More training places on offer - harder to match demand with supply

In 2015, the number of training places on offer was 563,100 - a rise for the first time since 2011. This equates to an additional 3,800 places, or an increase of 0.7 % compared to the previous year. The training market development has therefore been more positive than predicted in the spring. This is due to the strong economy as well as a clear increase once again in the level interest in dual vocational education and training from companies and young people.

These are the results of the 2015 training market development analyses carried out by Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). They are based on the BIBB survey of newly concluded training contracts as of 30 September, as well as training market statistics from the Federal Employment Agency (BA).

Despite falling numbers of school leavers nationally, the demand for training places of around 603,000 was only slightly less than the number of young people seeking education and training in 2014 (603,400). In Eastern Germany, where once again the number of school leavers rose, demand from young people actually rose by +1,600, or +1.9 % to a new total of 84,200. This therefore signals an end to the sharp declines of recent years - in 2007 demand in Eastern Germany was still 150,200.

In 2015 further problems were encountered with matching the training places offered by companies to the training plans and aspirations of young people. For example, 41,000 training places offered by companies remained unfilled. This is an increase of 3,900 places or a rise of 10.4 % compared to 2014. The mid-1990s was the last time a similarly high number of apprenticeships remained unfilled. 80,800 individuals were unsuccessful in their search for a training place - a number which has stayed roughly similar to the previous year (2014: 81,200).

It is noticeable that it is not only young people with lower level school-leaving certificates who face difficulties when entering education and training. In 2015, 26.5 % of the 80,800 unsuccessful applicants obtained the entrance qualification for a university of applied sciences, or a university entrance qualifi-cation. This is more than in the previous years (2014: 25.5 %, 2010: 21.0 %). Career aspirations of those applicants with qualifications for higher education in particular are heavily focussed on commercial, media and IT occupations. In these occupations, however, there is a clear surplus of applicants. If applicants with qualifications for higher education remain unsuccessful in their search for an apprenticeship, the extent to which they are willing to look to other occupations is clearly limited.

Since, in most cases, it was not possible to fully utilize the training places offered by companies due to difficulties in matching demand with supply, the number of training contracts concluded in 2015 was no greater than the number concluded in 2014. 522,200 contracts were concluded in 2015, which was the same level as the previous year.

Further information, statistics, tables and graphics on training market development for 2015 are available on the BIBB website under www.bibb.de/ausbildungsmarkt2015 and www.bibb.de/naa309-2015.

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