Support for business skill development through federal funding
In an effort to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to continue training apprentices amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has expanded its support. This initiative, spearheaded by Federal Minister of Labour Hubertus Heil (SPD), aims to encourage more companies to participate in apprenticeship programmes.
The training premium, a financial incentive for businesses maintaining or increasing their apprentice positions, has been referred to as a "shopkeeper" by Jens Brandenburg, a spokesperson for the federal government. However, it's important to note that this premium is not intended to create additional training places, according to Brandenburg.
Since August of this year, companies can apply for 2,000 euros per training contract if they maintain the number of apprentice positions, and 3,000 euros if they increase the number of training places. Despite these incentives, less than one in ten training companies have applied for the premiums.
As of December 1, only 20,300 funding premiums had been approved, according to a statistic from the Federal Employment Agency. The federal government hopes to increase the number of applications with the expansion of the aid, as stated.
To achieve this, measures such as increased funding for training bonuses, simplified application procedures, and expanded eligibility criteria for small and medium-sized enterprises have been implemented. These changes are set to come into force from December 11.
The threshold at which funding can be granted is also being lowered, making it more accessible for businesses to claim the premiums. Companies that hired apprentices by the end of June this year and were affected by the second corona wave in the fall can now also claim the premiums retroactively.
Heil emphasizes the need for a joint effort from business and politics to promote training. Heil expresses concern about the upcoming training year and is confident that more companies will now join in. Heil also announces that training premiums will continue next year.
The facilitated access to training assistance has been coordinated between the participating departments. Jens Brandenburg states that few companies will provide multi-year training places for the additional 2,000 or 3,000 euros offered. Nevertheless, Heil is optimistic about the impact of these measures on encouraging more companies to claim the premiums.
As of now, no new facts about the number of funding premiums approved or the percentage of training companies that have applied for the premiums have been provided. The focus remains on encouraging more companies to participate in apprenticeship programmes and secure the future of vocational training in Germany.
