Overview

• Senator Cansel Kiziltepe has introduced a draft law for an 'Ausbildungsplatzumlage,' requiring Berlin employers to contribute to a training subsidy fund based on wage costs.
• The proposal aims to address Berlin’s apprenticeship crisis, where only 72 positions are available per 100 applicants, the lowest rate in Germany.
• A broad consultation process has begun to refine the levy, with a parliamentary vote targeted for summer 2026.
• The levy is part of a 2023 CDU-SPD coalition pledge to add 2,000 apprenticeships by 2025, with penalties for non-compliance if targets are unmet.
• The initiative seeks to improve youth workforce entry and alleviate the city’s skilled labor shortage, with small businesses particularly underrepresented in training efforts.