The faces of the new campaign season: Malika Boymirzoeva, baker; Max Schneiderbanger, bodywork and vehicle construction mechanic; Anna Hüllner, painter and varnisher; and David Fiegenbaum, building cleaner (from left). (Photo: © Das Handwerk)
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Image campaign: Join in! - Theme specials
March 2026
"We build careers with passion" – this is the new motto under which the German skilled trades are launching their nationwide campaign. And the new "Handwerk Heroes" app for career guidance for young people is premiering at the IHM trade fair.
Does career advancement always have to mean coldness, a hamster wheel, and cutthroat competition? The skilled trades offer their own alternative to this traditional view of career advancement – thereby bringing into focus a topic with which they haven't previously been automatically associated. Campaign, which will be displayed nationwide on posters and social media from March 2nd, 2026, is under the Motto: "We make careers with feeling"It is aimed particularly at a young generation that is increasingly questioning the idea of a career "at any cost".
"Many young people are asking themselves: Is it possible not only to have a good career, but to have a career the right way?", says Jörg Dittrich, President of the Central Association of German Crafts (ZDH)"In the skilled trades, we can do that. For us, a career isn't a cold race, but a rewarding path. The skilled trades offer young people a form of career where they see their progress every day – with the good feeling of creating something that is truly needed. And most importantly: in the skilled trades, a career isn't a solitary pursuit. We always achieve it together – within the skilled trades family."
With its 136 trades, the skilled crafts sector offers young people diverse opportunities to find their individual path – one filled with purpose, community, and personal fulfillment. Numerous career options follow the apprenticeship: from specializations and master craftsman qualifications to starting one's own business or taking over an existing company, emphasizes the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH).
The campaign will be featured on posters, in advertisements, in moving image formats and on social media platforms.
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Operations management
In addition, the campaign also relies on a new App: "Handwerk Heroes".* It combines career guidance with playful and intuitive elements and aims to appeal to young people emotionally – in contrast to classic, more cognitively oriented counselling formats.
In a gamified world of experiences, young people can... self-created hero character ("Hero") Discover different professions, try out tasks and missions, and find your way around step by step. This is how all 136 apprenticeship trades in the skilled crafts sector can be explored.
The "Craft Heroes" will be presented to the public for the first time as part of the International Crafts Fair (IHM) in Munich from March 4th to 8th. Afterwards, the app will be available. Free in the Apple App Store as well as in the Google Play Store available.
The app was conceived and implemented in collaboration with creative agencies. Carl Nann and headraft.
Source: Central Association of German Skilled Crafts
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✔️ Intuitive character configurator: Young people create their own individual "Craft Hero" – with futuristic outfits and tools like laser saws, robotic arms, or cyber suits. Body shape, hairstyle, and accessories can be customized. There are more than 100.000 possible combinations.
✔️ Career suggestions: Behind the selected items and backgrounds are "tags" (preferences and interests). Based on the created avatar, the app suggests suitable professions.
✔️ Interactive map: A digital map of Germany reveals other "heroes." Following the motto "No hero is alone," it shows that many are actively engaging with their professional future.
✔️ Gameplay: IIn "Task Guessing," young people guess the tasks of the heroes. In this way, they learn about the key tasks of each profession.
✔️ Collection mechanism for long-term motivation: The goal is to fill a collection album with all 136 professions. The more professions are guessed, the more professions are unlocked. This motivates participants to explore the wide range of career options.
✔️ Low-threshold access to career guidance: The game begins with intuitive character creation. Career orientation is intended to be playful.
✔️ Reference work: The collection is intended to serve as a mobile encyclopedia with compact descriptions of professions and further links.
✔️ Privacy-friendly use: No GPS tracking.
✔️ Easy access: The app can be used on all common operating systems and is available for free in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
✔️ Flexible application possibilities: Trade organizations can present the app at career orientation fairs, school events and other events.
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Source: Central Association of German Skilled Crafts
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