More and more training places in Germany remain unfilled, while at the same time many applicants are left empty-handed on the training market. What are the reasons? Is it perhaps because the search profiles and strategies of companies and young people interested in training do not match? In other words: where and how do companies place their offers and does this match the search behavior of young people?
The joint study by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research and the Bertelsmann Foundation compares the perspectives of training companies and young people. Both sides generally agree on the importance of vocational training as a good basis for a career and use online job advertisements, the Federal Employment Agency and social media channels in particular to search for training places or applicants – but in detail some crucial differences in communication and information behavior become apparent.
Social media usage in particular shows that both parties use Instagram most frequently, but apart from that, companies do not always advertise their apprenticeships where young people are looking for them. YouTube is greatly neglected by companies compared to how young people use it. Almost half of young people look for apprenticeships there, but not even one in five companies uses this channel. Similar differences can be seen with regard to WhatsApp, TikTok and Snapchat. Facebook, on the other hand, is only used by one in four young people, but by over 70 percent of companies.
When it comes to the question of which cross-disciplinary factors influence the choice of apprenticeship, companies and young people are in general agreement. In particular, a good working atmosphere, exciting tasks, chances of being taken on after training and further training opportunities play an important role. In contrast to companies, young people also rate the level of training remuneration, additional benefits (e.g. mobility allowances) and flexible working hours as (rather) important.
Finally, recommendations for action are formulated as to how companies in particular can contribute to a better and more frequent “match” between training supply and demand through an optimized communication format and information offering that is geared to the needs of young people. In addition to using communication channels that are appropriate for the target group, young people should also be addressed directly in the analogue world and given the opportunity to experience jobs in practice and gain a comprehensive picture. The study also comes to the conclusion that individual skills are becoming increasingly important compared to formal qualifications.