Access and Guidance in Germany

Access to apprenticeship follows the market principle. Young people have to find a training company. There is no formal entrance restriction, but companies decide upon the recruitment procedures and requirements they apply. There are also two options to recognize prior learning – one giving direct admission to the examinations and one to reduce the duration of the training.

Access

The training market includes on the one side companies offering apprenticeship places and young people seeking dual vocational education and training on the other. Access to an apprenticeship is formally not dependent on a particular school-leaving certificate; training is basically open to anyone. In practice though, interested young people have to find a training company to start an apprenticeship, and at this point the school leaving certificate and the grades obtained actually tend to play an important role. In some rather demanding occupations of the dual system, the university entrance qualification (Abitur) has essentially become the unofficial entrance requirement.

To better integrate young people into training and support the successful completion of their training, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and Federal Employment Agency (BA) consolidated and expanded certain funding measures in 2014. Especially relevant initiatives are the “Graduation and continuation – Educational chains up to the vocational training qualification” (Abschluss und Anschluss - Bildungsketten bis zum Ausbildungsabschluss) initiative, interlinking the measures of the Federal Government with the activities and instruments of the Federal States. This initiative is being continued within the framework of the “Alliance for Initial and Further Training” (2019–2021).

Recognition of prior learning

The Vocational Training Act provides an option for access to VET qualifications using recognition of prior learning in the form of the “External Examination” (Externenprüfung). Under certain preconditions, an individual who did not undergo a training in a recognised training occupation can register for the final examination at the premises of the relevant competent body. The applicant has to prove professional practice of at least 1.5 times the duration of the required training for the occupation. Training in a related training occupation can be counted towards this practice. Otherwise, the candidate has to prove that they have achieved comprehensive vocational competence for the training occupation in question in another way by showing certificates from educational institutions, foreign certificates or professional practice abroad.

There is also the option to reduce the duration of the training. Before concluding the apprenticeship contract, the future apprentice and the employer can agree on this. Examples of acceptable reasons include training in another occupation or work experience in the field of training. A university (of applied sciences) entrance certificate is also accepted. Increasingly, training occupations can be credited towards other courses of vocational training or other training occupations.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has been running the project “Validation of non-formal and informal acquired qualifications and competences” (ValiKom and ValiKom-Transfer) since 2015 in order to develop validation processes of non-formal and informal acquired learning outcomes towards formal professional qualification. Meanwhile, the project results have been transferred to the competent bodies to develop centres for validation related to dual occupations.

Another way to get access to the labour market and/or the VET system is to apply for recognition of a qualification acquired abroad. The legal basis here is the German Federal Recognition Act. Since this entered into force on 1 April 2012, 140,703 applications for professions and occupations governed by federal law have been registered. In 2018, 52.5% of the applications were certified as being fully equivalent and 35.5% as being partially equivalent (only non-regulated occupations) to the relevant German reference qualification. For non-regulated occupations, there is the option to complete adaptation training to get full equivalence, whereas for the regulated profession a compensation measure is imposed. Otherwise the person enters the labour market without qualification.

Guidance and counselling

Vocational guidance has become a priority on the political agenda in the last years. Guidance and counselling on apprenticeships are offered by many different actors. The Federal Employment Agency has had a legal responsibility for vocational guidance since the 1920s and remains nowadays the major service provider for guidance and counselling, although municipalities, non-profit organisations and private career counselling practitioners are also active.

The career entry mentor (Berufseinstiegsbegleitung) is aimed at lower-achieving students who are likely to have problems obtaining a school-leaving certificate and are therefore also at risk of missing out on a successful start to their working lives. The career entry mentor provides continuous and individual support to participants in achieving their school-leaving certificate, in career orientation and career choice, in the search for a training position, in transitional periods between school and vocational training, and in stabilizing the training relationship. The career entry mentor is not equally offered in all Federal States.

Vocational orientation

In addition, different initiatives and offers are made by public and private actors. The “Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs” (KMK) has a formal cooperation agreement with the Federal Employment Agency on the cooperation of local employment agencies and schools for the guidance at schools. Career education and the development of career choice competence is integrated into different subjects and it is normally supported by a career counsellor of the local employment agency. This includes visits to the Career Information Centres of the employment agency and to companies as well as compulsory practical work experience in companies for a period of one to three weeks. In recent years, vocational orientation has become a growing policy priority. A large number of initiatives focused on vocational orientation have been launched at local, regional, federal state and national level. One example is the Vocational Orientation Programme of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with measures including potential analysis or workshop days. Specific guidance and counselling programmes address vocational guidance within inter-company or VET centres. The various instruments and activities of the Federal Government and the Federal States are interlocked by the initiative “Educational chains”.

Seeking training occupation in Germany and Advice

Since March 2020, the Skilled Workers Immigration Act has been in force, which means that you can apply for a visa for six to nine months to seek training.
It is possible for you to come to Germany and learn an occupation here. Two forms of training are available: school-based vocational training and in-company basic and further training.
Whilst you will be remunerated for in-company training, the amount varies according to the occupation that you have learned. You will not generally receive any pay for school-based vocational training. In addition to your training, you may pursue paid employment for up to ten hours per week.
If you wish to apply for a trainee position in Germany, your knowledge of German will be very important - German is spoken at companies, vocational schools and technical colleges. The examinations also take place in German.