Recent data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) indicates a slight decrease in newly registered vocational training contracts in Germany for 2024. Approximately 475,100 contracts were initiated, a reduction of 1.0 percent, or around 4,700 contracts, compared to the previous year’s total of 479,800.
The data reveals a contrasting trend in applicant demographics. While the number of German trainees initiating new contracts fell by four percent, the number of trainees with foreign citizenship saw a significant increase of 17 percent. This trend has been observed over the past decade, with the number of foreign trainees nearly doubling from 36,200 in 2014 to around 70,000 in 2024.
In 2024, approximately 15 percent of new training contracts were signed by individuals with foreign citizenship, up from seven percent in 2014. Notably, Vietnamese, Syrian and Ukrainian nationals were among the most frequent applicants, with 7,100, 6,800 and 5,800 new contracts respectively. The number of new contracts for Ukrainian nationals nearly tripled compared to 2023, while Vietnamese nationals saw a substantial increase. Syrian nationals experienced a slight decline in new contracts.
Regarding career choices, women most frequently opted for training as medical assistants (16,100), followed by office management assistants (15,200) and dental assistants (12,800). This represents a shift, as office management assistants were the most popular choice in 2023. For male trainees, the top five most popular professions remained consistent with the previous year, led by motor vehicle mechatronics technicians (22,700), followed by IT specialists and electronics technicians.
Destatis also reported approximately 339,200 successful completion of vocational training exams in 2024, alongside around 16,000 external exams. Furthermore, 80,100 individuals passed master craftsman or advanced training exams and approximately 19,700 completed retraining programs, with a focus on office management and IT specializations.
The total number of individuals participating in dual vocational training reached approximately 1.217.900 by the end of 2024. The majority (56 percent, or 688,500) were based in industry and commerce, followed by the skilled trades (28 percent, or 341,000).
Compared to 2014, most training sectors have seen a decline in trainee numbers over the past decade. Industry and commerce (-15 percent) and the skilled trades (-8 percent) experienced the most significant reductions. However, the public service sector (+19 percent) and freelance professions (+3 percent) saw an increase in the number of trainees during the same period.
