Trainees should be able to find affordable rents in Berlin (archive image).
© dpa
Apprentices should find it easier to find affordable flats or rooms during their vocational training in Berlin.
The new training year will see the launch of the Azubi-Wohnen project, as Senator for Labour Cansel Kiziltepe told the German Press Agency. "We want to start with around 150 places for trainees," said the SPD politician. "These will be small flats or shared flats." The project will start in summer 2026. The plan is to gradually expand the offer and supplement it with additional advisory services.
"Our goal is to increase the attractiveness of Berlin as a training location," said the senator. On the one hand, many school leavers do not have an apprenticeship, while on the other hand, many companies, especially in the skilled trades, are desperately seeking young skilled workers for the future. "But trainees cannot start their apprenticeships because they cannot find affordable housing. A room in Berlin often costs around 600 euros or more," said Kiziltepe. "The training allowance is nowhere near enough to cover this."
According to the senator, the plan is to subsidise the rent for trainees living in trainee accommodation. The bottom line is that it should cost around 350 euros per month. The idea is that the difference will either be covered by the apprentices' employers, who can acquire occupancy rights for the accommodation, or by the Senate, in the case of apprentices employed by the state. A third pillar is also planned, involving financial support from the state for apprentices with little money in certain cases of hardship.
According to the employment agency, such a service already exists in Munich and Hamburg, for example. In Berlin, it will be run by an apprentice association. This will be newly established, and the exact legal form is still open, said Kiziltepe. The plan is for the institution to not only provide housing, similar to the student services organisation. It should also advise and accompany young people in vocational training and support them with all kinds of problems. "There has been a student services organisation for over 100 years, and now Berlin needs an apprentice services organisation," emphasised the SPD politician. According to her, 14.5 million euros from the state budget and the federal government's special fund will be available for the apprentice services organisation and apprentice housing over the next two years.