BERLIN, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Nearly every third firm in Germany cannot fill its advertised vacancies for apprenticeships owing to lack of qualified applicants, a survey published Tuesday by the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) finds.
Just under 11,000 enterprises participated in the survey. "Today twice as many firms are unable to fill their apprenticeship positions compared to ten years ago," DIHK president Eric Schweitzer said.
As a consequence, German firms were running out of younger employees needed to carry businesses into the future, he warned.
Schweitzer urged policymakers to look into ways of strengthening Germany's famous dual education system, which places a strong emphasis on vocational training.
According to the DIHK, the hospitality industry was worst affected by a shortage of apprentices.
Some 58 percent of firms in the sector was unable to fill vacancies for future cooks, receptionists or restaurant managers.
The lack of apprentices had also worsened significantly in the booming construction sector where 42 percent of firms struggled to fill vacancies.
Many of the firms surveyed complained that applicants did not have the skills or mobility required by jobs.
Schweitzer said that it was "all the more important to better utilize existing potential amongst university drop-outs, people with learning disabilities and refugees". German firms have been attempting to increasingly attract members of those groups to their vocational training programs to fill vacancies.
According to the DIHK, around 15,000 young refugees are currently enrolled in vocational training programs. Many struggled with issues of language comprehension, however, often preventing the successful completion of training.
Schweitzer demanded more government support in this context as well as a greater focus on careers orientation in German schools.
