"Everyone needs craftsmen"

AI as an opportunity for the skilled trades?

"AI cannot yet replace craftsmanship and manual skills," says Brzezinski. Nevertheless, artificial intelligence (AI) has long since arrived in the skilled trades. This sector is not immune either, says Bernd Fitzenberger, Director of the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) in Nuremberg. "Nevertheless, fewer jobs are likely to be lost in the skilled trades and the demand is still there," he says.

"From smart planning to robotics, AI is a helpful tool in the day-to-day operations of businesses," says Brzezinski. Goldsmiths and carpenters use AI-supported image generation to create designs for jewelry or furniture, and bakeries and painting companies are now also using them. In ophthalmic optics, they help with the analysis of retinal images. "In this respect, AI offers great opportunities for the skilled trades."

Speak the construction diary, and the report is ready

One person who is open to such applications is Thomas Vogel. "We've been using telephone AI for some time now," says the Managing Director of Dresden-based heating and air conditioning company HTS Haustechnik. The company has been relying on digital solutions for almost 15 years and was relatively early to the game.

According to Vogel, the company software is currently undergoing further development. In the coming year, for example, it should be possible for fitters to record their construction diaries and use them to create written and linguistically consistent reports. This will save time and effort. "I think we in the trade will be a big beneficiary of AI," says Vogel.

Event manager or electronics technician?

And the changes are already being felt in training too. "When we have time at vocational school, we always like to ask: Can AI do this or not? Or is the textbook the better tool after all?" says Jannis Klein. He is a trainee electronics technician for energy and building technology at Frequenz Elektro in Radeberg. AI can be helpful for longer calculation tasks - at least sometimes.

After a temporary job, Klein actually wanted to work in the event industry after school. "But nobody wanted to take me on because nobody could give any guarantees for anything," he recalls. That was during the coronavirus pandemic. So he looked for something "crisis-proof" that he would enjoy. "In our company, AI and the fact that everything is becoming more digital means I definitely won't be out of work next year," says the 21-year-old. WLAN will be upgraded, fiber optics expanded.

Attractiveness problems

"The construction-related skilled trades will generally become more attractive because the risks of job losses there are very low," says IAB Director Fitzenberger. With a few exceptions, young people are increasingly avoiding industries in which the use of new technology causes more uncertainty and job losses. This is because security is particularly important to people in this country.

However, there is still a lot of catching up to do in the skilled trades. "Many skilled trades are suffering from a decline in applicants. This also has to do with attractiveness problems," says Fitzenberger, such as relatively low wages. "The use of technology can make many of these professions more demanding and therefore also increase earning opportunities," he says. What's more, young people are often tech-savvy anyway.

"Because young people want to do a lot with AI"

Trainee Ließner originally wanted to study restoration and did voluntary service in heritage conservation. "That was so great," she enthuses today. She restored stucco and uncovered ceiling paintings. But studying was too theoretical for her. "I wanted to do something practical, I wanted to work with my hands," she says.

Nevertheless, she can also imagine that new technologies in the skilled trades could appeal to many young people. "Because young people want to do a lot with AI," says Ließner. Creating digital construction diaries, for example, is a good idea. "I think something like that could also help us in the business," she says.

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