Lack of skilled workers: This is how dramatic Germany's handicraft problem is

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Franz Brückner is on the lookout.

The 33-year-old is the commercial director of the Brückner Haustechnik company in Erlenbach, Franconia, with eight employees.

The company wants to grow.

And for this, Brückner needs specialists who are enthusiastic about sanitary facilities and heating.

But finding it is extremely difficult.

“The professions still have the reputation of being unattractive,” says Brückner.

“The coolness factor is missing.” There are many industrial companies in the area, Procter & Gamble for example, which exert a greater attraction.

In fact, in the responsible employment agency district of Würzburg, there is an overall shortage of skilled tradespeople: around 70 percent of the vacancies last year could not be filled in purely mathematical terms - as many as in only a few other districts.

Hannes (left) and Franz Brückner

Source: Sven Cichowicz

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The region is particularly hard hit by a problem that exists everywhere: Germany is running out of craftsmen - in all areas, from plumbers to metal construction managers.

This is partly due to industry-specific reasons.

But what all skilled trades have in common is that there is a lack of young talent, and companies have to attract trainees with new ideas and more attractive conditions.

A still unpublished study on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics, which was presented to WELT AM SONNTAG, shows the extent of the gap.

The industry will lack 65,000 skilled workers nationwide in 2020.

This figure is based on the generous assumption that every unemployed craftsman is eligible for vacancies throughout the country, and in case of doubt moves within the entire republic.

In reality, tradespeople don't have to move to find a new job.

That makes the gap even bigger.

Order books overflow

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As almost everywhere, the recession and the corona crisis caused the gap to shrink a little, but this effect was relatively minor.

The proportion of vacancies in the craft industry for which there is no suitable skilled worker was around 36 percent on an annual average - and thus significantly higher than in the economy as a whole, which comes to a good 27 percent.

If this does not change, there is a risk of consequences that citizens and businesses will feel in everyday life.

Source: WORLD infographic

“Even today, the majority of tradespeople have more jobs than they can complete,” says Lydia Malin.

She conducts research at the Competence Center for Securing Skilled Workers (Kofa) of the employer-related institute for the German economy, which is responsible for the ministry's study.

"Almost everyone knows this: You wait a long time for an appointment or simply don't get one at all."

The same applies to companies that are dependent on appropriate supplies in value chains.

According to Malin's data, the fields with the greatest shortage include building electrics, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, automotive technology, meat sales, and wood and furniture construction.

House building?

Book a craftsman first!

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This can also be seen in the Franconian town of Erlenbach.

Franz Brückner's employees are available in an emergency.

The motto: No family has to take a cold shower.

However, the situation is more serious when it comes to larger projects.

“We are actually already full of orders for this year.

Our focus is on looking after existing customers, ”says Brückner.

Source: WORLD infographic

In particular, he cannot participate in contracts with tenders, either from the public sector or from architects.

As a rule, it is a question of large orders that exceed its capacities.

In addition, the bureaucratic effort is too great.

He advises private people who want to build a house: “The first thing you should do is have the craftsmen on board.

Otherwise there could be drastic delays. ”Many companies would not have the capacity for projects for which they would have to assign two to three people.

And he expects the situation to get worse.

There is an image problem

But what is behind the misery?

Industry-specific trends are one thing, says Kofa researcher Malin.

In construction, it is the increased demand for living space, hearing aid acousticians meet a growing number of elderly people.

On the other hand, almost all of them have one problem in common: the lack of offspring.

"Demographic change is hitting the trade more and more," explains Malin.

An above-average number of older employees are leaving.

And too few young people follow.

One reason is academization: Nowadays, a university degree is considered by many to be the better choice.

More and more training positions remain vacant.

For years, the craft lobby has been running an elaborate image campaign with large posters in cities, elegant black and white pictures of young people who are plumbers or orthopedic technicians.

The same people can then be seen online at handwerk.de in videos in which they tell how great it is to create something with your own hands and to help customers.

But that's not enough to attract enough offspring.

Many people who have so far not considered the craft as a career option at all cannot be reached in this way.

All you have in mind is the unattractive image that Franz Brückner from Erlenbach describes.

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He also sees a failure among the companies: “The order situation has been so good in recent years that many have seen no reason to change.

But that takes its toll - at the latest when you can't find any new people, ”says Brückner.

Kofa researcher Malin also says: “Companies have to become more innovative.” The aim is to create attractive business models and working conditions.

She cites the example of a butcher's shop: “Many young people think it's good when products are organic and come from the region.

Companies can insist that they value high quality and that they offer the opportunity to change something. "

Never guaranteed unemployed

And companies could use another argument: job security in the pandemic.

Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) points out: "It has become clearer than ever how attractive and reliable skilled trades are, because they offer secure prospects even in times of crisis."

"A championship title is the best possible insurance against unemployment," adds the President of the Central Association of German Crafts (ZDH), Hans Peter Wollseifer.

For company successors or employees, masters are desperately wanted: "The need for skilled workers is huge."

Franz Brückner is already in the process of getting the youngsters around Erlenbach enthusiastic about himself.

He has just been able to hire a new trainee.

His recipe for success: meeting interested parties.

Demanding complex documents is no longer appropriate.

Instead, the personal conversation is decisive - and that the company presents itself as an attractive employer.

“In the skilled trades, too, it must be clear that people can take parental leave and that overtime is limited,” explains Brückner.

"The world of work has long since changed, but the topic of reconciling work and family is still far too little present in the skilled trades."

Brückner himself only works four days a week, and two other employees also use flexible working time models.

This is also open to new employees.

Nevertheless, he remains cautious: He believes that there is not more than one new trainee in this year.