Few Germans consider a skilled trade

Job opportunities? Yes. Interest? No. Although skilled trades are very present in Germany, hardly anyone wants to take them up themselves. It’s very different in other countries.
Compared to other countries, relatively few people in Germany are considering a career in the skilled trades. In particular, the salary prospects in the sector are rated worse in Germany than in other countries, as a study published on Monday by the technology group 3M and the market research institute Ipsos shows.
Around a thousand people from different industries were surveyed in 17 countries for the study – including Germany, France, the USA, the UK, Brazil, India and Mexico. The data was collected between September and December 2021.
According to the survey, ten percent of respondents from Germany work in a skilled trade themselves. A further 18 percent have already considered a career in the industry. According to the authors of the study, this is the lowest figure of all the countries surveyed.
In contrast, almost three quarters of respondents (72 percent) stated that they were not active in the skilled trades and had never thought about it. By comparison, the figure in France was 56 percent.
In addition, only 49% of those surveyed in Germany believe that they could earn as much with a craft apprenticeship as with a profession that requires a university degree. This is also the lowest figure among the countries surveyed, according to the study.
Craftsmanship not an option
There is clearly no lack of awareness of opportunities in the skilled trades: 87% of German respondents see many job opportunities in the sector, which is slightly more than the global average. However, 53 percent stated that they were pursuing other career interests. 20 percent doubted that they would earn enough money in the skilled trades.
The skilled crafts sector in Germany has long complained that many young people are opting to study instead of training. It was only at the end of July that Hans Peter Wollseifer, President of the skilled crafts sector, called for an „educational turnaround“ in Germany in view of the shortage of skilled workers.
He estimates that there is a shortage of a quarter of a million skilled workers in the skilled trades sector and warned against „over-academization“. According to the industry president, we need to move away from the idea that only a degree can bring success.
Source: Spiegel-Online