DGB Training Report: Many apprentices feel overstretched and prefer to switch companies

Practical experiences from counselling work

Susanne Kussmaul, who works in the field of apprenticeship counselling, said: "Eine Langzeitberatung ist meistens eine Beratung zu mehreren Themen. Ein junger Mensch kommt und sagt, er will den Betrieb wechseln. Und dann sieht man: Da sind auch noch psychische Probleme oder finanzielle Probleme." With this, she described how closely the desire to change companies is often linked to other personal burdens.

According to Kussmaul, the cases brought to counsellors often arise because apprentices do not know their rights or are reluctant to raise problems at their company. Many only turn to external counselling services late, even though pressures have already been building. DGB-Jugend is therefore calling for low-threshold access to counselling.

Demands on policymakers and employers

A key focus of the report is the question of how attractive the dual training system is perceived to be compared with other educational pathways. The study's authors see shortcomings here, particularly regarding respect from supervisors, the compatibility of training with private life, and pay. The DGB study makes concrete proposals on these points.

The union also points to existing contact points such as the Zukunftsbüro Azuro, which supports young employees on questions relating to training, labour law, and personal crises. Such services are at full capacity, but need to become better known. Works councils and youth representatives could also play a greater role as first points of contact.

Existing counselling services

The DGB is demanding that policymakers and employers fundamentally improve training conditions. These include, among other things, more binding shift schedules, more reliable break arrangements, and better psychosocial support. Without these measures, the attractiveness of in-company training risks declining further.

The union's position is supplemented by additional contributions and reports that contextualise the training report. From the union's perspective, the findings are a warning signal for the coming training years and a call to sustainably reform the framework conditions of the dual training system.