Professional fields in VET

An administrative clerk is responsible for performing administrative duties in an office setting. Assists executive assistants and secretaries by sorting mail, filing, answering phones, greeting clients, scheduling meetings, and restocking supplies. His/her tasks include:

- Manage agendas/travel arrangements/appointments etc. for the upper management.
- Manage phone calls and correspondence (e-mail, letters, packages etc.)
- Support budgeting and bookkeeping procedures
- Create and update records and databases with personnel, financial and other data
- Track stocks of office supplies and place orders when necessary
- Submit timely reports
- Take and deliver messages
- Count and measure mail.

An office clerk should have verbal and written communication skills in order to deal with customers, clients and colleagues. He/she should also have basic math skills in order to support in bookkeeping and budgeting. At last, it is important to be able to manage his / her own time effectively, being flexible.

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A care assistant provides support for all aspects of day to day living in a care home setting which are not covered by medical needs support activities: Wash, dress and maintain personal hygiene; Feed or assist with feeding and meals; Provide residents with emotional support; Support medical staff.

A care assistant is able to move and handle equipment, managing food substitutes, laundry equipment, etc. He/she has got the right attitude wanting to work with vulnerable people, is prepared to work in shifts, has a caring empathetic personality and enjoy helping people.

A care assistant should have communication skills (verbal and written) and interpersonal communication skills to work in teams with the other staff members of the facility as well as with patients. A care assistant should be able to follow instructions and stick to routines. At last, a care assistant should pay attention when filling out paperwork and when helping elderly/disabled people. Ability to multitask, prioritize and manage time efficiently are also necessary skills for this job profile.

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Cooks prepare meals in restaurants and hotels and carry out all the necessary administrative and organizational tasks and other preparatory work (especially purchasing/reordering or the professional storage of food). They put together the menu, advise guests and are responsible for compliance with food laws and hygiene regulations.

The activities of cooks vary according to the type and size of the restaurant, catering or accommodation business. In canteen kitchens, they produce food in large quantities using semi-finished products. In a restaurant, they prepare menus and dishes à la carte (to order).

Before starting their actual work, the cooks carry out the necessary preparatory work. This includes compiling the menu, estimating the daily requirement of dishes, calculating the required quantities of ingredients and procuring the necessary food from the kitchen's own stocks or arranging for purchases.

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Engineering draftsmen prepare the drawing documentation for construction projects (residential and office buildings, company buildings, roads, bridges, tunnels, etc.) They mainly prepare construction drawings and working drawings, but also site plans and various views of buildings and land (floor plans, sections), design drawings of buildings, polishing plans, submission plans for submission to building authorities, as well as detailed drawings and construction plans (e.g. formwork and probation drawings). The design sketches and the necessary measurements and other information regarding function, form, location and size of a building object are usually provided by architects or civil engineers. In some cases, however, the structural draftsmen themselves must also carry out and evaluate measurements on building components and on building objects and their surroundings on the building site. The creation of the construction drawings is mostly done electronically on the computer, whereby own drawing programs or CAD programs (CAD = Computer Aided Design) are used for the construction engineering. Manual drawing work on the drawing board (with pencil and rulers) is now rare.

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The hairstyle makes up a large part of the appearance. At the same time, the design possibilities are constantly increasing due to new care, dyeing and mechanical techniques, new cuts and numerous technical aids. It is the task of the hairdressers (stylists) to follow the respective fashion trends and to implement them with craftsmanship and creativity. The customer advisory service plays a major role in this.

Hairdressers ensure the professional implementation of skin and hair care. The latter includes the coloring, the permanent reshaping and the creation and design of day, evening and celebration hairstyles for ladies and gentlemen. The activities of the hairdressers also include nail care and so-called "decorative cosmetics", which mainly includes the application of make-up and the coloring and shaping of eyebrows and eyelashes. Other fields of activity are beard care (shaving, beard trimming, coloring), the production and care of hair replacement (wigs, hairpieces) and the sale of hair care products. The training also covers make-up (hairstyling/make-up of actors, gluing of beards, plastic changes of the face). However, this requires additional training for the planned work in theater and film.

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Depending on the focus, there are some differences in the activities of information technologists. However, the basic tasks are the same.

