PRESS STATEMENT “A new hurdle is being put in the way of young people”

Hans-Jürgen Urban: “The reform of the Vocational Training Act takes the right approach with regard to the minimum training allowance. However, in terms of the conditions for vocational training, it largely falls short of the requirements for a modern vocational training system.”

One positive development is that the minimum training allowance for apprentices will in the future be based on collectively bargained wages. Companies not bound by collective bargaining agreements may pay no less than 20 percent below the collective bargaining wage for their industry. This rule is now being enshrined in law; previously, it was established only through case law.

“The BBiG is forcing the creation of a two-tier system among skilled workers.” Employers can offer two-year training programs without trainees having any right to transition to a three- or three-and-a-half-year program afterward. “This makes the longer training program dependent on the employer’s goodwill. A new hurdle is being erected for young people eager to learn a trade, instead of paving the way for them to receive a good education. This is the opposite of what the modern world of work requires.”

It is also incomprehensible that the practical phases of dual degree programs were not included in the amended BBiG. The statutory protections and quality assurance criteria of the BBiG do not apply to these students. “The dual degree program is a form of training for the future. It requires binding quality standards and modern forms of co-determination. In this regard, the draft bill simply falls short.”

Even with regard to the necessary quality assurance in vocational training, support for volunteer work in the examination system, and improved continuing education opportunities for in-company trainers, the draft bill falls far short of IG Metall’s demands.

“Overall, the draft bill lacks the will to make vocational training more attractive and to prepare young people for the new world of work,” said Urban.