Trainees continue to enjoy a positive development in their earnings

In 2015, training allowances based on collective wage agreements rose significantly for the fourth year in succession. The average gross amount earned by trainees in West Germany was €832 per month. This represents an increase of 3.7 % compared to the previous year. In East Germany, training allowances based on collective wage agreements rose by 4.3 % to reach an average of €769 per month. There has, however, been no change in the gap in collective wage agreement levels between the East and the West. As in the previous year, the amount of remuneration in East Germany stood at 92 % of the western rate. The average training allowance based on collective wage agreements for the whole of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2015 was €826 per month (+ 3.9 %).

These results were arrived at by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in its 2015 evaluation of training allowances based on collective wage agreements. Average remunerations were calculated for 180 occupations in West Germany and 149 occupations in East Germany. These occupations account for 89 % of all training contracts. BIBB has been carrying out this evaluation of training allowances based on collective wage agreements, for which the cut-off date is 1 October, on an annual basis since 1976.

There are considerable differences in the amount of remuneration between the training occupations. In 2015, training allowances based on collective wage agreements were particularly high in the main construction trades, such as bricklayer. In West Germany, the average remuneration received in these occupations was €1,057 per month. Average allowances in the main construction trades in East Germany were lower, the corresponding figure here being €861. Very high allowances were also paid in occupations such as mechatronics fitter (West: €998, East: €976), insurance and financial services broker (West and East: €986) and print media technologist (West and East: €943).

Training allowances based on collective wage agreements tended to be low in 2015 in occupations such as hairdresser (West: €494, East: €269), florist (West: €587, East: €422), baker (West and East: €600) and painter and varnisher (West and East: €627).

Because of the good economic situation in Germany, and particularly in light of the growing difficulties experienced by many companies in filling their training places, training allowances based on collective wage agreements have been raised significantly over recent years. Since 2012, average overall rates of increase have been between 3.7 % and 4.6 % in West Germany and between 4.1 % and 5.0 % in East Germany.

In training occupations with a major shortage of applicants, such as craft trade occupations in the food industry, occupations in the hotel and restaurant trade, and occupations in the cleaning sector, above-average increases could be observed in 2015 in some cases. One example of this was the occupation of “baker”, which saw an increase of 5.3 % in both West and East Germany. Significant rises of 4.3 % in the West and 5.3 % in the East also took place in the occupations of “restaurant specialist” and “cook”. A considerable increase occurred in the occupation of “professional caterer”, where rises of 7.7 % and 9.3 % were recorded in the West and East respectively. By way of contrast, allowances in the occupation of “industrial cleaner” in West Germany rose by only 2.4 %, whereas the East saw a slightly above-average increase of 4.7 %.

Considerable differences between West and East Germany also persist between areas of training. In 2015, above-average training allowances were paid in occupations governed by the chambers of com-merce and industry (West: €901, East: €826) and in the public sector (West: €880, East: €879). On the other hand, training allowances were below the average level in agriculture (West: €723, East: €625), in the liberal professions (West: €738, East: €720) and in the craft trades sector (West: €697, East: €600).

Reprint free of charge – voucher copy requested.