20260810 Berichtshefte vor Löschung

10.08.2026 Berichtshefte vor Löschung

De-Digitalization

We often feel that “digitalization” is proceeding in an uncoordinated manner and poses a threat to privacy, but we are not Luddites, nor do we long for a world without technological tools. Of all places, we would never have expected “industry” to want to reverse digitalization. Yet that is exactly what we read in the current issue 03/2026 of the magazine KOMM, published by the IT division of the ver.di union:

A step backward for the report booklet?

The digitization of vocational training? Apparently only as long as it’s convenient. The IHK’s nationwide digital training log (“meine IHK digital”) will be discontinued as of December 31, 2026. Anyone who hasn’t completed their training by then must export their entries in a timely manner and look for another solution. After the deadline, access to the data will no longer be possible.

The real problem: The report booklet, of course, remains mandatory and is a prerequisite for admission to the final exam. But instead of a standardized digital replacement solution, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) in many places is referring trainees to commercial third-party providers — or simply back to the paper-based report booklet. Other IHKs are announcing their own isolated solutions, while some plan to inform their member companies only at a later date. A nationwide, standardized approach? Not a chance.

A step in the wrong direction

This is a surprising step in the wrong direction. For years, trainees were told that digital processes were more modern, simpler, and more sustainable. Now, of all things, a functioning digital application is being discontinued — and the responsibility is being shifted onto companies and trainees. Those who are unlucky will have to pay in the future, switch providers, or even go back to writing by hand. This has nothing to do with modern vocational training.

For us, it’s clear: Good vocational training requires up-to-date digital tools — and they must be widely available, free of charge, and reliable.

That’s the position of the ver.di union on the “privatization of training log apps.” We need a unified, nationwide solution that trainees and companies can rely on!