Vocational education and training in Germany

You can find the contact details of your nearest employment agency here: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/ueber-uns/ansprechpartner

Do you already know which area you would like to work in? Then you can also contact the special chambers. You can find the contact details of consultants in your area here:
● Chamber of Industry & Commerce: https://www.ihk.de/themen/ausbildung
● Central Association of German Crafts: https://www.zdh.de/organisationen-des-handwerks/handwerkskammern/deutschlandkarte.html
● Association of Chambers of Agriculture (this includes professions in agriculture, forestry and horticulture): http://www.landwirtschaftskammern.de/

Catch up on school-leaving qualifications, e.g. through BVJ

BGJ and BVJ: (mainly aimed at U18)
● In some states compulsory for under 17-year-olds who do not start an apprenticeship after school

➢ Basic Vocational School Year (BGJ): 🡪 state training year
○ Not offered in all federal states
○ provides basic vocational training in a specific field, e.g. business and administration or electrical engineering
○ successfully completed: Reduction of the vocational training period possible
○ Realschule level
○ Preparation for the vocational training
○ Full time
○ Career guidance

➢ Vocational preparation year (BVJ): 🡪 vocational preparation year at a vocational school
○ Preparatory year
○ Cannot be counted towards the vocational training period
○ Targeted at early school leavers and others who have not completed lower secondary school
○ Possibility to obtain a school leaving certificate
○ Hauptschulniveau
○ Basic vocational knowledge and general educational content as well as key qualifications
○ Some federal states (e.g. Saxony) offer training place promotion 🡪 some companies take over BVJ graduates

Sources:
http://www.schulen-vergleich.de/berufsbildende-schulen/bvj-und-bgj.html
https://kursnet-finden.arbeitsagentur.de/kurs/start?region=venue&distance=25&elNotNull=true&ursprung=einfacheSuche&edugoal=Berufsvorbereitungsjahr&location=&elearn=true&portalSubmit=Suche+starten
https://www.ausbildungspark.com/ausbildungs-abc/berufsvorbereitungsjahr-ausbildung-bvj/

➢ Vocational preparation measures by the Federal Employment Agency
○ Free of charge, (in particular) for people between 18 and 25 years of age seeking vocational training
○ Basic qualification of a specific occupational field can be acquired
○ Secondary school leaving certificate can be made up

Source: https://www.ausbildung.de/ratgeber/ausbildungsarten/#ausbildungsarten-abschluss

Youth Voluntary Service
● can help with the choice of career
● Job offers e.g. at https://www.ein-jahr-freiwillig.de/de/suche/ort

➢ Federal Voluntary Service (BFD)
○ for all age groups
○ Duration: usually 12 months (min. 8 months, max. 24 months)
○ Working time depends on the place of assignment
○ activities in the social, environmental and cultural fields, integration, civil protection and disaster relief
○ Apply directly to the desired place of employment. You can find open positions and facilities here: https://www.bundesfreiwilligendienst.de/

➢ Voluntary Social Year (FSJ):
○ for young people from 15 to 26 years
○ Duration: usually 12 months (min. 6 months, max. 24 months)
○ Full time
○ Activities in the social field
○ Application directly to the company (offers can be found here https://www.bundes-freiwilligendienst.de/stellen/)

➢ Voluntary Ecological Year (FÖJ):
○ for young people from 16 to 27 years
○ Duration: Usually 12 months (1 September to 31 August) (min. 6 months)
○ Full time
○ Offer for personal commitment and acquisition of important skills in the sense of "Education for Sustainable Development" (ESD).
○ Organised through various sponsors (find yours at: https://foej.de/traeger/)