Increasing number of applicants in Altenburger Land – 44 training positions unfilled!

Increasing number of applicants in Altenburger Land – 44 training positions unfilled!

In Altenburger Land, the training market drew a mixed conclusion at the end of the 2024/2025 consulting year. According to abg-net.de, the number of applicants rose by 15 percent to 206, which is an increase of 27 people compared to the previous year means. The majority of these young people have a secondary school diploma, followed by 24 percent with a secondary school diploma and 11 percent with a technical or university entrance qualification. 

A total of 460 training and dual study places were reported in Altenburger Land, an increase of 30 positions, or 7 percent, compared to the previous year. Mathematically, there are only 46 applicants for 100 positions, which indicates an uneven distribution. Despite the higher number of applications, 44 training positions remained unfilled this year, primarily in the areas of machine and system management, professional driving and sales.

Popular professions among young people

The wishes of young applicants relate to a variety of careers. The most sought-after training positions include salespeople, automotive mechatronics technicians (car technology) and warehouse clerks. Professions such as IT specialist in application development, clerk in office management and medical assistant are also very popular. It is interesting that 59 percent of the registered applicants have already started training or a dual study program, while 19 young people are still actively looking for a place.

Despite the positive figures regarding the number of applicants, the shortage of skilled workers is still at the forefront of the discussion. Many companies in Altenburger Land are willing to provide training, but they have difficulty finding enough suitable candidates. The willingness to train remains high, but appears to be heavily influenced by company closures and bankruptcies.

The challenges of the skilled labor market

The situation in Altenburger Land reflects a larger trend that can be seen throughout Germany. According to p4y.info, around 73,400 training places were unfilled in Germany in 2023, while there were only 19,800 unplaced applicants. Technical, craft and nursing professions are particularly affected and are struggling with an acute shortage of skilled workers. The reasons for this include the decline in the number of school leavers due to a decline in the birth rate, the trend towards academization and lack of education, which prevents many young people from pursuing a career.

In addition, the effects of the corona pandemic, such as school closures and canceled internships, have made finding a career more difficult. Companies report applicants who often do not meet the requirements. It is therefore important that training positions are adapted to the needs of the economy in order to avoid production delays and rising wage costs.

Measures to secure skilled workers

The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) regularly monitors skilled workers, which analyzes bottlenecks and surpluses in the labor market. The continuous monitoring of professional groups that particularly suffer from a shortage of skilled workers, as described in bmas.de, is of great importance in order to develop countermeasures at an early stage. Measures such as early career orientation, language support and close cooperation between schools, companies and the employment agency are crucial in order to properly prepare young people and ensure their long-term integration into the labor market.

The challenge remains great, but the commitment of companies and the support through programs for the integration of international trainees could show a way out of the current misery. In these dynamic and challenging times, it is necessary that all actors pull together.