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"Without us there will be no energy transition"

2022-07-21T04:23:34.255Z


"Without us there will be no energy transition" Created: 07/21/2022, 06:00 By: Hans Moritz A yawning emptiness in the workroom of an Erdinger school – the picture on the left is symbolic of what district master craftsman Rudolf Waxenberger believes “educational policy has failed for decades”. © Hans Moritz Germany suffers from a blatant shortage of skilled workers - there are not enough crafts


"Without us there will be no energy transition"

Created: 07/21/2022, 06:00

By: Hans Moritz

A yawning emptiness in the workroom of an Erdinger school – the picture on the left is symbolic of what district master craftsman Rudolf Waxenberger believes “educational policy has failed for decades”.

© Hans Moritz

Germany suffers from a blatant shortage of skilled workers - there are not enough craftsmen.

Is this also due to decades of failed educational policy?

At least that's what district master craftsman Rudolf Waxenberger thinks.

Erding - Regardless of the continuing dramatic shortage of skilled workers in trade and industry, the trend continues after fourth grade if possible to go to high school.

A flood of academics on the one hand, companies that are bleeding out and weeks of waiting for a craftsman on the other - these scissors are now also alarming the Ministry of Education.

Minister Michael Piazolo (FW) is now considering introducing a Crafts Day in secondary schools - to stimulate interest in these professions.

But is that enough?

“I am pleased that the discrepancy is finally being noticed by politicians.

And in principle it is also right to focus more on handicrafts, especially in grammar schools.

However, I wonder if this is the right way," says Erding's district master craftsman Rudolf Waxenberger in an interview with our newspaper.

The contractor simply considers one advertising day for the trades to be “far too little”.


One possibility would be to promote crafts more intensively in compulsory school internships.

But Waxenberger sees little willingness and understanding on the part of the schools.

"I've been to job fairs at high schools.

But I was only seen as a stopgap.”


“We simply have a major social problem – everyone wants to go to high school.

The parents want that because they believe that this is the only place where the children have the greatest opportunities for working life.” What annoys Waxenberger: “The advantages of a skilled trades are not seen.” For example, a safe and crisis-proof job, just like in most craft trades very good income.

"We saw that in the financial market crisis in 2008, and we are now experiencing it in the Corona and Ukraine crisis." The district of Erding is a good example of this: Because of its many craft businesses, it came through the crises better than others.


In view of the challenges facing the whole country, everyone must recognize which professions we will need in the coming years.

"Without us there can be no energy transition," Waxenberger clarifies.

“Who is supposed to assemble all the wind turbines, screw solar panels onto the roofs, install heat pumps and lay the pipes?” he asks.

And he points out: “Siemens, BMW and the airport – they all depend on manual work.”


Actually, it is already too late to change course for the energy transition.

“For decades, only the grammar school career has been preached and middle schools avoided.

It won't happen that quickly," he regrets.


And what can chambers of industry, commerce and crafts do?

"We're at trade fairs, we talk our mouths off, but we don't get through." The manufacturing industry has a bad reputation.


From Waxenberger's point of view, less in society than in schools.

He gives an example that makes him downright angry.

Waxenberger reports on learning status discussions instead of interim reports at more and more elementary schools.

He knows several examples in which poor performance is represented by pictures of a worker or bricklayer instead of asterisks or dots.

"What image does that convey?" he asks.

"If you don't perform well, you can only become a craftsman." For him, "discrimination is still the mildest expression for it".


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And he also criticizes the system of technical and vocational schools.

The hurdles for high school students with below-average grades are being lowered again and again, "so that as many people as possible can still get their entrance qualification for a technical college or university," says the district master craftsman.

“Everything is done to prevent young people from taking up an apprenticeship as far as possible.


For him, the problem extends to the training, study and university place placement.

Waxenberger reports on a particularly drastic case: "A high school student with good people wanted to become a carpenter at all costs.

But the vocational counselor tried to persuade him that, for heaven's sake, he shouldn't go to work with such a certificate.


Waxenberger is certain: "There has been a mistake in education policy for decades."

This further shrinks the potential of young people.

And that's why it's not surprising "that we only sign around 250 new apprenticeship contracts per year, while every year in Erdinger Land around 1000 young people leave grammar schools and the FOS/BOS.

It took many years before they found their professional place.

At that time, craftsmen had long been earning their own money - "and often significantly more than, for example, an assistant doctor".

ham

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-07-21

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