Bonus and start-up bonus for Thuringian master craftsmen

Starting in 2021, Thuringia will offer all successful master craftsman candidates a bonus of €1.000 and a master craftsman start-up bonus of up to €7.500. The state parliament passed this resolution shortly before Christmas. 

This article is part of the special feature GründerNavi – for founders and young companies

Just before the holidays, tradespeople in Thuringia can look forward to an early gift. The state parliament, comprised of the Social Democrats, the Left Party, the Greens, and the Christian Democrats, has agreed to introduce a master craftsman start-up grant and a master craftsman bonus starting in 2021.

Craftsmen can receive a master craftsman start-up bonus of €5.000 for establishing or taking over an existing business . If apprenticeships and jobs are created within the first three years , an additional €2.500 will be added.

"In addition, there will be a master craftsman bonus of €1.000 for every master craftsman examination passed . The top graduates in each trade will also receive an additional €1.000 , as before ," explains Diana Lehmann, the SPD parliamentary group's spokesperson for labor market policy in the state parliament.

Master craftsman bonuses: An overview of all federal states that reward the successful completion of further training can be found in the online article "From master craftsman bonus to advancement bonus" on handwerksblatt.de.

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Lehmann described the agreement as "an important step towards sustainably strengthening the skilled trades in Thuringia ." The SPD parliamentary group's spokesperson for labor market policy stated that the master craftsman start-up bonus supports new businesses in the skilled trades and promotes dual vocational training. "With this, we are making a significant contribution to attracting skilled workers and securing good jobs. From a social democratic perspective, this is a complete success."

The SPD parliamentary group had already proposed a master craftsman start-up bonus of €15.000 in the spring . The current master craftsman start-up bonus is a first step. "I am pleased that we have managed to find a good compromise despite the tight budget situation and to start with a master craftsman start-up bonus of €7.500 initially," added Diana Lehmann.