German Employers Confront a Training Gap as EU AI Act Nears Enforcement and Billions in Learning Miss Their Mark
13.06.2026 - 13:16:01 | boerse-global.de
When the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act grants full enforcement powers to supervisory authorities on August 2, nearly half of German workplaces will be unprepared. A Bitkom survey finds that 43 percent of companies offer no AI training at all—a gap that clashes with parallel cybersecurity mandates under the NIS2 and DORA regulations, which require employee education on digital risks.
The disconnect extends beyond AI. A study published June 11 by researchers Lea Wurm and Tobias Hombach reveals that German firms pour billions into staff development each year, yet measurable skill gains remain elusive. The culprit, they argue, is a focus on attendance rather than actual competence. “Real expertise only emerges through application,” the authors write. That critique hits hardest in safety-critical tasks such as inspecting electrical installations under the DGUV V3 standard, where theoretical knowledge alone rarely changes behavior.
Accident insurer BG ETEM is pushing digital tools to cut administrative red tape. On June 12 it announced that its “Meine BG ETEM” portal and AI assistants would help businesses conduct risk assessments more efficiently. Yet the organisation is careful not to overpromise. “Human judgment remains indispensable,” stresses Dorothee Hübner of BG ETEM. “The technology can be flawed and serves only as support, not a replacement for skilled workers.” The same theme surfaced a day earlier at the GVZ fire-protection conference, where AI’s role in safety planning was debated.
The article highlights that even with investment in training, many firms struggle to turn theoretical knowledge into practical safety competence — and without proper documentation of workplace hazards, that gap leaves employers exposed. A free Risk Assessment Toolkit delivers 41 ready-to-use templates and checklists that help you document risks and implement controls efficiently. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit
To bridge the theory-to-practice gap, several organisations are experimenting with immersive learning. On June 11, automation specialist JUMO said it would roll out the digital platform “simpleclub” for all its apprentices after a successful pilot with future electronics technicians. Across the border, Polish rail infrastructure manager PKP PLK has long used simulators for dispatchers: this year it plans to train roughly 1,500 staff, of whom more than 1,100 have already completed courses. The simulators let trainees practice handling derailments or technical failures without real-world risk.
For highly technical fields, however, in-person training remains irreplaceable. The Mannheim Chamber of Crafts ran a seminar on September 29 for wallbox and charging-cable testing, complete with hands-on use of measurement gear. It also scheduled specialist courses on airbag and seatbelt-pretensioner systems for October 20 and 22—proof that even as algorithms reshape workplace safety, the human touch endures in the most critical niches.
