Significantly more new apprentices in Saxony's economy

From Ulrich Wolf & Michael Rothe

Dresden. The number of new apprentices in Saxony has increased significantly compared to 2022. The three Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK) in the Free State counted a total of 10,704 new apprenticeship contracts at the beginning of the training year, an increase of 717 compared to the previous year. In particular, there were more entries in industrial-technical and commercial professions, it said in a statement on Thursday.

However, there are still around 1,000 unfilled positions in the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. According to the latest survey, in 2023 almost half of the companies received no applications at all for the positions offered. And 59 percent were unable to fill vacancies due to a lack of suitable applicants.

The largest increases of over 13 percent were in the Chemnitz chamber district. In Dresden and Leipzig, the increase was a good four percent. "Vocational training as a skilled worker is an effective means of addressing the shortage of skilled workers," it said. Many companies had recognized this and made more places available. The chances of being taken on and of further professional development in the training company are better than ever. The most sought-after professions are retail salesperson, mechatronics technician, salesperson, cook and office management assistant.

Automotive mechatronics specialists in the lead

There is also hopeful news from the Saxon Crafts Council. The umbrella organization of chambers and associations reports 4,923 contracts at the start of the apprenticeship year. That is 135 or 2.8 percent more than at the end of August 2022, as saechsische.de learned on request. Before the Corona crisis in 2019, there were 4,830 apprenticeship contracts.

Automotive mechatronics technicians, electronics technicians and plumbing, heating and air conditioning technicians were the most popular. According to the day of crafts also building cleaners, bricklayers and bakers were again more in demand. The handicraft training place stock exchange www.ich-kann-etwas.de exhibits however likewise still hundreds offers. Addressed are expressly also high school graduates and university dropouts, it is called by the craftsman organization. An entrance into the current dual vocational training is still possible until the end of October.