisely the kind of jobs in which they are able to find employment at all. Unskilled persons are approximately three times more likely to be unemployed than those who have completed vocational education and training. BIBB President Friedrich Hubert Esser also takes the view that demographic developments will not bring about any fundamental change in this regard. "CompanBIBBies are looking for qualified skilled workers who are able to fulfil workplace requirements. The risk that unskilled workers will continue to fail to find access to the labour market in future remains high."
According to the data provided by the 2007 micro-census, around 5.3 million people are "not formally qualified". Men and women each account for half of this figure (50.8% and 49.2% respectively). Three in four unskilled persons have a lower or intermediate secondary school leaving certificate. Around 12% are in possession of a higher education entrance qualification, and approximately one in six have no school leaving qualifications. The group of unskilled persons includes 2.2 million young people aged between 20 and 34. 1.2 million of these were in active employment.
Compared to young people with a vocational qualification, young unskilled workers are only able to find employment in a small number of branches of trade and industry: in the hotel and restaurant trade (11.5%), in the healthcare, veterinary services and social services sector (11.2%), in retail (10.8%), in the "provision of other economic services" (9.8%) or in the construction industry (5.5%). The rate of those working for only a small number of hours per month (17.7%) is conspicuously high, whereas the corresponding figure for those who have "learned a trade" is 5.4%.
In order to secure future skilled worker requirements, BIBB President Esser believes that a sustainable reduction in the number of unskilled workers as a proportion of the working age population must be achieved. "About one in seven persons in active employment has no vocational qualifications. This is a large area of untapped potential which needs to be utilised. Providing qualifications for this target group is the major challenge facing initial and continuing training." Professor Esser is also of the opinion that the existing competences of unskilled persons or competences which have been acquired informally need to be better recorded and used as the basis for systematic training.
"In view of the diversity and differences which this target group exhibit, flexible training provision is needed which permits a low threshold of entry and which can lead to a recognised vocational education and training qualification", he continues. This is an area in which training providers and companies should display a greater degree of commitment in future. "Bottom-up" training concepts are required. This would enable unskilled members of the active labour force to progress to skilled worker status via appropriate initial and continuing training schemes - which should be practical and company-based wherever possible - and help reduce the pressure at skilled worker level.
Note
"Unskilled" persons are defined as "non-formally qualified persons (of working age)" who have not completed dual or school-based vocational education and training or a course of study at a University of Applied Sciences or institute of higher education. Those who have undergone "semi-skilled training", basic vocational education and training or an internship are also considered to be "not formally qualified".
The results of the new BIBB study are published in BIBB REPORT, Issue 17/12: "Employment without a vocational qualification - what are the available routes?". This issue is available for download free of charge at http://www.bibb.de/en/31994.htm .
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