Opportunities for you in Berlin

Dear Young Ukrainians,
There are lots of questions about what to do next after leaving school. In Germany, there is another option for getting started in your professional life in addition to studying at a university – vocational training.
Here we will tell you about the options you have to start your career after leaving school. What opportunities does vocational training offer? Where can I get advice? What requirements do I need to meet?

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Vocational training – dual training

Vocational training in Germany is a successful route into the world of work. You learn at your training company and vocational school and earn your own money. You can successfully start your career with this advanced qualification.

• What is vocational training/dual training?

  Vocational training (also called dual training) is the foundation for a successful professional future.
  As a trainee, you will have the unique opportunity to combine practical and theoretical knowledge, as you learn both at your training company and vocational school. The great practical orientation in particular gives you a great advantage compared to a classic degree course. This is all the more true if you are more practice-oriented. You are integrated into the workplace during your training and learn how everything works. There is also often a great chance of being taken on by the training company and getting a permanent job once the training is over.

• Advantages
  • Earn your own money immediately
  • Learn and gain work experience with plenty of variety
  • Maximum practical orientation
  • High chance of being taken on
  • Lots of further training opportunities
  • Obtain a higher school leaving certificate.
  • Plenty of opportunities for further training – right up to university.
• Requirements
  • Knowledge of German
  • Finding a training company
• Your next step – further information
  • You can find available training places at: www.ausbildung.berlin
  • If you received your school-leaving qualification in Ukraine, you will need to have it recognised. Here you can find information on the recognition of foreign school-leaving qualifications.

Vocational training – school-based training

Another way to start vocational training is at a vocational school.
Media, environment, social studies, fashion – you can learn a profession at a vocational school/college of further education (Oberstufenzentrum – OSZ) in all of these fields – and many more.

• What is a vocational school?

  If you have a school-leaving qualification, you can learn a profession here without a training contract. You do not need a training contract with a company, only a school-leaving qualification. Training takes place entirely at a vocational school/OSZ and lasts two to three years – depending on the profession. In addition to the theoretical training at the OSZ, you gain practical experience during internships that take place in companies. You will also receive a recognised vocational qualification at the vocational school, which you can then use to apply for a job.

• Advantages
  • Training is also possible without a training company
  • Some professions can only be learned through school-based vocational training These include: sports and fitness specialist and
    assistant professions in food technology, geovisualisation, media design, social education assistant, design/fashion and renewable energies.
• Requirements
  • Knowledge of German
  • School-leaving certificate
• Your next step – further information
  • Find out more on the vocational schools’/OSZ website.
  • Get advice from advisors at vocational schools/OSZ at the Youth Employment Agency Berlin (Jugendberufsagentur Berlin).
    If you received your school-leaving qualification in Ukraine, you will need to have it recognised. Here you can find “information on the recognition of foreign school-leaving qualifications.”:https://www.berlin.de/sen/bjf/en/recognition-of-degrees-and-qualifications/school-qualifications/

Preparing for vocational training and obtaining a school-leaving qualification

Would you like to successfully prepare for training? Attend a year-long vocational preparation course and increase your chances of finding a training place. Obtaining your school-leaving qualification is also possible during a vocational preparation course.

• What is a vocational preparation course?

  Are you interested in vocational training but haven’t been able to find a suitable training place in Germany? A vocational preparation course will prepare you for vocational training in one year. And you will also receive support in finding a suitable training place. Internships and close cooperation with companies also increase your chances of finding a vocational training place or workplace.

• Left school without any qualifications?

  No problem. You can also obtain your school-leaving qualification, which qualifies you for vocational training Germany, during the vocational preparation course.

• Your next step – further information
  • You can register directly for a vocational preparation course at a college of further education (OSZ) that corresponds to your professional interests. Find out more on the “Vocational schools/OSZ”:https://www.osz-berlin.online/en page.
  • You can also get advice and register at the Youth Employment Agency Berlin from the advisors at the vocational schools/OSZ.

