Business · Economy · 1 day ago
2.76 million young adults in Germany have no vocational qualification
Germany has 2.76 million people aged 20 to 34 without a vocational qualification, nearly one in five in that age group.
Without a qualification, young people face higher risks of unemployment, insecure work and low pay, even as companies look for skilled workers.
Only 40% of registered applicants found an apprenticeship place, the lowest share since German reunification, according to the Federal Employment Agency.
The reasons include companies offering fewer places amid economic uncertainty and a mismatch between available training and what applicants seek.
A part-time nursing apprenticeship in Bochum gives a single mother a route into training that fits around her childcare; it takes four years instead of three.
High rents also make it hard for young people to move for training, so an apprentice residence in Frankfurt offers rooms at prices linked to apprentices’ earnings and support with study or workplace problems.
Better matching and support could help more young people complete training, but no further measures or timeline are specified.
Germany has 2.76 million people aged 20 to 34 without a vocational qualification, nearly one in five in that age group.
The figure is at its highest level since German reunification, according to the 2026 vocational training report.
The Federal Employment Agency said 179,000 applicants found an apprenticeship, 12,000 fewer than a year earlier.
Experts point to weak employer willingness to offer training and a mismatch between available places and what applicants seek.
Part-time training and affordable housing for apprentices are among the approaches described to help young people enter vocational training.
- Who
- 2.76 million people in Germany aged 20 to 34 lack a vocational qualification.
- What
- The number without a qualification is nearly one in five people in that age group.
- When
- The figure was reported in 2026. The article was published on November 7, 2026.
- Where
- Germany.
- Why
- The article cites reduced employer willingness to offer training and a mismatch between training places and applicants’ needs. It also describes childcare and housing costs as barriers.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Federal Employment Agency presented its latest apprenticeship market balance.
Tagesschau reported that 2.76 million people aged 20 to 34 in Germany had no vocational qualification.
- People without qualification
- 2.76 million aged 20 to 34
- Share of age group
- Nearly one in five
- Applicants who found apprenticeships
- 179,000
- Change from previous year
- 12,000 fewer applicants found an apprenticeship
- Apprenticeship housing in Frankfurt
- Kolping Jugendwohnen; warm rent depends on the apprentice’s salary
What people are saying
179,000 applicants found an apprenticeship. That is 12,000 fewer than in the previous year.
Unfortunately, this is the lowest share since German reunification.
In principle, before their working lives have even begun, they have already been shunted onto the sidelines.
We have two particular phenomena in the training market: employers’ reluctance to offer training because of the economic situation, and the issue of matching training places with demand.