JOBLINGE and the BlackRock Foundation Launch a New Partnership
Jobs in the skilled trades, technology, and industry are essential to the functioning and future of our society. They create housing, build and maintain infrastructure, ensure the supply of essential goods and services, and drive the energy transition, mobility, and modernization.
The skilled trades, in particular, demonstrate just how great the demand already is today:
Nearly 150,000 jobs in key skilled trades are unfilled.*
More than 400,000 young people between the ages of 20 and 24 were neither employed nor enrolled in education or training in 2025.**
49 billion euros According to estimates by the German Economic Institute, the shortage of skilled workers cost Germany 49 billion euros in economic output in 2024 alone.*
These figures highlight a key mismatch: On the one hand, companies are urgently seeking qualified young talent. On the other hand, many young people find it difficult to gain access to suitable training and career opportunities.
This is exactly where the new partnership between JOBLINGE and the BlackRock Foundation comes in.
* Source: Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW), Study on the Shortage of Skilled Workers in Germany.
** Source: Federal Statistical Office, data for 2025 on the 20- to 24-year-old age group.
The Partnership
Through BlackRock Future Builders™, we aim to attract more young people to in-demand apprenticeship programs in the trades, technology, and industry, and to open doors for them in the fields of infrastructure, construction, mobility, and the energy transition. The goal is to help young people enter apprenticeship programs and support them so that they settle in well, stay the course, and successfully complete their training.
The BlackRock Foundation is providing a total of 15 million euros over five years for BlackRock Future Builders™ in Germany. More than 5,000 people are expected to benefit from the initiative. To kick things off, 5 million euros will be allocated to the partnership with JOBLINGE and the Senior Expert Service (SES).
With the BlackRock Foundation, we’ve gained a strong partner in our shared goal of supporting a total of 100,000 young people by 2030. We’re all the more pleased that they’re supporting us on this journey through BlackRock Future Builders™ and are part of our Impact Alliance .
What is BlackRock Future Builders™?
BlackRock Future Builders connects young people with the business community’s need for skilled workers.
Germany is the first European country where this global initiative is being launched. Together with partner organizations, the initiative aims to provide people with access to in-demand apprenticeship programs and support them on their path to a successful professional future.
