Arbeitsmarkt: Abiturienten streben verstärkt Handwerksberufe an – nicht nur aus Angst vor Jobmangel durch KI

Many young people in Germany are increasingly choosing vocational training in the skilled trades, not just due to concerns over job loss caused by artificial intelligence (AI). Paul von Hagemeister, a 22-year-old master's student from Munich, installed air conditioning systems, maintained gas heaters, and set up heat pumps after graduating from high school in 2022.

He believes his chosen trade is something AI cannot take away from him: "When I started my apprenticeship, ChatGPT was still very new. Even so, job security was already a decisive factor for my career choice." Von Hagemeister is not alone in this view. Since 2023, the number of new apprentices in skilled trades has been increasing annually, following a sharp decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) figures show that around 67,800 young people signed new apprenticeship contracts in the skilled trades during the first half of 2026, a 4.9% increase compared to the same period in 2025. A total of 346,000 young people were in vocational training in the skilled trades in 2025.

The German Federation of Trade Unions (ZDH) attributes this trend partly to the development of AI, saying that young people recognize the skilled trades as a real alternative for those seeking secure jobs. AI has already made human skills redundant in many areas of work, automating complex code, tax preparation, personalized customer offers, and costing much less than a young worker's salary.

Academic entry-level jobs are becoming less common as more people opt for non-academic entry-level positions, such as junior roles in IT, law, or accounting. Hiring for highly-skilled positions in the IT sector fell by 23% in 2025 compared to the previous year. Experts predict that the trend toward fewer academic entrants will continue as technology advances.

The Federal Employment Agency forecasts a slight decline in academic entrants to the workforce over the coming years, although the level will remain high. "The least concern currently should be for people with middle-level education who can and want to pursue a skilled trade," says Mathias Albert, a political scientist and youth researcher at the University of Bielefeld.

Young people should consider the potential devaluation of their academic degrees in light of the growing job market for skilled trades. As of 2025, there are around 250,000 open positions in the skilled trades, and many companies are actively seeking qualified successors. According to the ZDH, "the pressure to study remains high, especially among academic families."

Berufliche Berater Thomas Müller of the Regensburg Arbeitsagentur notes that outdated stereotypes about skilled trades often contribute to the pressure to study. In recent years, the government and skilled trade unions have aimed to modernize skilled trade training to better compete with academic qualifications. This includes aligning vocational certificates with those in academia and starting to promote further and continuing education in the skilled trades through Aufstiegs-Bafög (apprenticeship training grants).

Young people with a high school diploma are increasingly choosing skilled trade apprenticeships over direct university studies. While only around 5% of new apprentices in 1995 held a high school diploma, the figure was already close to 16% in 2025, according to ZDH data. Skilled trades benefit from the climate policy, with innovations like renewable energy technologies attracting interest from young people eager to "make the world better."

Harald Gerster, an expert in vocational training at the Handwerkskammer in Munich and Oberbayern, notes that job opportunities in climate-friendly sectors like photovoltaic installations, heat pumps, and climate technology are attracting attention at job fairs. The idea of using a skilled trade to "create something future-proof" resonated with Meisterschüler von Hagemeister.

The upcoming 2026 Klimaschutzprogramm, presented by Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider, highlights job opportunities in the skilled trades, driven by government climate measures such as building renovations, heating system replacements, and installing electric vehicle charging stations. Particularly in emerging or rapidly growing skilled trade fields, demand for skilled workers is expected to rise significantly in the coming years.

Currently, most apprenticeship contracts are still in the manufacturing and trade sectors, but the industrial and economic crisis has led to a 4.6% decrease in apprenticeship offers in these sectors compared to the previous year.