Professions with a future
At the young generation hub, guilds and companies present training occupations - and give interested parties an insight into almost 90 skilled trades and service professions.
From agronomic-technical assistant to carpenter, from asphalt worker to dental technician: 88 professions in the fields of nutrition, agriculture, gardening, hotel business or construction can be discovered by teenagers and young adults in the young generation hub in Hall 6.2 - and get first-hand information there.
Above the rooftops of Berlin
Luca Mailand has to be free from giddiness for his job. The budding chimney sweep from the Sascha Graf company in Berlin-Reinickendorf inspects chimneys and heating systems, but also advises homeowners on the Building Energy Act or effective energy-saving measures. Together with other apprentices, representatives of chambers and trade unions as well as Cansel Kiziltepe, Berlin's Senator for Labour, Social Affairs, Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination, he discussed the question of whether apprenticeships are still relevant today on Monday, 20 January 2025.
International role model
Manja Schreiner, Managing Director of IHK Berlin, emphasised the international recognition of the German apprenticeship system. ‘If the dual training system didn't exist, we would have to invent it,’ she said. The IHK offers various formats to bring together students who have graduated and training companies: from digital speed dating to career fairs.
Important for the economy
According to Cansel Kiziltepe, dual training is an ‘important pillar of our economy’. It paves the way to meaningful professions and offers good career opportunities through further training. There are 322 training occupations in Germany. 160 of these are offered in Berlin. In order to gain an overview, early vocational orientation at schools is necessary. Markus Straube from the Berlin Chamber of Crafts and Trades spoke in favour of mandatory internships in secondary schools. At the same time, basic school education must be improved so that trainees have the basic skills they need to learn an apprenticeship.
Nele Techen, Deputy Chairwoman of the German Trade Union Federation Berlin-Brandenburg, emphasised that vocational schools need to address current topics such as digitalisation and technical progress even more, combined with modern equipment. Training in a network, as practised in Berlin, also offers small and medium-sized companies the opportunity to train their own skilled workers.
Luca Mailand is happy with his career choice. He would always opt for an apprenticeship again - and recommends gaining an insight into the skilled trades through internships.