Things are not looking bright for the family and education industry in Germany as the country is grappling with substantial challenges like severe teacher shortages, even as it employs a growing number of educators. Currently, the country employs approximately 2.6 million people in the education sector, which accounts for about 6% of all employed individuals. Additionally, around 1 million people work in continuous education. Despite this substantial workforce, demand for teaching staff is escalating at all levels of education. The Standing Conference of German Education Ministers (KMK) predicts that student numbers will rise by 9.2% to 12 million by 2035. This rise will predominantly impact regions in western Germany, while the school population in the east is expected to decline. The most significant increase will be seen in lower secondary education, followed by upper secondary and primary education. Concurrently, about a quarter of all school teachers are over the age of 55 and close to retirement, which causes further concern about teacher shortages. However, the situation is a lot more complex. For instance, Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) has noted a strong increase in staff, growing from 450,000 in 2011 to over 700,000 in 2021. Despite this growth, the German Education Report forecasts a shortfall of 652,000 places in ECEC by 2025. To meet this demand, Germany will need to recruit an additional 165,000 to 200,000 staff by 2025, and 203,000 to 235,000 by 2030. Schools across Germany are already experiencing severe teacher shortages, particularly in STEM disciplines. At the start of 2023, the education ministries of the Laender identified 12,341 teaching vacancies, although the actual number might be close to 40,000 vacancies. A survey by Forsa in late 2022 found that 57% of school heads reported at least one teacher vacancy, which could translate into over 50,000 vacant posts across approximately 32,000 schools.