According to estimates, in five years there will be a shortage of 700,000 people who possess technological skills such as complex data analysis or web development in Germany.

There is also predicted to be a skills gap of 10.6 million employees with the necessary cross-disciplinary skills. These are alarming figures considering how important technological and cross-disciplinary skills are in preparing for a rapidly changing workplace and to ensure continued participation in society. 

This paper analyzes over 30 current initiatives in Germany dealing with future skills. The analysis reveals challenges in the education system that prevent the future skills gap from being closed—there is a lack of transparency in future skills training, future skills content is lacking in schools and universities, and there is no systematic further training of future skills at the workplace.