Ursel Hauschildt Why Apprentices Quit Results of a German Case Study

1. Ursel Hauschildt Why Apprentices Quit Results of a German Case Study 24 April 2013, University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa

2. Ursel Hauschildt We have a well established apprenticeship system. But: In Germany, more than 20% of all training contracts between apprentices and companies offering in-company training terminate at an early stage or later during the cause of apprenticeship.

3. Ursel Hauschildt …some voices of apprentices: „I had difficulties with my boss . He always shouted at me. I was afraid!“ „Being an apprentice meant: bar, service, kitchen bistro, frying Schnitzel – seven days a week. Always 10 to 12 hour. Free time at a weekend only while taking holydays upon a well-reasoned request.“ „Even in the third year of training, I did not see the office. I have never been doing things that would have been relevant for my apprenticeship.“ „I was always alone in the office and could not learn anything. All customers had not been acquainted to a situation where an apprentices was taking the phone. They have always called my boss on his mobile. When I had been given a work task, that was only something to do for two hours a day maximum.“

4. Ursel Hauschildt An early termination of apprenticeship contracts have serious implications for all parties concerned... ... for apprentices: much frustration and a loss of time. Useless waiting loops. (For the government or community) expensive transition measures. Joblessness in the worst case.. ... For companies: Malinvestment, loss of labor and time, bottlenecks... and a lack of well trained personnel in the long run

5. Ursel Hauschildt Drop-outs in Apprenticeships in Germany (source: BIBB (2012)

6. Ursel Hauschildt Meanwhile in the majority of cases examines in our study, both, employers/trainers as well as apprentices do believe that: “…this drop-out could have been avoided!” If this is right, one has to analyze the major reasons for early contract terminations in order to derive measures of how to prevent them in future.

7. Ursel Hauschildt Our study: some backgrounds In 2010, drop-out rates in apprenticeship have reached 25.7% in Saxony, which was about 2.7% above the German average. In cooperation with I:BB, University of Bremen, the Regional Council Leipzig and Northern Saxony have initiated a project to examine the reasons for drop-outs in apprenticeships (early termination/cancellation of training contracts). This study was supported by • the regional transition management initiatives of the county of Northern Saxony • Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Crafts in Leipzig as well as the Saxony Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG)

8. Our method: Two different questionnaires (one for apprentices, one for companies concerned) Ursel Hauschildt Chamber of Commerce: Leipzig • 400 companies returns: 159 (40%) • 700 apprentices returns: 149 (21%) Chamber of trades Leipzig • 299 companies returns: 130 (44%) • 358 apprentices returns: 83 (23%) Regional council Northern Saxony • 23 companies returns: 23 (100%) • 19 apprentices returns: 14 (74%) The sample: Valid data: Company questionnaires: 305, apprentice questionnaires: 254

9. Ursel Hauschildt Central questions of this study: an overview • What were the expectations of companies and apprentices at the beginning of apprenticeship? • Who took the initiative to cancel the contract? • At what stage of apprenticeship did the contract end? • What are the correlations between drop-out rates and specific vocations, the size of training companies, branches of companies etc • What are the major reasons for an early contract termination? (view of apprentices and view of companies/trainers) a) personal reasons b) vocational reasons c) reasons related to the training company d) reasons related to the vocational schools • Consequences /Measures to take

10. Ursel Hauschildt Answers to these questions: • What were the expectations of companies and apprentices at the beginning of apprenticeship? • 2/3 of the apprentices had started their apprenticeship with (great) optimism. “promising” Answers according to the three different chambers involved “pretty much ok” “I had some doubts”” Very promising “not very promising” Statements of apprentices to the statement: “I thought that an apprenticeship in that company would be promising”

11. “promising” “average” “we had great doubts” “very promising” “we had little doubts” Statements of companies to the question: “How suitable or how promising did you consider the candidate for this position after having finished the assessment / selection process?”

12. “promising” “average” “we had great doubts” “very promising” “we had little doubts” Statements of companies to the question: “How suitable or how promising did you consider the candidate for this position after having finished the assessment / selection process?” So, also 2/3 of the companies were of the opinion to employ the right candidate. Moreover, in 2/3 of all cases, there have been several applicants for the training position, so that there has not been a lack of alternatives.

13. Ursel Hauschildt Answers to the question: • Who took the initiative to cancel the contract? The apprentice The company It was a mutual decision For this question as well, the data collected from companies and apprentices led to a similar picture. n=249

14. Ursel Hauschildt Answers to the question • At what stage of apprenticeship did the contract end? The great majority of early contract terminations (about 2/3) happen during the first year of training (This result is relevant for all branches/trades. Only in a few occupations, apprenticeship contracts have a tendency to as well terminate at later stage, for example in the gastronomy sector or in vocations like hair dresser. Also here, the analysis of both questionnaires come to a similar picture.

