Craftsmanship in Saxony: Successful master craftsman qualifications reach record high

Last year, 823 women and men earned their master craftsman's certificate in Saxony. This was the highest number of graduates in ten years.

A total of 823 women and men earned their master craftsman's certificate in Saxony in 2025. This was the highest number of graduates in ten years. Compared to 2024, this represents an increase of approximately 14 percent. In 2023, there were 694 master craftsman qualifications.

The most popular master craftsman courses in 2025 were in the automotive sector, as well as in the trades of plumbing and heating, electrical engineering, carpentry, joinery, hairdressing, metalwork, and bricklaying and concrete construction. Since reunification, more than 44.600 tradespeople across all trade groups have successfully completed their master craftsman qualification in Bavaria.

Commitment to vocational training

"The state government recently made a clear commitment to vocational training and increased the master craftsman bonus to 3.000 euros. This signal was urgently needed. We need even more master craftsman graduates in the future," says Uwe Nostitz, President of the Saxon Chamber of Skilled Crafts.

Around 19.000 craft businesses in Saxony are facing a change of ownership in the next ten years. So far, however, only about one in three master craftsmen graduates aspires to self-employment. The economic uncertainties since the Corona pandemic and, above all, the enormous bureaucratic requirements are increasingly deterring young people from becoming self-employed.

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"Behind the 19.000 companies to be transferred are around 78.000 jobs and a turnover of approximately 12,6 billion euros. This isn't just about the future of skilled trades. This is about the future of the Saxon economy," warns Uwe Nostitz. "We must drastically reduce bureaucracy and pull out all the stops to generate economic growth."

Source: Saxon Crafts Day

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