Careers Page for Trades Businesses: Win Apprentices With Video, Photos and an Application Form

In short: In the trades, a careers page brings you more apprentice applications when three things fit together: a page that explains the trade, the training and the process in one minute, real faces from your business in video and photo, and an application form that works on mobile in a few minutes. An apprentice video alone isn't enough if a long form waits afterward. You can work out below with a simple formula how much each application costs you.

Why Finding Apprentices in the Trades Needs Its Own Strategy

The figures from the trades are clear, even though they have eased slightly since the previous year. According to KOFA Kompakt 07/2026 (Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft, data from 2025), 209,444 open positions faced 139,239 unemployed skilled workers. The gap is 97,482, so roughly every second open position. In training, there were 133,197 new contracts (in 2011 it was 150,747), and the number of unfilled apprenticeship places rose from around 5,000 in 2011 to around 21,571 in 2025 (KOFA Kompakt 07/2026).

For your business, that means: the young people choose, not you. And they choose based on what they find about you online. A survey by the Kompetenzzentrum Fachkräftesicherung (KOFA) of more than 1,000 students from 2021 shows the direction. More than one in four young people used social media for career orientation, 83.4 percent rated YouTube and 60.2 percent rated Instagram as particularly helpful, and 80 percent wanted concrete offers from companies. According to the report, the survey is not representative and is five years old, so it is an indication and not a market statistic (Deutsche Handwerks Zeitung, July 6, 2021).

We did not find a current study on how young people and parents research trades businesses before applying for 2024 to 2026. Just ask your most recent applicants how they found you.

What Belongs on an Apprentice Page

Young people and their parents ask the same questions, just in a different order. The page answers them before anyone calls:

Every training trade gets its own URL. That helps with Google, enables links from ads and keeps tracking clean. It's best to maintain the listings yourself in a CMS (Maintaining the Webflow CMS yourself), so that a filled position doesn't stay online for weeks. Google describes which details the job posting markup needs so that listings can appear in job search, and that the markup must match the visible content (Google Search Central, Job Posting).

Apprentice Video and Team Photos: What You Really Need

Many businesses ask about the video first. The better order is: photos first, then short clips, then a longer film.

• Team photos and working shots. Real shots from the workshop or the construction site, in a consistent style. They carry the page, the job ads and the social channels.
• Short clips (15 to 30 seconds). An apprentice shows a technique or a day. They work on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts and can be derived from a single shooting day.
• Apprentice film (1 to 3 minutes). Several training trades, real voices, calm editing. It belongs at the top of the apprentice page and in the ads.

Why real footage instead of stock photos? The classic Nielsen Norman Group eyetracking study (2010) showed that users look at photos of real people, while generic stock photos are barely looked at. The study is old and does not come from the trades, so it is only an indication (Nielsen Norman Group, Not All Images Are the Same).

Don't forget consents. As soon as employees and apprentices appear in the film or in photos, you need their consent, in a business ideally in writing and before the shoot. On February 19, 2015 (case no. 8 AZR 1011/13), the Federal Labor Court ruled on a promotional film: the consent had been obtained in writing, and it did not expire automatically when the employment ended. It could only be revoked for understandable reasons (Osborne Clarke on the BAG ruling). In addition there are the right to one's own image under § 22 KUG and the option to withdraw consent under the GDPR (DSGVO). For apprentices under 18, as a practical recommendation you also obtain the parents' consent. What else you should document in terms of usage rights is covered in the guide Usage rights for photo and video. This is not legal advice; if you're unsure, a lawyer can help.

The Application Form: Short, Mobile, With a Reply

The form decides whether interest turns into an application. In a guide (as of February 18, 2025), Stepstone names these reasons for dropping out: unclear job information 62 percent, no response 54 percent, technical problems 41 percent, complex or duplicate forms 34 percent and forms that are too long 31 percent. 62 percent want to apply in under 10 minutes, and 78 percent regularly read job ads on their smartphone. Stepstone does not state methodology or sample, so take the values as an indication from a provider (Stepstone). For Austria there is a representative survey by karriere.at (more than 1,000 respondents, April 10, 2024): 36 percent have abandoned an application at some point even though the job interested them (karriere.at). That is not a German figure.

