A promising new route into banking for school leavers 

The reform centres on the shift from performance targets to the acquisition of practical skills, which was already implemented in basic commercial training in 2023. The new BEM focuses even more than before on applying knowledge in the workplace, further increasing its relevance to the reality of working at a bank. 

Another important change is the enlarged target group. Besides students who have completed a full-time middle school or a middle-school-level course at a commercial school, those with a specialised school-leaver’s certificate or a Federal Certificate of Proficiency in a commercial profession outside the banking industry will also be admitted. This broader scope strengthens the BEM’s position on the education market and offers banks access to a wider spectrum of talents. 

The qualification rules have also been revised. The previous two written exams are replaced with four written tests of bank-specific knowledge and on-the-job assessments of skills, performance and conduct. As before, participants will take a 30-minute oral exam simulating a client consultation. 

The specific requirements for students who have completed a middle-school-level course at a commercial school are worth noting: they will additionally have to complete the Service and Administration module, which places increased demands on companies and students alike. The fact sheet on integrating commercial school graduates (in German) provides a good overview of these demands. 

To sum up, the reform has brought the BEM right up to date, improving the quality of training for the banking industry, focusing more on practical skills and opening up access to a broader target group. This will make a substantial contribution to securing an ongoing supply of new banking recruits.