Vocational Further Education Courses

If your professional qualifications are not enough for you to work in your studied profession, a vocational further education course may be the right thing for you. It may also be a good idea if your vocational training or degree was completed a long time ago and you would like to refresh or expand your professional skills and knowledge.

In Germany there are many educational institutions offering classes and courses for further education. These include Adult Education Centres (Volkshochschulen), Chambers of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer), training institutes (Bildungswerke) or even private institutions. Individual classes like these will give you the specialist knowledge you need for a certain profession and allow you to take additional certificates.
Further education can also take the form of distance learning. This means you don't study together with other participants in the same place, but do most of the further education from home. That makes it much more flexible in terms of time. Communication with the teachers is usually via e-mail. You are usually given study tasks that must be done within a certain period.
If you are registered as a job-seeker, you should ask the Federal Employment Agency or the Job Centre about whether you can participate in some form of further education. In certain situations you may be given a training voucher.

You can find suitable classes via the search engine of the respective training provider.

Where and when do I get a training voucher?

You must be registered as a job-seeker with the job centre or the Federal Employment Agency. You can ask your contact there if you are eligible for a training voucher. If you have a training voucher, it means the state will cover the costs of vocational further education or retraining.

Generally, you will be given a training voucher if the planned further education will increase your chances of getting a job.

Vocational Further Education and Language Classes: The ESF-BAMF Programme

"German for professional purposes" courses under the ESF-BAMF Programme are a combination of vocational further education and language classes. These courses are aimed specifically at immigrants who need support in finding work or would like to develop themselves professionally.

As well as learning and consolidating German language skills, the courses also focus on acquiring professional knowledge that will be important for your professional objectives. These courses are only offered at selected language schools.

You can find more information about the ESF-BAMF Programme in the Learning German section.

Drop-in Centres in Bavaria

We have made a list for you with links to drop-in centres in Bavaria. At these places, you can access professional advice on what course or further education service is worth considering for your professional situation..

Drop-in Centres

Infoweb Further Education in Bavaria
Bavaria Further Education Training
Munich Job Centre: Use Your Qualifications

Drop-in Centres in North Rhine-Westphalia

The links listed below offer a few places to find advice in North Rhine-Westphalia. At these places, you can access advice on the subject of vocational further education (services, costs).

Drop-in Centres

Infoweb Further Education in North Rhine-Westphalia