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July 2026
The staffing situation at vocational schools in Rhineland-Palatinate is still good, but the wave of retirements and the shortage of young talent are putting the system under pressure. How are career changers and lateral entrants being recruited, and how is the skilled trades sector affected?
Currently, few classes are being canceled at vocational schools in Rhineland-Palatinate. However, behind this stable facade, a problem is growing that could soon directly impact many craft businesses: In the coming years, numerous vocational school teachers will retire – and there is a particular shortage of new teachers in technical subjects. This could lead to apprentices in rural areas having to travel longer distances to vocational school. The food industry and the hairdressing trade are especially at risk.
At first glance, the situation doesn't seem particularly dramatic. The number of students in dual vocational training has declined significantly in recent years. Eighteen years ago, there were around 86.000; in the coming school year, the number is expected to be 63.100. That's a decrease of more than a quarter, reports Harry Wunschel, the chairman of the main staff council for vocational schools in Rhineland-Palatinate . The rate of canceled classes at vocational schools is currently still relatively low, at around two percent.
The impending wave of retirements among the baby boomer generation, coupled with a slight increase in student numbers, is causing great concern. There is a shortage of new teachers in subjects crucial to skilled trades: technical subjects, metalworking, electrical engineering, information technology, and food services. "Furthermore, fewer teaching positions are being made available than in previous years," says Harry Wunschel, who, in addition to his role as chairman of the staff council, teaches at the vocational school I in Kaiserslautern .
The wave of retirements is a nationwide phenomenon: According to a forecast by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), around one-third of teachers at vocational schools will retire by 2035, while the number of qualified vocational school teachers entering the profession is insufficient to fill this gap. "There are hardly any students studying vocational subjects in Koblenz and Kaiserslautern," says Dr. Rüdiger Tauschek , headmaster of BBS 1 in Mainz.
The vocational technical school, with its 160 teachers, is currently almost fully staffed. With its innovative teaching concept, it ranks among the top 20 schools for the German School Prize – the only vocational school nationwide to achieve this distinction. Its location in the state capital also makes BBS 1 attractive to young teachers.
"Our class cancellation rate is only one to two percent, but the situation is tense. Everything could change in two or three years," said Tauschek. "For some time now, we haven't had a single applicant for teaching positions in electrical engineering and computer science. Open positions can't be filled." BBS 1 is no exception. "It's the same all over the country; the market is completely empty," the headmaster reported.
Those who study electrical engineering or information technology are in demand in the business world and often have better starting salaries and career opportunities. "The Ministry of Education is doing everything it can to find interested individuals and pave the way for them to enter the teaching profession through alternative or lateral entry routes," emphasizes Rüdiger Tauschek. For example, the ministry is running a major campaign to recruit more teachers.
But switching from the private sector to teaching isn't always easy. Those entering the profession through this route complete a traineeship with a reduced teaching load. The problem, explains Harry Wunschel, is the pay during this time. For master craftswomen, technicians, or experienced professionals, this can be a deal-breaker. "Those who are established in their careers, have families, or are financing a house often can't afford two years with significantly lower income."
The staff council is therefore demanding temporary allowances for career changers, especially in shortage occupations. While career changers are financially more attractive, they are also more demanding. "Career changers are paid for three-quarters of a full-time position, but at the same time have to teach and complete their pedagogical training." It's a real struggle to persevere until the end. The risk of dropping out is high, says Wunschel.
The future provision of vocational training across rural areas is also a concern. Many craft businesses are not located in cities like Mainz, Koblenz, Trier, or Kaiserslautern, but in smaller towns and rural regions such as the Eifel, the Southern Palatinate, or the Donnersberg district. Local vocational school options are crucial for tradespeople in these areas. If specialized classes are closed or centralized, trainees will have to travel long distances, which could pose a problem for businesses.
It is important that vocational schools remain open throughout the region. "That's what we're fighting for," emphasizes Harry Wunschel. If, for example, a hairdressing apprentice has to travel 50 kilometers to the nearest vocational school, then the business will no longer offer apprenticeships. "Those who already struggle to find apprentices will carefully consider whether long commutes become an additional risk." But smaller vocational schools in the Eifel, the Southern Palatinate, or the Hunsrück region are crucial for retaining apprentices and skilled workers. So far, many places are still managing to maintain small class sizes and regional offerings.
But the limit is reached when only three or four trainees remain in individual year groups. "Small classes tie up teacher hours that are then lacking elsewhere." Currently, the vocational schools are also committed to increasing German language instruction – not just for immigrants. Many trainees born in Germany also have an urgent need for it, reports Harry Wunschel.
Master hairdresser Hans-Jörg Friese has also observed this trend . The spokesperson for the Rhineland-Palatinate Association of Chambers of Skilled Crafts and President of the Rhine-Hesse Chamber of Skilled Crafts explains: "Especially in the hairdressing trade, but also in other trades, vocational schools face the challenge of teaching increasingly heterogeneous learning groups with sometimes significant language and technical deficiencies. At the same time, the shortage of specialized teachers can mean that canceled classes often cannot be made up. Trainees with weak basic knowledge are particularly affected, and their chances of successful learning progress are further reduced as a result."
One program in Rhineland-Palatinate for students with little or no German language skills is the "Vocational Preparation Year Language" (BVJ-S) . Staff council member Harry Wunschel hopes that more hours will be allocated to language instruction – including subject-specific terminology – in schools in the future. However, this also depends on having enough teachers and positions at vocational schools.
Despite the strained situation, the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Education considers vocational schools to be adequately staffed at present: all positions are filled for this school year, the ministry stated in response to an inquiry. Currently, 23 positions are advertised, including 19 for career changers, three for specialist teachers, and one for a practical skills instructor.
A significant contribution to recruiting and qualifying teachers for vocational education is made by the "expanded recruitment practices for training as specialist teachers, teachers of practical subjects, and teachers entering the profession through alternative pathways." This is done with a regional or even school-specific focus.
"The promotion of innovative teaching and learning concepts also plays a significant role here," the ministry writes. This includes, for example, expanding blended learning offerings, digital learning formats, and new formats such as virtual and augmented reality in vocational training. The state is focusing on increasing the number of career changers entering the teaching profession, more flexible hiring procedures, regional and school-specific recruitment, advertising campaigns such as " lehrer-in.rlp.de " (teachers-in.rlp.de), as well as new study programs and subject combinations. However, temporary allowances for career changers, as demanded by the staff council, are not planned.
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