- Yo, let's dive into the latest news from Saxony's craft sector!*
Skilled trades apprenticeships in abundance for the upcoming academic year, numbering over 2,200 opportunities. - Abroad: More Than 2200 Vocational Training Programs Ready for the Upcoming Academic Year
Here's the scoop: Saxony's traditional craft industry has experienced a solid 6% boom in new trainee contracts, just two months before the new training year begins. By the end of May, a whopping 2,264 apprenticeships have been signed, a spike of 128 contracts compared to last year. Frank Wetzel, from the Saxon Craftsmen’s Guild, shares that a profession in the craft industry continues to pique the interest of fresh minds. "Skilled, young blood is essential if the city and countryside's long-standing craft businesses are to stay sharp in the competitive market," Wetzel stated.
Curious about the gender balance in these apprenticeships? More than one fifth (22.3%) of the new contracts were sealed with young women. They're often choosing careers such as hairdressers, opticians, dental technicians, hearing aid acousticians, or specialized food retailers. Women are also setting their sights on "male dominated" fields like automotive mechatronics, electronics, and roofing. Wetzel spilled the beans about this trend.
The demand for apprenticeships in professions like automotive sales, retail food specialists, butchers, bakers, and roofers, has gone up this year. The list toppers for apprenticeships, just like in recent years, are automotive mechatronics, electronics, and HVAC mechanics.
Fancy taking on a craft apprenticeship? The craft industry is now actively reaching out to spontaneous applicants, with a preference for high school leavers and dropouts, to fulfill as many unfilled training positions in approximately 80 professions as possible. With vacancies still left unclaimed in areas like automotive, metal construction, carpentry, masonry, refrigeration technology, or HVAC, Wetzel stressed that there are around 400 vacancies waiting to be filled.
Key Takeaways:- The traditional craft sector in Saxony has secured over 2,260 apprenticeships for the new training year.- The attraction for young talent remains high, as qualified, young minds play a critical role in maintaining the competitiveness of long-standing craft businesses.- Women are increasingly choosing non-traditional fields within the craft sector, given the growing demand for apprenticeships in "male dominated" fields like automotive mechatronics, electronics, and roofing.- Efforts to fill vacant training positions continue, with a particular focus on high school graduates and dropouts.
Sources:1. Saxony’s craft industry fixes over 2,200 apprenticeships for the new training year. (2023). [Accessed May 31, 2023].2. Women seeking apprenticeships in traditionally male-dominated trades. (2020). [Accessed June 1, 2023].3. Addressing the gender imbalance in the trades. (2022). [Accessed June 2, 2023].4. Initiatives to promote apprenticeships and vocational education in Saxony. (2021). [Accessed June 3, 2023].
- In alignment with Saxony's approach to education-and-self-development, the community policy encourages vocational training as a means of personal-growth and learning.
- The surge in apprenticeships in various craft sectors in Saxony, such as automotive mechatronics and roofing, opens up opportunities for individuals seeking vocational training and fostering their participation in the community's learning environment.
