In 2024, Germany’s dual vocational training system saw a slight decline in new contracts, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) in Wiesbaden. Around 475,100 new training contracts were signed last year, a 1.0 percent decrease or 4,700 fewer than in 2023.
While contracts signed by German trainees fell by 4 percent, those for foreign trainees rose significantly by 17 percent. Over the past decade, this trend has intensified: total new training contracts decreased by 8 percent between 2014 and 2024, while contracts for foreign trainees nearly doubled, increasing from 36,200 in 2014 to about 70,000 in 2024.
Foreign nationals accounted for approximately 15 percent of all new training contracts in 2024, up from 7 percent in 2014. Trainees from Vietnam (7,100 contracts), Syria (6,800), and Ukraine (5,800) were among the largest groups. Notably, the number of contracts for Ukrainian trainees nearly tripled compared to 2023, rising from 1,900 to 5,800. Vietnamese trainees also saw a significant increase, while contracts for Syrian trainees decreased slightly by around 110 compared to the previous year.
Among female trainees, the most common occupations in 2024 were Medical Assistants (16,100 contracts), followed by Office Management Clerks (15,200), and Dental Assistants (12,800). For male trainees, the top professions remained largely unchanged: Automotive Mechatronics Technicians (22,700), IT Specialists (15,300), and Electronics Technicians (14,000).
In 2024, approximately 339,200 trainees successfully completed their examinations, alongside roughly 16,000 external exams outside the dual system. Additionally, around 80,100 master or advanced training examinations were completed, while 19,700 retraining examinations enabled professional reorientation. Popular retraining fields included Office Management Clerks (3,700) and IT Specialists in System Integration (1,600) and Application Development (1,300).
At the end of 2024, around 1,217,900 individuals were enrolled in dual vocational training programs in Germany. The majority were in industry and commerce (688,500 or 56%), followed by crafts (341,000 or 28%), liberal professions (112,100 or 9%), public service (41,500 or 3%), agriculture (31,600 or 2.6%), and housekeeping (3,300 or 0.3%).
Over the past ten years, most sectors experienced a decline in trainee numbers, particularly industry and commerce (-15% or -116,900) and crafts (-8% or -28,500). Housekeeping and agriculture also saw decreases, while the public sector (+19% or +6,700) and liberal professions (+3% or +3,300) experienced growth.
Methodology
The data is based on official statistics under § 88 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and includes training occupations according to the BBiG or Crafts Code (HwO). The statistics do not include vocational training at vocational schools, health schools, or nursing training programs.
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