How many apprenticeship places have been filled by skilled workers from third countries in Germany over the last two years?

The number of apprentices has been falling for years. According to the Federal Employment Agency, around 70,000 apprenticeship places are currently unfilled.

Without the many foreign apprentices, far more places would have remained vacant in 2024. According to the Federal Employment Agency, there are currently around 240,000 apprentices from abroad who do not hold a German passport. That is approximately 15 per cent of all apprentices in Germany.

Official statistics do not separately report specific overall figures on how many of the approximately 475,000 new apprenticeship contracts concluded each year were awarded exclusively to skilled workers from third countries (non-EU countries). Data is primarily recorded by nationality.

The situation is as follows:

• Steady increase: The total number of apprentices with foreign nationality (without a German passport) has risen to over 240,000. This corresponds to around 15 percent of all apprentices.
• Immigration from third countries: Looking specifically at immigration from third countries for the purpose of undertaking vocational training, the number of residence permits issued stood at around 10,200. The vast majority of foreign apprentices come from EU countries or entered the country primarily as asylum seekers or refugees.
• Positive trend: Despite a decline in the total number of apprenticeship contracts, the number of new contracts for apprentices of foreign nationality has recently risen by 17 percent. Without foreign apprentices, far more apprenticeship places would have remained unfilled