Reintroduction of mandatory master craftsman licences in the craft trades?

On 9 October 2019, the Federal Cabinet adopted a draft law which aims to reintroduce so-called mandatory master craftsman licences for twelve of the 52 trades in which individuals are currently permitted to run companies without any requirement to be in possession of a full master craftsman qualification. This article presents the key parameters that have informed the legal, economic and vocational education and training debate surrounding reintroduction of compulsory master craftsman status. It begins by explaining the prerequisites under which mandatory master craftsman licences are legally permissible in the first place before going on to highlight the significance of the master craftsman examination for effective training output in the craft trades sector from a VET perspective.