BERLIN, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, approved the reintroduction of the highest form of certification for skilled craftsmen in the country on Friday.
At the beginning of 2020, the German certificate which translates as master would again be required by skilled crafts and trades, such as interior designer, floor tiler, wooden toy makers and organ builders.
With the reintroduction of the requirement, Germany was "sending out a strong signal for more quality and qualification in the skilled trades", said Hans Peter Wollseifer, president of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH).
In 2004, the obligation to hold a master craftsman certificate was abolished for more than 50 professions in Germany. According to ZDH, that had sent the "fatal message that qualification was not important."
The abolishment had led to "fewer trainees, fewer skilled workers, less quality, companies disappearing from the market more quickly and, as a result, less warranty and consumer protection"; the decision of the German Bundesrat was a "clear step towards the future", stressed Wollseifer.
The affected twelve trades for which the certification requirement was reintroduced were professions with high safety requirements or with "culturally valuable knowledge" that should be passed on, according to the governmental bill.