The field of activity of information technologists includes - in simple terms - computer hardware engineering. The main task of information technologists is the selection and commissioning of network components. These are for example routers, servers, proxies and the like. They synchronize and configure user and peripheral devices (such as printers, monitors or beamers, but also graphics cards and other internal components of a computer). They design and plan a wide variety of data storage systems, configure entire server systems and their basic services. However, the task of the information technologists is not only to set up these networks, but also to monitor and ensure the performance of these networks. It is also important to analyze possible security risks and to design, plan and implement appropriate security measures. In addition, information technologists integrate cloud services (online storage that can be accessed from anywhere) into existing networks.

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A leather worker uses leather, imitation leather, plastics and other materials to make products such as clothes, handbags and shoes. There are several sections within the leather industry. These consist of tanning, shoe manufacturing, general leather goods and handbags.

The general leather goods section includes the manufacture of shopping bags, briefcases, saddles, bridles, suitcases and clothes. Tasks of leather workers include constructing, decorating or repairing leather products according to specifications, using sewing machines, needles and thread, leather lacing, glue, clamps hand tools and/or rivets. They dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff or engrave leather or other materials to obtain the desired effects, decorations or shapes.  A leather worker needs to check the texture, colour and strength of the leather to ensure that it is adequate for a particular purpose.

In the cycle of leather production and in particular in the general leather goods production, a leather worker also assembles all the pieces and control the quality of the final products.

At last he/she may reviews work orders and drawings to determine materials needed. He / she records production and operational data on specified forms.

In terms of necessary skills, a leather worker should have the ability to record production and operational data on specified forms (written communication skills) and possess basic knowledge of maths e.g. to measure and cut pieces of leather. Furthermore, leather workers  should have the ability to carry out precision work when sewing, painting, etc. and the ability to use manual skills and specific machinery (spatial awareness and attention to detail).

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A nursery assistant, also known as daycare or child care worker, works in preschools and daycare programs under the supervision of teachers and managers. A nursery assistant assists with care of pre-school young children. In general, a nursery assistant organizes fun and educational activities and takes care of children’s needs.

A nursery assistant may also prepare meals and prepare for external inspections. A nursery assistant should engage children in learning and play activities as well as supervising them and their personal care.

A nursery assistant should have good verbal communication skills to communicate with children/other staff members as well as good writing skills to prepare reports/read instructions provided by managers/coordinators.

He/she should be flexible and have the ability to cope with stress and perform several tasks at the same time. At last, a nursery assistant should be attentive to children’s needs and to their hygiene.

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Plumbers plan, install and maintain pipes and systems for supplying buildings with water, gas, heat and fresh air. In the planning phase, they prepare pipe and installation sketches or prepare the buildings and building sections for installation work based on the plans. They master the necessary metalworking techniques (e.g. drilling, threading) and, above all, the techniques of processing and connecting pipes (pipe bending, welding) and pipe protection and insulation. They carry out the installation of piping and equipment (plumbing, heating, ventilation systems, fittings, etc.), check the entire system by means of various measurements, pressure tests and functional tests and write final technical reports on the work carried out.

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Travel agents provide information and advice on travel and events of all kinds. The actual preparation of a trip (travel event) requires a lot of administrative work: obtaining necessary information (such as visa regulations, health requirements), compiling travel itineraries, looking up timetables and flight schedules, issuing or ordering tickets, reserving seats, ordering hotel rooms, etc. They use modern working tools (e.g. telephone, fax, computer, Internet). They calculate the total travel costs taking into account the information obtained and the agreements made. They use industry-specific computer programs (e.g. reservation and booking systems) for accounting and for all correspondence.

Depending on the type of employment, travel agency assistants are mainly involved in the organization of trips (tour operators) or they are active in customer consulting and sales of travel programs (travel agencies).

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A warehouse worker executes the accurate handling, packing and storage of materials in a warehouse.

He/she receives goods, labels them and checks quality; he / she stores the goods and document any record and any damage.

A warehouse worker monitors stock levels of items, keep inventory and ships goods.

In detail, warehouse workers sort and place materials or items on racks, shelves or in bins according to organisational standards, open bales, crates and other containers, maintain inventory controls by collecting stock location orders, printing request, recording amounts of materials or items received or distributed through a computer. They may also assist in counting of physical inventory and in the preparation of parcels for mailing. Warehouse workers maintain safe and clean work environment by keeping shelves, pallet area and work stations neat.