Requirement: learning German

Don’t speak German well enough yet? Take advantage of opportunities and offers to improve your German skills – you will need good German skills to successfully complete vocational training.

• Welcome classes
  In welcome classes, you will learn to express yourself even better in German in day-to-day life. Vocational German and other subjects are also taught.

  • More information on welcome classes.
  • Registration for welcome classes
• Free German courses for refugees
  • Free German courses are offered at Berlin’s adult education centres (VHS). Find free German courses here.
• For OSZ students
  Are you already an OSZ student? Then you have the opportunity to register for the holiday school and improve your German skills there – in addition to other learning opportunities.

  • More information about the holiday school
  • Registration for the holiday school

Advice from the Youth Employment Agency Berlin (JBA)

Do you have questions about your professional future? No problem. We can help you find answers. Simply stop by the JBA Berlin and let us advise you. You don’t need an appointment. You can also use the contact form on the website. There is no topic about your professional future that is too small for a conversation or too big for a solution. The consultation can also take place in Ukrainian.
We look forward to meeting you!

• Locations

  There are twelve Youth Employment Agencies in Berlin. One of them is near you. Feel free to stop by without an appointment.

  • Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
    Königin-Elisabeth-Straße 49, 14059 Berlin
  • Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
    Charlottenstraße 87, 10969 Berlin
  • Lichtenberg
    Gotlindestraße 93, Haus lA, 10365 Berlin
  • Marzahn-Hellersdorf
    Rhinstraße 86, 12681 Berlin
  • Mitte
    Lehrter Straße 46, 10557 Berlin
  • Neukölln
    Sonnenallee 282, 12057 Berlin
  • Pankow
    Storkower Straße 133, 10407 Berlin
  • Reinickendorf
    lnnungsstraße 40, 13509 Berlin
  • Spandau
    Wohlrabedamm 32, 13629 Berlin
  • Steglitz-Zehlendorf
    Händelplatz 1, 12203 Berlin
  • Tempelhof-Schöneberg
    Alarichstraße 12-17, 12105 Berlin
  • Treptow-Köpenick
    Pfarrer-Goosmann-Straße 19, 12489 Berlin
• Contact

  Stop by, even without an appointment,

  You can also call us or send us an email.
  Phone: [phone]

  E-Mail: [e-mail]
  Website: www.jba-berlin.de
  Instagram: @jba_weildeinezukunftzaehlt

  Our opening hours
  Monday and Tuesday – 8.00 am to 4.00 pm
  Wednesday and Friday – 8.00 am to 12.30 pm
  Thursday – 8.00 am to 6.00 pm

Colleges of further education (Oberstufenzentren – OSZ)

Colleges of further education (Oberstufenzentren – OSZ) are Berlin’s vocational schools. After your tenth year of school, you can take all school-leaving exams there (BBR, eBBR, MSA, university entrance qualifications) or a vocational training course. The special thing about OSZs is that they combine vocational and general education subjects. OSZs therefore bring school and practice together. If you decide to attend an OSZ, you not only complete your school education there, you can also prepare effectively for your dream job and acquire job-related skills.

Colleges of further education

• What colleges of further education offer

  Each OSZ focuses on something different – for example, media technology or social work. Vocational schools with a special education focus also offer vocational training. And those who already have a vocational qualification can continue their education at an OSZ – for example, to become a business management specialist or engineer. You can generally choose from a variety of exciting professions. There’s something for everyone!

• Everything under one roof

  OSZ offers are varied and cover different areas of education. They can be grouped into four pillars:

  • Vocational preparation
  • Vocational training
  • University entrance qualifications
  • Further training

  Vocational preparation (IBA) prepares young people for vocational training and helps them in searching for a training company. Those who have finished school and want to start a career quickly can complete vocational training at an OSZ. It is also possible to obtain university entrance qualifications. For those who already work, OSZs offer further training that prepares them for business activities or management positions.