BERLIN, July 2 (Xinhua) -- German companies offered around seven percent less vocational training places year-on-year due to the impact of COVID-19, according to a company survey published by the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) on Thursday.
"Despite many creative approaches on the part of companies, the number of vocational training places on offer in this coronavirus year will be lower than in 2019," according to DIHK. Many application processes had come to a standstill and recruitment was often delayed.
Although every fourth German company would conduct job interviews via video and telephone conferences due to the contact restrictions implemented to dampen the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, DIHK assumed that processes were delayed by two to three months.
"Many companies are currently forced to drive on sight," commented DIHK deputy director Achim Dercks. "They are therefore also thoroughly rethinking their training decisions and postponing them if necessary."
Furthermore, a deterioration of the economic situation had already become apparent in autumn 2019, particularly in parts of the German industry, "so that companies had already made adjustments here before the coronavirus pandemic," Dercks added.
Already in May, German officials, industry representatives and trade unions agreed on measures to "cushion" the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the vocational training in the country. German companies that maintain or even increase the number of training places receive a one-off premium.
Also, German companies that take on trainees from bankrupt companies were to receive a temporary employment bonus, according to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Enditem
