After six years without real economic growth, many industrial and commercial enterprises are under financial pressure; nevertheless, they continue to train apprentices. At the same time, they are finding it increasingly difficult to attract enough suitable applicants for their training positions. This combination of economic crisis and persistent recruitment challenges is increasingly impacting the training market—evident already in the supply of training positions.

Training Position Offerings Under Pressure

The DIHK Training Survey 2026 reveals that IHK training companies are more likely to reduce their job offerings than expand them. Thirty-seven percent of businesses with negative business expectations report offering fewer training positions—compared to 26 percent with positive expectations. Despite these difficult conditions, seven out of ten training companies are providing the same or even more training positions than the previous year, continuing to make a crucial contribution to the long-term development of skilled workers.

The biggest challenge in the training market remains the shortage of suitable applicants. One in four companies offering fewer training positions cites this shortage as the reason, while one in five points to poor experiences with previous apprentices. Both factors are also among the most common reasons some companies currently no longer offer training at all.

Recruitment Challenges Remain at Record Levels

While companies tend to reduce their training offerings, recruitment problems remain at a record high. Around half of all companies were unable to fill all their positions in 2025. Since 2015, the proportion of such businesses has risen from 31 percent to 49 percent. Industries like manufacturing, transport, and construction are particularly affected.

The central obstacle continues to be a mismatch between supply and demand—qualificational, regional, and occupational disparities. While the percentage of companies struggling due to receiving no applications has decreased slightly within the last four years, a lack of suitable candidates remains by far the biggest issue: roughly two-thirds of these companies cite this as the main cause.

Widespread Deficits in Basic Competencies

Half of all training companies report deficiencies in the work and social behaviour of their apprentices. For example, 51 percent "often" or "always" identify shortcomings in resilience. Similarly, 46 percent point to insufficient cognitive competencies. Around four in ten companies also note weaknesses in mathematics, German, or basic economic knowledge. Furthermore, one in four companies perceives that applicants frequently misjudge their interests and skills or are poorly informed, preventing them from making the right career choices. This complicates finding suitable hires. That said, three-quarters of businesses are willing to help when they detect deficits, supporting apprentices through measures including tuition and additional coaching.

Dual Vocational Training as a Career Foundation

Despite the current economic crisis, two-thirds of companies take on all of their graduates as permanent employees. Eighty-four percent even express willingness to support their former apprentices with future additional qualifications. This demonstrates the sustained demand for professionally qualified workers. For young people, dual training still offers excellent opportunities for career entry and long-term growth—an invaluable asset, especially during times of economic and technological transformation.

Structural Reforms in Economic and Educational Policy Needed

Companies remain committed to dual vocational training. To ensure this continues, better economic and educational policy frameworks are essential. Bureaucratic burdens, high energy costs, and other disadvantages associated with the current business environment restrict the investment and training capacity of many companies. The federal government has introduced important reforms. However, it must ensure these are implemented promptly, consistently, and tangibly in business practice.

At the same time, considerable action is required in the education sector. Schools need to equip pupils with foundational skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Equally important, potential apprentices should gain practical experience in companies repeatedly and systematically—not sporadically. This helps them recognise their strengths and make well-informed career choices. Additionally, Germany needs stronger data- and evidence-based education policy. Therefore, the federal and state governments should implement the education or student ID announced in the coalition agreement, enabling nationwide tracking of educational progress. On this basis, education pathway statistics should also be realised swiftly. Only by doing so can educational trajectories be systematically analysed, support needs promptly identified, and effective measures developed to prevent recruitment issues and training dropouts.