In Lübeck, the Federal Employment Agency marked 22 July 2026 by presenting its annual Ausbildungszertifikat to heating-and-sanitation specialist Eckard Saß GmbH. With an apprenticeship ratio above 30 %—six times the national average—the firm was praised as a model for combating Germany’s skills shortage. The award ceremony doubled as a pitch to overseas candidates: Agency officials stressed that companies with robust training cultures are priority sponsors for work-based residence permits. Friedrich von Gaudecker, COO of the Lübeck agency, told attendees that nearly 1,000 apprenticeship seats in the region remain open, many suitable for third-country nationals under the ‘Ausbildungsduldung’ and Western Balkans tracks. He urged employers to “discover hidden talent abroad” and use agency tools to match foreign applicants with unfilled places. Eckard Saß CEO Eckard Saß said the company already benefits from recruiting beyond Germany, citing two Croat interns who transitioned to full apprenticeships last year. He welcomed the government’s plan to digitise credential recognition, saying, “If paperwork becomes faster, we can scale this model." For global mobility practitioners, the news underscores the apprenticeship route as an increasingly viable pathway into Germany—especially after the Skilled Immigration Act lowered language requirements for training visas. Multinationals with service operations could replicate Saß’s model by partnering with local chambers to secure training slots and language support grants. Young foreign candidates interested in German vocational training should act quickly: unallocated seats are expected to shrink after school-leaving exam results are published in August.
