Larger corporations signing more training contracts compared to smaller ones, according to IfM Bonn; training rates highest in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland regions.
In a notable development, the apprenticeship landscape in Germany has seen a shift in 2024, with a decreasing trend observed among small and micro-enterprises, while larger and medium-sized companies have witnessed an increase. This trend, according to the Institute for SME Research (IfM Bonn), reflects structural changes in the apprenticeship system.
Larger and medium-sized companies tend to have more structured apprenticeship programs, especially in sectors such as commerce, finance, and liberal professions. This is due to their ability to invest in training infrastructure and meet regulatory requirements more easily than smaller firms. In contrast, small and micro-enterprises face challenges in maintaining or increasing apprenticeship offers, often due to limited human resources to train apprentices and financial constraints.
The total number of apprentices in the commercial sector and liberal professions increased by approximately 19,000 compared to 2023, reaching 1.52 million by the end of December 2024. However, micro-enterprises (with fewer than 10 socially insured employees) are increasingly falling behind in the competition for future skilled workers.
The shift also coincides with the digital transformation and skills demands in commercial and liberal professions, requiring more advanced and structured apprenticeships that small companies struggle to provide. Larger enterprises, with their capacity to offer apprenticeships in these fields, may also be better positioned to integrate AI and advanced technologies, as indicated in broader European labor market reports.
Despite the decline in apprenticeships in micro-enterprises, the number of apprenticeships in small enterprises decreased by 1.0%, while medium-sized companies saw an increase of 1.9%. Interestingly, the number of apprenticeships in larger companies increased by 4.6%.
The lowest training quota, or the proportion of apprentices among all socially insured employees, is in Berlin and Hamburg. On the other hand, the highest training quota is in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.
For more precise data and further quantitative statistics, detailed reports by German federal agencies such as the Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB) or sector-specific labor market analyses would need to be consulted. The current search results do not provide explicit numerical trends on this topic, but the general growth among larger and medium companies and decline in micro-firms is a well-recognized pattern within the German apprenticeship system.
The Institute for SME Research encourages policy support to help small and micro-enterprises participate and benefit from these programs, as apprenticeships remain a vital route to employment in Germany. For more information, please contact Dr. Jutta Groeschl at [email protected] or +49 228 72997-29. Detailed statistical data on apprentices can be found on the homepage of the Institute for SME Research (www.ifm-bonn.org).
- Large and medium-sized companies, especially those in the commercial sector and liberal professions, are benefiting from the shift in apprenticeship trends in Germany, as they have the capacity to offer more structured programs and meet regulatory requirements.
- The increase in apprenticeships in larger companies, coupled with the decreasing trend among small and micro-enterprises, highlights the importance of education and self-development programs to help small businesses compete for future skilled workers in an increasingly digitized labor market.