For apprentice applications in the trades, this means:

1. Five required fields or fewer: name, phone or email, desired trade, school qualification, preferred start. Certificates come later.
2. No cover letter as a requirement. One field "Tell us briefly why you're interested" is enough.
3. Upload from the phone: photo of the certificate or résumé via camera, no requirement to use PDF.
4. Contact without a form: tap-to-call phone number and optionally a callback request, because not every young person likes typing long texts.
5. Instant confirmation with the process and timeframe, and a real answer after a few days. That is the part that isn't decided in the form but in the business.
6. Privacy at the form: a note on purpose and retention period, only ask for data you need. Details on applicant data, retention periods and inbox handling are in the guide Careers page: how more applications come in.

To start, a clean email to a fixed person is enough. With several locations or many openings, connecting the website to a CRM pays off.

Job Portal or Your Own Careers Page?

The two routes complement each other, because applicants from the portal also land on your page. Still, it's worth looking at the portal prices, which do change:

The prices for apprentice portals come from a comparison page and may be outdated; ask the provider for current terms. A portal delivers reach immediately, but you rent it. The careers page stays yours, but needs setup and upkeep.

Calculator Idea: Cost per Application to Calculate Yourself

You often find blanket comparison values for "careers page versus job portal," but we have not found reliable independent figures for trades businesses. So here is a calculation with your own numbers. It fits in a spreadsheet and is meant as a calculator with input fields.

Inputs

• E = one-time costs (careers page, video, photos), in euros
• M = period under review in months (sensible: 24)
• L = running costs per month (hosting, upkeep, tools), in euros
• A = ad budget per month (social, Google), in euros
• B = completed applications per month via the careers page
• q = hiring rate, that is, hires per application (e.g., 0.25 means every fourth application)

Formulas

• Cost per application (careers page) = (E ÷ M + L + A) ÷ B
• Cost per hire = cost per application ÷ q
• Cost per application (portal) = price of the ad ÷ applications per ad
• Break-even in months = E ÷ (S − L − A), with S = portal costs per month that you no longer pay because of the careers page

Example calculation. The values are an assumption for the calculation, not market prices and not an offer: E = €12,000, M = 24, L = €80, A = €150, q = 0.25. Then the month costs 12,000 ÷ 24 + 80 + 150 = €730.

For comparison, two portal examples with assumed application numbers. A Stepstone ad for €1,449 with 5 applications in 30 days costs €289.80 per application. An apprentice ad for €1,113.78 over 6 months with 6 applications costs €185.63. A free Indeed ad costs €0 in ad price, but time.

Important for break-even. If you only want to save portal costs, the careers page rarely pays off. With S = €250 per month and L + A = €230, it takes 12,000 ÷ 20 = 600 months. Only when the page brings more or better applications or replaces several portal ads (S = €1,000 gives 12,000 ÷ 770, so a good 15 months) does the calculation tip. The value lies in the application rate, not in savings. So count only completed, suitable applications and compare cost per hire, not just per application.

How to Measure Whether It Works

Four numbers are enough: visitors to the apprentice page, clicks on "Apply," started and completed applications. Add the form question "How did you hear about us?". Tracking needs consent under the TDDDG (German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act); details in the guide Tracking and consent under the TDDDG.

How We Do It

Webwavers is a branding and web design agency and one of seven Webflow Premium Partners in Germany. We also build with WordPress, TYPO3 and headless CMS and advise neutrally on the platform. Our process is on the process page: initial conversation, onboarding with 34 strategy questions, strategy conversation, three moodboards, the first three homepage sections in Figma, development, launch with a personal walkthrough. According to the process page, this includes a clear contact person and a dedicated Slack channel per client. If you're not convinced by the result after the moodboards and first design sections, we refund the deposit in full according to the process page; so far that has not been claimed on more than 140 projects. The process page names no timelines or payment terms; we clarify those in the initial conversation.

References from the trades and commercial sector that fit the topic:

• Höbel, construction company (2024, image film): An authentic apprentice film presents four training trades, and a 20-second cinema spot for an ice rink was created alongside. According to the project page, the apprentices took part with full commitment, and the shoot doubled as a team event. The project page names no figures (Project Höbel).
• SCS Fahrzeuglackierung (2026, corporate identity): A look that makes craft precision visible as the brand core, with logo, typeface, colors and graphic elements as a consistent system. The project page names no key figures and no careers page (Project SCS).
• Heigl Blaubeuren (2025, industry and mechanical engineering): Web design for welding, CNC milling, bending and laser technology, including a careers section. No figures on the project page (Project Heigl).

