Making Apprenticeships a Success: From Marketing to Hiring

Based on a survey of over 600 trainers, the study analyses which measures they consider suitable for attracting apprentices to an apprenticeship programme, supporting them throughout their apprenticeship in line with their needs, equipping them with the necessary skills and subsequently retaining them in the company in the long term. Regarding specific measures, the study’s findings show that successful apprenticeship marketing must consider all phases of the apprenticeship programme as part of a ‘candidate journey’.

Before the apprenticeship begins, measures that enable young people to gain direct insights and make personal contacts are effective, with internships proving particularly successful. When it comes to recruitment, online job advertisements work particularly well, whilst informal get-to-know-you sessions are effective during pre-boarding before the apprenticeship begins. It is still relatively rare for companies to send apprentice ambassadors to schools for vocational orientation or to use low-threshold application formats to facilitate an uncomplicated initial contact. As these tools also work very well, there is still potential here for more companies.

At the start of the apprenticeship, trainers regard social integration as a key factor for success. Welcome formats and team-building activities foster the corporate culture and support the social integration of new apprentices. Mentoring programmes are also successful but are not yet implemented across the board.

During the core phase of the apprenticeship, regular feedback and close links to the company’s processes and workflows make a decisive contribution to the success of the training and to independent learning. Given the increasingly heterogeneous starting points of apprentices, individual support is becoming increasingly important. Around one third of the respondents view this heterogeneity as a major challenge overall. Mental health issues, motivation, performance and concentration levels, as well as differences in trainees’ prior educational knowledge, are particularly challenging. Characteristics such as a migrant background, refugees’ experiences or age, on the other hand, play a significantly lesser role. There is therefore a particular need for support in dealing with individual challenges and differing learning requirements.

All in all, the results show that trainers play a key role and carry out a wide range of tasks throughout all phases of the apprenticeship – from vocational orientation to retention. It is therefore important to create a positive framework for training activities within the company, to clearly define the role of trainers, and to provide them with the necessary time allowances and further training opportunities in line with their needs.