According to an IHK survey, practical relevance and the prospect of being taken on are the most important factors contributing to trainee satisfaction in the eastern German states.
The analysis of this year’s survey of 5,314 first-year trainees (2025/2026) conducted by the Chambers of Industry and Commerce in Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia provides fascinating insights into the perspectives and lived experiences of young people in training.
A total of 85 per cent of apprentices in IHK-accredited trades would recommend the apprenticeship programme at their company. For young people, the direct link to practical work remains particularly important: around 94 per cent of those surveyed stated that practical tasks and immediate immersion in everyday working life are key reasons for choosing an apprenticeship. “Can Gen Z and Alpha be enticed by financial benefits and unlimited freedom? The survey once again clearly shows what young people really expect from their training company: trust and a welcoming culture, getting stuck into the work as quickly as possible, being allowed to become part of the team, and being offered medium- to long-term career prospects,” said Ina Hänsel, President of the Potsdam Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), on behalf of the State Working Group of the three Brandenburg Chambers of Industry and Commerce.
Most young people continued to learn about their training company through their personal networks (49 per cent). At the same time, the use of companies’ websites as a source of information fell by around 9 percentage points compared with the previous year, whilst online job boards and school-based initiatives gained in importance. Work placements, holiday jobs and company visits played an important role for 28 per cent of those surveyed.
Failure to take up a position due to poor accessibility
The survey results also highlight that mobility and accessibility to both the vocational school and the training company remain key issues in vocational training. More than a quarter of young people take between 60 and 120 minutes to travel to vocational school. At the same time, 24 per cent of respondents stated that they had already turned down a training offer due to excessive distance or poor transport links.
Artificial intelligence is part of everyday training
“The open approach to AI applications is also striking. There is still untapped potential in this area in many companies. Chatbots as personalised learning aids, for example, are a great help in teaching new content and preparing for exams. Trainers can then use the time saved to better support their trainees on a personal level,” said President Ina Hänsel.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now part of everyday training, as the newly included questions in the survey show. Around 62 per cent of trainees use AI applications in their free time, just under 50 per cent already do so at vocational school, and 22 per cent do so during in-company training.
The State Working Group (LAG) is a collaboration between the three Chambers of Industry and Commerce in the state of Brandenburg. It represents the interests of around 160,000 companies from industry, commerce and the service sector.
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Good prospects of being taken on and practical relevance win over trainees