At last, a warehouse worker also prepares orders by processing requests and supply orders.

A warehouse worker should master written communication skills as the ability to write orders, read requests and labelling products, attention to detail in order to check the quality of products and should have basic math skills in order to calculate (physical inventory, storage of products).

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Bricklayers erect buildings and parts of buildings made of various building materials or prefabricated components in structural and civil engineering and also carry out repair, restoration and conversion work on buildings. Structural engineering includes, for example, residential buildings, public buildings, industrial and traffic structures. Civil engineering includes e.g. bridges and power plant constructions.

Based on technical documents such as construction drawings, plans and sketches, bricklayers erect masonry and buildings from a wide variety of building materials such as bricks, natural stones, concrete and reinforced concrete. They use mixing machines to produce the necessary building materials, for example mortar, plastic mortar or cement. They use fillers, insulating and sound-proofing materials, especially for interior work. For plastering, they use trowels and check their work with spirit level and plumb line. Their tasks also include quality assurance measures and documentation of their work.

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Carpenters manufacture and assemble pieces of furniture and components made of wood and plastics and carry out repair work on these products.

The carpenters select the different materials such as coarse or precious woods, plastics and various auxiliary materials and cut the material according to the work drawing. They use e.g. circular saws or band saws. They plane boards and other wooden parts on the supporting surfaces with surface planers (or with hand planers for smaller surfaces) and carry out further processing (e.g. drilling, milling). Depending on the intended use, they join the boards together using various joining techniques (e.g. prongs, tenons, grooves, gluing, nailing).

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An electrician is responsible for inspecting, testing, repairing, installing and modifying electrical components and systems therefore an electrician works on electrical equipment in homes, factories, businesses and buildings, to install, repair and maintain power, lighting, communications and control systems.

An electrician is able to read technical diagrams and blueprints in order to apply principles of electrical theory to projects and to perform general electrical maintenance. An electrician can inspect transformers and circuit breakers and other electrical components. He / she is able to troubleshoot problems and make timely repairs. He / she is able to fill out required documentation of repairs and service information (written communication skills) and ensure adequate inventory of necessary supplies and parts.

At last, an electrician should know and follow National Electrical Code state and local building regulations.

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A gardener builds, plants and maintains gardens, green areas, play and sports facilities of all kinds, greened slopes and reclaim areas that have been destroyed. Their tasks include the care of existing green spaces, but also the renaturation and the creation of new biotopes. A gardener takes over activities such as digging holes, gathering plants, storing plants and cultivation. A gardener can do the following tasks:

- Creation and maintenance of conditions that ensure optimal growth of trees.
- Cultivate cultivation areas for trees, shrubs, ornamental shrubs, fruit trees and forest plants.
- Fruit tree cultivation: Creation and maintenance of conditions that ensure optimal growth of fruit trees.
- Cultivation and rearing, care and processing of flowers and other ornamental plants
- Controlled reproduction of flowers that are grown and marketed for use in arrangements, bunches, etc.
- Cultivation of shrubs that serve decorative purposes, e.g. Privet, Barberry, Thuje, Buxbaum.
- Maintenance of green areas, e.g. Lawn mowing, weeding, hedge and shrub cutting, scarifying, fertilizing and foliage sweeping.
- Deal with pest problems that could damage plants.

Among the necessary skills to perform this job profession, we can find the ability to read fertilizers labels in order to use them appropriately (written communication skills), the eye-coordination to prune and trim trees and bushes, the ability to make compositions of flowers and other ornamental plants (spatial awareness) and the ability to monitor the health of plants (attention to detail).

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A housekeeper is employed in the areas of hotel, restaurant and public buildings. They mainly deal with helper activities in the cleaning of different functional areas. In order to manage these tasks they will get to know basic cleaning detergents agents and to recognize the danger labels printed on them. They are able to use this material ecologically, economically and in a health stabilizing way. In addition, they have a basic knowledge of cleaning equipment and machines and know how to use them under guidance. Basic safety instructions have been taught to them.

Especially when cleaning in the private sector or in hotel rooms, they observe basic privacy rules such as discretion and restraint. They clean rooms according to specific procedures. They know and respect different material requirements and their specific cleaning and care. According to instructions, they recognize when guest articles have to be refilled or replaced and fill them up or give them in repair.

