Lehrstellensituation und Jugendarbeitslosigkeit in Deutschland (mit Kartenbeilage)

Abstract

The development in Leipzig and in other districts governed by the job centre in the new German federal States (former State of East Germany) demonstrate that the dual system is not yet capable of providing for sufficient numbers of trainee positions. It is only possible to balance out a certain proportion of the deficit in trainee positions by the employment of huge State subsidies. A further component of the deficit is cut back be the reduction in demand: in other word, by channelling the applicants into school-based or occupational alternatives. However, faced with the current framework conditions, these often have the character of a "holding pattern", after the completion of which the young people once again have to chase after an occupational trainee position. In order to ensure the provision of sufficient numbers of trainee positions, it is nec essary that considerable thought is dedicated to various models which transfer the focus from the single-firm to pan-firm financing of training. This form of financing already exists in the building trade. In this way, it was possible to increase the willingness of the firms to accept trainees. The State subsidies -amounting to almost 100 million DM in Saxony last year- have reached a level where an increase seams hardly practicable. It would appear to be more sensible to employ the current means in a focused manner for a continual supply of occupational trainee positions and to support in a more intensive manner the occupational training potential by means of the promotion of training associations, for example by the introduction of a stock exchange agency for these associations, rather than financing cost-intensive ad hoc programmes for training outside of the companies themselves. Experience has shown that young people that have received training within a company have better chances on the job market than those who have completed courses outside of companies. Within the framework of the regional job market research, it must be taken into account that the prognoses for the job market -despite the current problems on the job market- all speak of a medium-term deficit in skilled workers, even in the new German federal states. Therefore, the supply of trainee positions -just as much in the general interests of the economy- should not orientate itself to transient shortfalls, rather to the long-term requirements. Otherwise, the lack of skilled workers could prove to be an inhibiting vice on the development of the economy in the next decade in the new German federal states.