"Right to repair": a strong signal and valuable message for the trades.

The law promoting the repair of goods passed the Bundesrat (Federal Council) on July 10, 2026. The law transposes the EU directive into national law and is scheduled to come into force on July 31 for most purchase contracts concluded from the end of July 2026 onwards. Kurt Krautscheid, President of the Koblenz Chamber of Skilled Crafts, comments on the new "right to repair".

Smart meter rollout should be faster

The German government wants to accelerate the smart meter rollout in Germany and implement it two years earlier than previously planned. The ZVEH (Central Association of German Electrical and Information Technology Trades) welcomes this, but warns against shifting obligations from metering point operators to customers.

Reforestation of forests to preserve drinking water

Only a healthy, green forest can ensure a balanced water supply. However, persistently high temperatures and drought are currently putting forests under pressure. Since water is an essential source of life, Krombacher supports the preservation of stable forests with a large-scale reforestation program.

(Photo: © goodluz/123RF.com)

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New training regulations in the construction industry

Operations management

May 2026

Greater sustainability, increased digitalization, new examination structures: Vocational training in the construction industry is undergoing a comprehensive modernization. Here's what will change for 19 construction trades starting in August 2026 – and why companies need to rethink their strategies now.

The The reorganization affects 16 three-year and three two-year apprenticeships."This will primarily benefit the Training content modernized and adapted to the times,” says André Schellhase, coordinator of vocational training at the Chamber of Crafts CottbusIn the future, the topics of sustainability, climate protection and digitalization will be given greater focus in training.

More sustainability in education

For example, the topic energetic renovation greater importance. Likewise, the training content will become more relevant. sustainable materials and updated building materials. For the first time, building in existing structures is taught as a continuous part of the curriculum across all three years of training. Teaching content on sustainability and climate protection These skills are now applied in the training to the entire construction project – from planning to the construction and operation of the construction sites, right through to the selection of machines and building materials.

New training regulations

Even comprehensive Knowledge of digitalization is indispensable in today's work processes.Building Information Modeling (BIM) is increasingly used in construction planning, execution, and subsequent building management. This is now being taken into account in training programs. Furthermore, the curriculum content has also been updated. occupational health and safety Adapted to current legal requirements. In a growing number of skilled trades, the intermediate examination has now been abolished. Instead, the final examinations are conducted in a staggered format. With the new training regulations, the examination procedure for construction trades now follows this trend. This provides trainees with additional motivation to achieve results during their apprenticeship that significantly contribute to their final grade.

For the 16 three-year apprenticeship occupations, the extended journeyman's or final examination means that the intermediate examination is replaced by Part 1. Here, initial professional skills are assessed after just two years. The result of Part 1 of the exam counts for 40 percent of the final grade.Part 2 of the exam takes place at the end of the training. The overall grade is then calculated proportionally from the results of Part 1 and Part 2. For the three two-year apprenticeship occupations – these are construction finishing workers, building construction workers and civil engineering workers – will In the future, a crediting model will be implemented. This applies. Therefore, these training programs are compatible with three-year vocational training programs.