They have basic knowledge in professional waste disposal and can apply it.

Furthermore, they have basic knowledge in the decoration of function rooms on different occasions (formal and informal). They can realize this decoration in cooperation with a supervisor.

When carrying out heavy physical tasks (moving beds, moving furniture, carrying suitcases), they apply to ergonomic standards in order to protect their own health and achieve the best result possible with little effort.

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Laboratory technicians carry out chemical, physical-chemical, biochemical and biotechnological investigations and tests in chemical laboratories on a wide variety of substances, e.g. raw materials, intermediate and finished products or production waste. In particular, they examine the condition, composition, purity and usability of these substances. Laboratory technicians require a large number of different laboratory devices and apparatus for the investigations and tests, e.g. different containers (made of glass, plastic and porcelain), pumps, centrifuges, burners, heating plates, manometers (pressure gauges), scales, ovens, etc., for whose cleaning, maintenance and repair they are also responsible.

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Mechanics check the traffic and operational safety of motor vehicles and carry out maintenance and repair work. They repair and maintain both passenger cars and single-track vehicles (motorcycles, mopeds) and commercial vehicles (e.g. trucks and buses). The technology in modern motor vehicles has changed considerably in recent years. Highly complex safety technology and more and more electronics are now part of the job description of automotive technicians.

Mechanics detect damage to the vehicle by checking the most important parts of the vehicle (chassis, engine, body) and by performing hearing checks on the engine. With the help of measuring instruments, they can precisely isolate defects on different test benches (fault diagnosis). Motor vehicle technicians repair motor vehicles that have been damaged in accidents, either replacing or repairing the affected components. During maintenance work, they replace wearing parts that are subject to heavy stress (e.g. air filters, spark plugs). Service and maintenance work is carried out regularly on motor vehicles, often together with the legally required assessment of the traffic and operating safety as well as the exhaust emission values of the vehicle.

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Painters apply coating materials (especially paints and varnishes) to various types of surfaces (e.g. plaster, wood, metal, plastic, concrete, stone) to embellish surfaces and objects, protect them from the weather or mark them. They also carry out wallpapering work and lay wall, ceiling and floor coverings. The paints and varnishes are composed differently depending on their intended use. There are, for example, dispersion, glue or oil paints (for wall painting), synthetic resin, nitro, acrylic or polyester paints (for painting on wood or metal), rust protection paints, impregnation paints as protection against weather influences (e.g. for natural wood, coatings of containers or swimming pools) or synthetic resin paints (for coating facades, natural stone monuments, etc.).

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Sales Persons are responsible for the purchase, storage and sale of goods in retail businesses and perform office work. The focus of their work is the sale of goods. Sales persons determine the demand for goods based on stock levels and customer demand. They select and order goods from the offers of e.g. wholesalers and manufacturing companies. When taking delivery of goods, they check whether the order and delivery match. In the warehouse, the retail traders ensure that the delivered goods are stored correctly. Before the goods are offered for sale, they mark the prices. They also design advertising spaces, such as shop windows and shelves, and compile catalogs or special offers. In sales, they advise customers and conduct sales talks. In doing so, they enquire about the wishes of the customers and provide information, for example, on the use or price of the goods. Finally, the retail clerks issue the invoice, receive the money and pack the purchased goods. With some professional experience, their area of responsibility may also include staff management.

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A waiter/waitress takes orders and serves food and beverages to customers in dining establishments. A waiter works in restaurants, bars, hotels and other food-serving and drinking establishments. Work schedules include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays. Waiter/waitress greet and escort customers to their tables. They present menu and provide detailed information when asked (e.g. about portions, ingredients or potential food allergies). They prepare tables by setting up linen, silverware and glasses. In addition, a waiter / waitress informs customers about the day’s specials, offers menu recommendations upon request, takes accurate food and drinks orders using a POS ordering software, order slips or by memory; He/she communicates order details to the kitchen staff, serves food and drink orders, checks dishes and kitchenware for cleanliness and presentation and report any problems. At last, waiter/waitress delivers checks and collects bill payments.

A waiter/waitress should be able to effectively communicate verbally with the kitchen staff and with customers. They should have basic math skills for calculating bills and portions; they should be able to take accurate food and drinks orders (sometimes by heart) and they must have good hand-eye co-ordination while carrying dishes.

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