Organization Of The Crafts And Trades : Germany

In order to maintain the high standard of performance and productivity of the crafts and trades and ensure quality vocational training for the entire commercial sector, the Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that a craft business may only be operated by a person who has passed the master’s examination. In this examination the candidate must demonstrate not only technical proficiency but also a knowledge of business administration and law as well as teaching skills. A person who successfully completes the master’s examination (master craftsman) is thus also entitled to train apprentices. Craftsmen in the same craft or trade are organized in guilds at the town or county level and in state guild associations at the state level. The guilds are above all responsible for vocational training and continuing education.

They can also negotiate collective wage agreements and set up guild health insurance funds for their members. The various guilds in a town or county form the local crafts and trades association. The chambers of crafts and trades, which as a rule encompass the territory of an administrative region, are the self-governing bodies of the crafts and trades sector and look after the interests of all the crafts and trades. They maintain the Crafts Register and the Apprentices Register. The national organization of the guild associations is the Federal Union of German Handicraft Associations (BFH), while the chambers belong to the German National Chamber of Crafts (DHKT). The umbrella organization for the guild associations and the chambers of crafts and trades is the National Federation of German Skilled Crafts and Trades (ZDH).