Young Cologne trainees are transforming Porz: Colorful facades to combat the lack of young talent!

Young Cologne trainees are transforming Porz: Colorful facades to combat the lack of young talent!

In Cologne-Porz, two houses on Celsiusstrasse now shine in bright colors - thanks to the creative minds of painting trainees. The Cologne-based Epe Malerwerkstätten GmbH and the Guido Mertens painting company have created an impressive facade work of art in collaboration with talented artists from the Berlin agency GRACO. This project was funded by Brillux as part of the “Your future is colorful” initiative, which aims to re-stage the painting trade and particularly appeal to young people.

The positive response from the neighborhood is further proof that the idea is working. “The colorful facades are intended to stimulate conversations and distract from the gray everyday life,” explains the spokeswoman for the GEWOG Porz housing cooperative, which provided the facades. During an inspection, many passers-by praised the work of art, which put a big smile on the faces of the two 20-year-old trainees Jada and Kledino, who actively participated in the design.

Young talent in the painting trade

But this creative project is in the context of a larger problem: the serious shortage of skilled workers in the craft sector. According to current data, there are more than 150,000 unfilled jobs in the skilled trades in Germany, with the painting and varnishing trade particularly affected. In 2023, only 15,031 trainees were active in this area, which means a decline of 35% since 2010, as Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reports.

To counteract this, the “Your future is colorful” campaign sets specific accents to improve the image of the painting trade. Crafts, one of the largest fields of employment in Germany, have shown a noticeable fluctuation in training numbers since the 1990s, with a clear downward trend. Although popularity is growing, training capacities must be increased to meet demand. The decline is so significant that of the 342,000 apprentices in 2023, only a third will be trained in skilled trades.

A call for change

The example in Cologne highlights that creative approaches and positive experiences in crafts can help motivate young people to find their way in crafts. There is often a lack of information about the diversity and opportunities of the 130 skilled trades. In addition to a wide range of fields of activity, the numerous unfilled training positions, such as in the construction trades, are also attractive, the central concern of the energy transition.

An event format like the “DZib School Tour”, which took place on July 8th at the Hürth-Kendenich secondary school, serves to get students excited about the craft of painting and to provide practical insights in order to lower their inhibitions. With a good range of training places in sought-after professions, Cologne could become more attractive as a location for training and commercial careers.

So let's stay optimistic. With commitment and creative projects, the empty space in the craft sector may soon be filled with busy hands again.