Skills shortage in the skilled trades really?

Craftsmen, I salute you!

Skills shortage in the skilled trades really? and is it just the youth?

I have been self-employed for eleven years and have my own company. However, I started out as a sub-entrepreneur and traveled a lot in Germany and got to know a lot of companies.

If you think there is a shortage of skilled workers, I can tell you that the skilled workers are simply at better companies. It’s not just down to young people that the skilled trades are uninteresting, it’s down to the companies that have failed to modernize for years.

I’ll give you a few examples of what I experienced, and it was very often the case that there were simply very few tools available. The tools that were there were extremely old or even damaged. The worst and most blatant topic was always drills. Drills were never available, regardless of the company, so you usually had to spend an hour in the morning looking for your tools.

Of course, that doesn’t have much to do with fun. Next, the workshops are extremely old, nothing or very little has been modernized in recent years and the workshops are mostly cold and very dark.

Unfortunately, the workshop also resembles the break room. In other words, where the craftsmen are supposed to be motivated and recharge their batteries, it is even more demotivating. I mean, there could be a couch there. There could be free WLAN available during the break so that employees can simply have a nice break.

There is a complete lack of extraction systems in the workshop. Helmets, modern technology that also benefits the health of employees.

And then you have to accuse young people of not wanting to do such a job if they have to put their health at risk. These issues are not even addressed, which is a great pity.

There are still some skilled workers in Germany who only work for companies that pay well and have a super workshop and equipment so that the employee can simply work well.

I hear that again and again. I have many people from my community who confirm exactly that and unfortunately I often hear that they don’t even know whether they will ever pursue this profession after their apprenticeship. For the reasons mentioned above, their health doesn’t matter at all and it is demotivating to spend the whole day looking for tools and then not being able to work optimally.

Of course, another aspect is the salary, which unfortunately is still not adjusted. There are still differences between East and West and perhaps wages should be generally adjusted and raised here.

So my opinion is that it’s the companies’ responsibility to work through this first, so that many more people, young people, will want to learn such a profession again.

You just have to be honest and realistic. They can choose another job where they earn more money and where they don’t put their health at risk. You just have to ask yourself what you would choose.

I have also recorded a video about this. I’d love to see a video of it again and I’d love to hear your opinion.