The Covid-19 health crisis represents a major challenge for the vocational occupational training sector. Questions seeking answers include how to train apprentices from a distance and how to access and recruit new apprentices when traditional avenues (schools-based careers guidance, apprenticeship fairs, etc.) no longer take place. In this article we look at some of the innovative teaching methods being used by many companies in Germany as they strive to continue training apprentices amid the pandemic.
Apprenticeship market affected by the crisis. According to the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), the Covid-19 pandemic has seriously affected Germany’s well-known dual system of occupational vocational training that combines practical in-company training with theoretical instruction at a vocational training institution. The number of new apprenticeship contracts signed in 2020 fell by 11% compared to 2019. As such, the approximately 400,000 companies that train apprentices, the 79 chambers of commerce, the 150,000 volunteer examiners, and the vocational training institutions are collectively trying to find solutions that enable apprentices to continue their training in spite of the pandemic.
Do you have information to share with us?