KI-Zusatzzertifikat für Auszubildende — Augsburg's Award-Winning AI Certificate for Industrial & Craft Apprentices

The KI-Produktionsnetzwerk at the University of Augsburg, together with the regional Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Schwaben) and the Chamber of Crafts (HWK für Schwaben), runs a modular "KI-Zusatzzertifikat" (AI additional certificate) for apprentices in industrial and craft trades across the Augsburg region.

The programme combines an interactive online course on AI fundamentals in production with two in-person practical days, held inside "Halle 43," a 5,300 m² AI experience centre with full-scale industrial plant on the university's Centre for Future Production campus. Apprentices leave with hands-on experience building a small AI project of their own.

Since regular operation began in spring 2024, nearly 500 apprentices from 164 different companies have completed the certificate — a concrete, publicly reported participation figure. On 27 January 2026 the project won the Hermann-Schmidt-Preis 2025, Germany's national vocational-education innovation prize awarded by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), selected from 24 competing projects under the theme "AI in vocational education."

The available evidence is participation and award recognition rather than an independent, controlled measurement of skills gained; BIBB's own coverage notes the project's next step is expansion into other Bavarian administrative districts, so its evidence base will need to widen beyond the Augsburg pilot region.

Read the full analysis: https://www.uni-augsburg.de/de/campusleben/neuigkeiten/2026/01/30/ki-zertifikat-fur-azubis-erhalt-hermann-schmidt-preis-2025/