Graduation ceremony in Villingen: Future of graduates in a shortage of skilled workers!

Graduation ceremony in Villingen: Future of graduates in a shortage of skilled workers!

The graduation ceremony for vocational students from the Villingen-Schwenningen trade school attracted numerous visitors to the Neckarhalle on July 10, 2025. Here the coveted diplomas were ceremoniously handed over and the best in the class were honored. The ceremony was opened musically by music teacher Gosia Cieplucha, who created a festive atmosphere with “Girl from Ipanema”. Headmaster Magazinovic took the opportunity to talk about the future of the graduates and draw attention to the urgent shortage of skilled workers. The graduates are now faced with a wide variety of career options: be it as a technician, master craftsman or skilled worker, many paths are open to them, even the step into self-employment.

During their training, the students went through a challenging journey that included both lessons and practical experience in workshops and customer contact. Vice-principal Andreas Grauer explained how the vocational school final examination took place, in which a total of 19 classes in five subjects were examined in three days. However, compared to the class of 2021, there were fewer examinees, although the graduation rate and the number of commendable achievements remained the same or increased slightly. 155 examinees received a total of 70 praises and prizes, while the M3IM2 class particularly shone with 19 prize winners. What was also impressive was the fact that some students completed a technical college degree at the same time.

Skills shortage in focus

“Studium plus” is a new program that enables the combination of an apprenticeship and university studies in partnership with Furtwangen University. This shows how important it is to prepare young people for the challenges of the labor market. According to the skilled workers monitoring of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, a significant need for skilled workers in various industries is forecast by 2028. Analyzes clearly show that the shortage of skilled workers is being exacerbated by demographic changes, digitalization and structural change, among other things. The effects vary regionally, with structurally weak regions being particularly affected.

In its current data, the employment agency states that over 600,000 people without a qualification will enter the job market in the future. This development entails risks, in particular high dropout rates in educational institutions and difficulties in the labor market. Even though skilled workers are in demand in many sectors, fit problems and job losses complicate the situation. Classic industries such as the automotive industry and the chemical industry, where jobs are now having to be cut, are particularly affected.

Future prospects

A strategic realignment could help here. Investments in renewable energies and the circular economy should not only promote economic stability, but also create new jobs. Despite the challenges, there are also bright spots: private household consumption is a driving factor for economic growth. Companies and educational institutions should therefore find a common way to train the skilled workers of the future.

Overall, the shortage of skilled workers remains an urgent issue that poses major challenges not only to employers, but also to educational institutions and politicians. It is all the more important that young talent is well trained and strengthened - in keeping with the future success story of the local economy.