English information on the skilled crafts
(last updated in 2008)
Facts and figures
- Employees: 4,8 million (12 percent of the total labour force)
- Enterprises: 945,000 (27 percent of all businesses)
- Apprentices: 480,000 (30 percent of all apprentices)
- Turn-over: 470 billion (incl. VAT, 8 percent of total gross value added)
The skilled crafts sector in Germany includes over 100 occupations in the following areas:
- Building and interior finishes trades
- Electrical and metalworking trades
- Woodcrafts and plastic trades
- Clothing, textiles and leather crafts and trades
- Food crafts and trades
- Health and body care trades as well as the chemical and cleaning
- sector
- Graphic design
Membership of a skilled craft in Germany is not regulated via the company size or turnover, but by law. The Trade and Crafts Code determines which occupations are part of the crafts sector. Annex A lists all the occupations, for which a master craftsman’s examination is a prerequisite for self-employment. The legislator demands a master craftsman’s examination for occupations that are particularly susceptible to dangers and/or require special training. Annex B1 lists all other skilled crafts occupations for which a master craftsperson’s examination can be taken voluntarily. So-called ‘skilled crafts-like trades’ are listed in Annex B2.
Vocational education and further crafts training
The skilled crafts sector is number 1 in Germany when it comes to providing training. Its dual training system is unique. It combines practical work and learning in the enterprise with theoretical education in a vocational school during training. The training concludes with the skilled worker’s examination after three to three and a half years. Every skilled worker can take further training and sit the master craftsman’s examination. The master craftsman’s examination is the top specialist skilled crafts qualification and authorises the person to manage an enterprise and to train apprentices.
Skilled workers and master craftsmen can select from a wide variety of options for further training. Examples include further training as a crafts management expert for entrepreneurs and managers or an internationally reputed specialist training as an artisan restorer. In many federal states the master craftsman’s qualification opens the door to studies in a polytechnic or university.
The skilled crafts organisation
The skilled crafts organisation is divided into two pillars: the chambers of skilled crafts and the national confederations of skilled crafts.
Chambers of skilled crafts are non-profit corporations under public law with compulsory membership for each skilled craft enterprise. The chambers offer a wide spectrum of services ranging from advice on technical, financial and legal matters to consultancy on vocational training. They keep the crafts register and are responsible for holding examinations. As self-governing business entities they also represent the interests of the crafts sector in their chamber district vis-à-vis the political institutions and the public administration. This task is taken over at federal state level by a state’s working group of chambers or the state skilled crafts sector representatives. The 54 chambers of skilled crafts are confederated at national level in the German Confederation of Chambers of Skilled Crafts (DHKT).
National confederations of skilled crafts
The national confederations of skilled crafts are organisations with a voluntary membership. They represent the specific specialist interests of a trade or groups of trades. They also fulfil the function of employers’ organisations, e.g. they negotiate wage rates.
The ‘bottom-up’ structure of the skilled crafts sector is as follows: self-employed craftsmen can form a ‘guild’ at local level. Membership is voluntary.
Various guilds combine to form ‘Local Councils of Skilled Crafts’. Regional confederations exist at federal state level. The 38 confederations of guilds nationwide and eight other professional associations acting as cooperation partners together form the German Association of Skilled Crafts Confederations (UDH).
ZDH – The German Confederation of Skilled Crafts
DHKT and UDH are confederated in the ZDH (German Confederation of Skilled Crafts). ZDH has its headquarters in Berlin.
The purpose of the ZDH is to reach a consensus on all major issues in crafts policy. It represents the overall interests of the skilled crafts sector vis-à-vis the Bundestag, the Federal Government and other central authorities, the European Union and international organisations. ZDH is also a member of UEAPME (European Union of Crafts and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) and has a liaison office to the European Union in Brussels. The ZDH liaison office represents the interests of the German skilled crafts sector at European level, maintains relationships with partner organisations in the EU and develops European projects for German skilled crafts organisations.
ZDH’s political targets
ZDH is committed to a social free market system and to a SME policy of competitive excellence that promotes independent small and medium-sized enterprises through suitable economic framework conditions and thus contributes to their ability to develop their potential as employers and providers of vocational education and further training. ZDH opposes excessive state control, a restriction on private property and the abuse of market power. In finance and taxation policy ZDH seeks a reduction in the government expenditure/GNP ratio, lower public authority debt as well as relief for enterprises (with a priority for SMEs) and a thorough simplification of taxation law. Concerning economic policy the ZDH advocates the elimination or avoidance of competitive disadvantages, the safeguarding of a sustainable financial basis for skilled crafts SMEs, as well as the privatisation of what are now public activities that could be performed by the private sector. ZDH believes that social policy should be guided by the benchmark of financial affordability and concentrate on safeguarding against basic risks. Vocational education and further training should be developed further as an alternative training path to grammar schools and be implemented within the context of the tried and tested ‘dual system’ of school and enterprisebased training.
Export activities and international partnerships
An increasing number of skilled crafts enterprises export their products or provide services abroad and this trend is increasing. Over 40,000 enterprises from among the German skilled crafts sector sell their products and services abroad. The most important sales markets are the neighbouring European countries. The businesses obtain advice and practical support in their business activities abroad from over 60 export experts in the chambers and confederations of skilled crafts.
International procurement markets are also playing an ever more important role for the German skilled crafts sector. Cross-border cooperation is also gaining in importance. Moreover, the skilled crafts sector is committed to international partnerships and is involved in selected development cooperation projects.
The skilled crafts sector today
Skilled crafts are the most multifaceted economic sector in Germany and form the core of the German SME segment through their small and medium-sized enterprises. In a long and successful tradition the German skilled crafts sector has developed into an economic and social group that exerts a major influence on public life in Germany. Whether for private consumers, industry, trade or the public authorities, the German skilled crafts sector offers a wide, differentiated and especially high-quality range of goods and services. Individual products and solutions are the focus and strength of the skilled crafts sector. The skilled craftworker’s services are called on millions of times daily in Germany. The skilled crafts sector is flexible and creative in the service of its customers and contractors. This ability to adapt is ensured by highly qualified proprietors and employees. Qualified specialists are the driving force behind the ability of businesses to innovate and to cope with new economic and technical developments. In contrast to industry where major upheavals are seen, such changes are implemented in small continuous steps, i.e. from order to order, from solution to solution.