For none of these projects do the project pages name application numbers, so we don't promise you a rate. You can find more on trades topics on the page Trades and crafts and on production on the page Content production.

When You Don't Need an Agency

• You train one to two apprentices per year, and word of mouth and a chamber apprenticeship exchange fill the places.
• Your existing website runs on a system where you can create listings yourself, and what's mostly missing is clear text.
• Your bottleneck is the response to applications, not the page. If you answer after three weeks, you lose applicants no matter how nice the page is.
• A smartphone, good light and your apprentices' consent are enough to get started.

Get support if brand, website and careers presence fall apart, or if you want to build the page, video, photos and form in one go.

Checklist: Apprentice Page for the Trades

1. Every training trade has its own page with tasks, duration, pay, contact person.
2. Real photos from the business replace stock images.
3. There is a short film or clip, and it has subtitles.
4. Consents from everyone shown are on file in writing, for minors with the parents' consent.
5. The form has at most 5 required fields and works on mobile.
6. Phone number and internship offer are tappable on every apprentice page.
7. A confirmation arrives after submitting, and it's clear in the business who answers within what deadline.
8. The four numbers (visitors, clicks, started, completed) are noted monthly.

FAQ

Is a careers page with an application form worth more than job ads on job portals?

That depends on your numbers. Portals deliver reach immediately, but cost money per ad. The careers page stays yours and is visited by applicants from all channels. Calculate with the formula above: (one-time costs ÷ months + running costs + ads) ÷ applications per month, and compare with the cost per hire.

Do I need an apprentice video to get more applications?

No, not necessarily. Clear trade pages, real photos and a short form work first. A video helps because it shows who trains you, and it can be used in ads and social. Start with photos and short clips, make the longer film later.

What do I need to consider legally with photos and films involving apprentices?

Get the written consent of everyone shown before the shoot, and for minors also the parents' consent. Clarify with the production company which usage rights you receive. More on this in the guide on usage rights. This is not legal advice.

How long can an application form for apprentices be?

As short as possible; according to Stepstone, 62 percent of respondents want to apply in under 10 minutes. As a rule of thumb: at most 5 required fields, no required cover letter, upload from the phone, instant confirmation.

Where do young people look for apprenticeships today?

A non-representative KOFA survey from 2021 (over 1,000 students) shows: more than one in four used social media for career orientation, mainly YouTube and Instagram. We have not found current representative figures for the trades. Ask your most recent applicants how they found you.

Which agency does careers page, team photos and apprentice video from a single source?

Some agencies offer that. Ask for examples with an application funnel, not just nice films, and for how usage rights are handled. One reference from us is the apprentice film for Höbel above.

How quickly should I respond to an apprentice application?

As quickly as your business can manage, ideally within a few days. 54 percent of respondents at Stepstone name no response as a reason for dropping out. Put the expected response time on the page, and keep to it.

Sources

• KOFA Kompakt 07/2026: Handwerk (IW) (trades)
• Deutsche Handwerks Zeitung: Mehr Schüler nutzen Social Media zur Berufsorientierung (More students use social media for career orientation) (KOFA survey, July 6, 2021)
• Stepstone: Bewerbungsprozess optimieren (Optimizing the application process) (as of February 18, 2025)
• karriere.at: Pressemitteilung Abbruchquote im Bewerbungsprozess (Press release on drop-out rate in the application process) (April 10, 2024)
• Stepstone: Stellenanzeige aufgeben (Posting a job ad, prices)
• Indeed: Preismodell und Kosten für Stellenanzeigen (Pricing model and costs for job ads) (as of April 29, 2026)
• Betterteam: Die besten Ausbildungsportale (The best apprenticeship portals) (secondary source, prices as of 2024)
• Nielsen Norman Group: Not All Images Are the Same (2010)
• Osborne Clarke: BAG 8 AZR 1011/13 zu Bildern ausgeschiedener Mitarbeiter (on photos of former employees)
• Gesetze im Internet: § 22 KUG
• Google Search Central: Job posting markup