Berlin, 28 October 2021: Bringing young people together with companies that provide vocational training so that they can #STARTtraining - this is what the partners of the "Alliance for Initial and Continuing Vocational Training" have been working towards from June to October 2021 in the "Summer of Vocational Training". On nine thematic action days, they demonstrated the comprehensive opportunities for personal development that in-company vocational training offers.

The action days were accompanied by a variety of events, such as information events or summer camps, and appealed to numerous young people. In total, the "Summer" had around 800 regional events and generated over 2 million views on social media. This enabled numerous young people and their parents to be reached and informed about the excellent job, career and earning opportunities offered by dual training. And many companies were motivated to offer and fill training positions.

In the "Summer of Vocational Training", the joint efforts of the alliance partners succeeded in placing vocational and dual training prominently in the public eye, both regionally and nationwide. The success of the initiative is also reflected in the current figures for the training market: companies in industry and commerce, the skilled trades and the liberal professions concluded two percent more training contracts by the end of September 2021 than in the previous year.

Even after the end of the "Summer of Vocational Training", the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training is committed to strengthening dual training. And the placement process also continues: The apprenticeship exchanges of the chambers and the training exchange of the Federal Employment Agency still offer many attractive apprenticeship positions that are waiting for interested applicants. Many companies are still looking for the skilled workers of tomorrow.

Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier: "Dual training is a great strength of Germany as a business location. We must continue to do everything we can to further strengthen dual training and inspire more young people to take this path. The Summer of Vocational Training was a great success. The partners of the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training sent a strong signal with an impressive number of events and social media activities. In the coming months, the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Vocational Training will continue to work hard to further stabilize the training market and strengthen dual training as a central pillar for the next generation of skilled workers."

Federal Minister of Education Anja Karliczek: "It is close to my heart that all young people who aspire to vocational training find a training place where they can use their skills and strengths. Training is the key to a secure professional future. At the same time, every apprenticeship place that is filled ensures that well-trained skilled workers will be available in trade and industry in the years to come. To ensure that we succeed in doing this in Year 2 of the pandemic, we have joined forces within the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Vocational Training for the 'Summer of Vocational Training' with its many different campaigns. We can be satisfied with the success of our joint work. As a lasting contribution by the Federal Ministry of Education, I launched the digital vocational guidance portal berufenavi.de in October, which now and in the future will provide young people with a comprehensive and reliable entry point to vocational guidance and the search for training places."

Federal Minister of Labour Hubertus Heil: "Training is the best investment in the future. To this end, we must support young people as they start their careers and bring them together with companies. The joint action has shown that this is also possible under Corona conditions. With the federal programme 'Securing Training Places', we are also providing financial assistance so that training can continue even in these difficult economic times. The funding can still be applied for now. That's why I'm calling on all companies to provide training and to take advantage of the training bonuses in the process."

Minister of State for Integration Annette Widmann-Mauz: "For Germany to be a strong business location, we need to get young people excited about dual training and support our companies and businesses. This is what we have done with the 'Summer of Vocational Training' and the launch of the 'Securing Training Positions' programme. It is important to focus on all young people, with or without an immigration background. Because diversity is a real factor for innovation and ensures our economy has the young skilled workers it urgently needs!"

Detlef Scheele, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Federal Employment Agency: "This year, together with the partners of the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training, we have taken unusual paths with the "Summer of Vocational Training" to support young people in starting their training. Throughout the summer, we organized a wide variety of activities to bring young people and companies together again this year. I would like to encourage young people who have not yet found a job after the official start of training. It is still not too late to start training. It is important that young people decide on a profession based on their strengths and interests. And when it comes to this important decision, the employment agency's career counselling service is there to help young people in word and deed."

BDA President Dr. Rainer Dulger: "Business has gone full throttle in the summer of vocational training. The diverse campaigns to get young people and their parents interested in training have achieved an impressive reach. However, there is still a lot of catching up to do in the area of vocational orientation, particularly in the networking of schools. This is where we have to start together with the partners of the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training. Even after the "Summer of Vocational Training", industry is not slackening in its commitment to training. Because right now, skilled workers, as the heart of every company, are an important motor for the economic upswing despite and after Corona. Importantly, apprenticeships can be started not just in August or September, but well beyond the end of the year."

DGB Deputy Chair Elke Hannack: "The Summer of Vocational Training has once again brought the importance of dual training to the fore. However, we must not slacken our efforts to offer all young people interested in training a training place. Too many young people still remain unprovided for and are dependent on transitional measures. That is why it is worthwhile to continue to fight for every training place. However, the much-lamented shortage of skilled workers can only be countered with good training. The Corona training study of the DGB youth has highlighted the pressing problems of trainees and provides important impetus for improving the quality of training."

President of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany, Britta Ernst: "We must not slacken our efforts to raise public awareness once again of the diverse and highly differentiated vocational training opportunities that are open to all young people and young adults. Particularly in view of the attractive and crisis-proof career prospects that vocational training offers, it is important to go beyond the "Summer of Vocational Training" and intensify the offers for vocational orientation in and also outside of school in a way that is appropriate for the target group and to use new information and event formats for this purpose, also in the social environment of young people."

Chairman of the Conference of Economics Ministers, Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart: "The dual training system is the foundation for securing a skilled workforce in the future. Well-trained people are urgently needed in companies. Against this background, dual vocational training enjoys a high priority in the Länder. This is reflected in particular in the large number of measures taken by partners in the alliances, alliances and pacts in the Länder, which have excellently complemented the summer of training provided by the alliance partners. North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, launched an action week in June under the umbrella brand "Ausbildung jetzt!" ("Training now!") of the NRW Training Consensus, which successfully addressed young people and parents with a wide range of advisory services, hotlines, social media platforms and a campaign for internships in the skilled trades."

Chairperson of the Conference of Labour and Social Affairs Ministers, Kristina Vogt: "The "Summer of Vocational Training" highlighted the importance and value of vocational training for Germany. This was an important signal against the background of the Corona pandemic. A wide range of actors highlighted the opportunities that vocational training offers. Alliances were renewed, special campaigns were carried out, measures to stabilise the training market were expanded and creative approaches were used. Many young people and companies were reached. Vocational training is the best way to secure one's livelihood and offers a variety of occupational profiles and career paths. Modern vocational training is a core element for helping to shape the future challenges and the necessary transformation of our living and working environments. What is important now is not to let up and to make access routes and funding and support systems transparent again and again, but also to tap into potential for improvement."

Information on the "Summer of Vocational Training" and the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training can be found at: www.aus-und-weiterbildungsallianz.de. The joint Press release can be downloaded here as PDF download.