15. Answers to the question: • What are the correlations between drop-out rates and specific vocations, the size of training companies, branches of companies etc. • a) company size: • The risks of drop-out is higher in smaller or smallest companies compared to larger companies. This refers to all branches. (n = 305) Examination of the three larges branches in this study

16. Answers to the question: • What are the correlations between drop-out rates and specific vocations, the size of training companies, branches of companies etc. • b) vocations: • Vocations with a high risk of early contract termination are among others • - restaurant service assistant, cook, hair dresser, hotel service clerk, florist, dental technician. • Vocations with a relatively low risk of drop-outs are: • - mechatronic, bank clerk, administrative clerk, industrial clerk. The percentage of early terminated contracts in Saxony is - according to branches: 24,8% in industries/trade, 27,4% in crafts and 1,4% for “green vocations” (farmer, gardener etc)

17. Answers to the question: • What are the major reasons for an early contract termination? (view of apprentices and view of companies/trainers) • In the opinion of companies, the major reasons for early terminated • apprenticeship contracts are personal reasons of the learner, but most of all vocational reasons. • Companies quote that the apprentice had a wrong idea about the occupation and that there was a lack of interest combined with a lack of performance. But: the main reasons for a drop-out are interpreted differently by apprentices and companies. In this respect, the statements of apprentices and apprenticing companies do not fit to each other.

18. Ursel Hauschildt 5. Reasons for early contract terminations (view of apprenticing companies) Private/family related problems Lack of identification with the training company/ inadequate performance of apprentices Inadequate performance of apprentice in vocational school and lateness, unexcused absences

19. Major reason for early contract terminations in crafts.

20. 2/3 of the apprentices have drawn consequences from the experience of early contract termination :- better inforamtion about the training company (46%), - doning an internship in a relevant company (28%) - better infomation about the vocation (19%). On the other hand 60% of the trainers / company representatives do not see the necessity of changing their recruitment or training practice ¼ of the training providing companies has drawn consequences from their experiences of early contract termination. These are- further education of trainers- better communication with apprentices- more intensive and a better quality of assessment procedures Ursel Hauschildt 6. What are the consequences?

21. A final question: What happens after a contract termination? … apprentices … companies

22. Ursel Hauschildt An encouraging result of the survey is that two thirds of the apprentices that had experienced a contract cancellation of a first (or second) training contract still pursue a vocational career, study or follow further educational pathways. This means that a contract termination does not necessarily mean a definite drop-out. A large majority of former drop-outs decide to stay “in the apprenticeship system”, but change the training company (more than 50%). Every fourth contract termination can as well be considered as a“real” drop-out, i.e. those were apprentices who remained out of work (19.4%) or worked in another company without finishing their apprenticeship (7.9%).

23. Ursel Hauschildt What happens after an early contract termination?

24. What about the training companies?

25. Ursel Hauschildt Measures to avoid early contract terminations Preventive Measures (measures before starting contract signature) - early vocational orientation and internships - individual career guidance - support of companies in applicant selection processes - working on a better vocational maturity („quality“ of school leavers), working on an improvement of „soft skills“ - regular allergy tests (for apprentices who wish to be trained as hair dresser/baker/florist/dental technicians Intervention Measures (measures during the course of apprenticeship) - mediation (also external VET mediation, for example via chambers) - further qualification of VET teachers/trainers - setting up of vocational subject matter working groups (VET trainers and teachers) f - quality assurance of in-company training (for example with tools like„QRC“)

27. Ursel Hauschildt Situation of apprentices after an early contract termination Contract termination  ≠ termination of (vocational) education BIBB data report 2011: Almost 50% of all apprentices start another apprenticeship afterwards. IBB study in Osnabrück 2009: 44% started a new apprenticeship. A further 14% entered a technical high school, 8% sind Teilnehmer einer Maßnahme, 7% entschieden sich für weiteren Schulbesuch (Gymnasium oder Fachoberschule) und 5 % begannen ein Studium. 3% traten ihren Wehrdienst an. 13% gaben an berufstätig ohne Ausbildung zu sein. 12% wurden arbeitslos. Nach der IBB Erhebung handelt es sich also in rund einem Viertel der Fälle um einen echten Ausbildungsabbruch.

28. 5thInternational Conference, 23-24 April 2013, Johannesburg Gardener Farmer Personal care business Other trades Health care and cleaning business Food industry Motor and vehicle repair trade Electro- and metal trades Wood working and construction business IT electronics and media Hotels and restaurant trades Metal trades Commerce Construction Transport and logistics The percentage of early terminated contracts is - according to branches: 24,8% in industries/trade 27,4% in crafts und 1,4% for “green vocations” (farmer, gardener etc) .