[ad_1]
There are financial injections from the federal government so that companies can also hire apprentices during the crown crisis. According to information from ARD capital studies this aid will be expanded. But do they even work?
By Kai Küstner, ARD capital studio
It is essential to avoid a “Corona training class” – this has been the mantra of Labor Minister Hubertus Heil for months. To increase the incentive for small and medium-sized companies to continue offering apprenticeships even in the crisis, they have been able to request funding since August: 2,000 euros per apprenticeship contract, if they keep the number of apprenticeships stable. 3000 euros, if they increase it in the middle of the crisis. Help that is now spreading to more companies. “Now we have readjusted because access to these grants was too narrow,” says Heil in an interview with the ARD capital study.
Companies with lower loss of sales than before can now apply for financing as well. And those companies that have been hiring trainees since the end of June and were caught by the second wave of Corona in the fall can also apply for the bonuses retrospectively. “The signal is clear: train now, now! The crisis will pass, we need qualified specialists and we have to give young people a chance. I count on more companies to join now,” warns the SPD politician.
So far only a few requests have been received
However, the question is whether companies are also aware of the signals from the Federal Ministry of Labor. So far it is not possible to break the doors of the Federal Employment Agency (BA) responsible for applications: as can be seen in the agency’s statistics, that the ARD capital study is available, only 20,300 grants were awarded as of December 1. Only about six percent of training companies even applied.
Many companies, for example in the artisan sector, had complained that they had failed because they did not meet the funding requirements. The Ministry of Labor is now improving this. It remains to be seen whether this will be enough to effectively increase the previously manageable number of applications. “I think the instruments have to be better known,” admits Labor Minister Heil.
Comfort or effective remedy?
The shortage of skilled workers is now a constant problem in Germany. Although fewer companies offer internships this year, at the same time, thousands of training positions have been left unfilled in recent months: Corona has not simplified the situation for companies or for young people, the latter are even more insecure due to the crisis . The federal government now awaits a follow-up mediation.
But the scary question is: what will it be like in 2021? He is very concerned about the next year of training, says Heil: “It takes a joint effort from business and politics to promote training. And that is why we will organize training bonuses next year as well.”
For the FDP Brandenburg politician, the risk of companies saving on apprentices to make up for crown losses is not prohibited. In his opinion, it takes more than bonuses; Calls for a training pact in 2030: “During the crisis, training should be completely tax-free. We should invest more in digital equipment in professional schools.”
The question of whether training aids are only a consolation for some companies or if they really have a healing effect can only be answered next year.
