People living in Germany have the opportunity to improve their professional qualifications by taking the appropriate further education course. In today’s competitive labour market, it makes sense to invest in yourself and expand your knowledge in order to gain additional points with your current or future employer. The higher qualifications, the greater the chances of promotion and better pay.
This trend is confirmed by the TNS-Infratest-Studie study entitled “Weiterbildungstrends in Deutschland 2019” (Further Education Trends in Germany 2019), in which 300 people responsible for personnel in the respective company took part. 87 percent of those surveyed said that a further training course was conducive to promotion, and for 78 percent it was the basis for a raise.
Where can I find further education courses in Germany?
There is a huge range of further education courses on offer in Germany. However, you should not always look at the price, as the fact that a course is expensive does not automatically mean that it is a good one. It is not uncommon for further education courses at state-run Volkshochschule, which are usually relatively inexpensive, to be at the same level as those offered by other more expensive further education institutions. You should also find out in advance about the timetable for a course – how often does it run and can it be combined with my job, for example? You can look for further education courses in Germany at the following institutions:
- Universities: people who have completed a university degree can take advantage of the offers of German universities, which offer further education courses
- Chambers of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer) and Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer)
- Church institutions
- Volkshochschule
- Private further education institutions
Distance-learning courses
In Germany, further education courses and distance learning courses are very popular, in which you can obtain a diploma or certificate that is recognized in the same way as a diploma or certificate obtained at an institution. In this way, you can not only make up for missing school education (e.g. high school diploma), but also obtain a professional qualification, for example as a caregiver for the elderly or a university diploma (Bachelor, Engineer, Master, MBA). These courses are paid and the classes are held online. Study materials are sent by mail or email. These courses are ideal for parents who have to take care of small children at home, people who work full time, and anyone who does not want to commute to classes or has not found a suitable further education course close to home.
Here are some of the German institutions that offer distance learning. On the websites of the institutions you can order free catalogs, which will allow you to get acquainted with the full offer of each institution:
ILS – Institut für Lernsysteme
- ILS is one of the best-known training providers in Germany.
- ILS offers a wide range of further training courses, e.g., a 12-month course for caregivers of the elderly (Altenbetreuung – Betreuungskraft), German in the workplace (Deutsch im Beruf), JAVA programmer (Geprüfte/r Programmierer/in (ILS) – Java), beautician (Geprüfte/r Kosmetiker/in), and many others (see link to website above)
- Free hotline
- You can try out each course for 4 weeks free of charge
- More than 75,000 students per year
Fernakademie für Erwachsenenbildung – Das Fernstudium mit mehr Service!
- Like the ILS, the Fernakademie also offers a wide range of further education courses, e.g. caretaker (Fernkurs Betreuungskraft gemäß §87b an der Fernakademie-Klett), fitness trainer (Fernkurs Fitnesscoach an der Fernakademie-Klett) and much more (see link to website above)
- Free hotline
- 4 week free trial period
- One month’s notice for each course
- More than 6,000 students per year
Euro-FH – Europäische Fernhochschule Hamburg
- Euro-FH is an institution that enables you to obtain a university degree (Engineer, Bachelor, Master, MBA)
- It has numerous accreditations and cooperates with universities in Poland, China, Spain, Great Britain and the USA
- The university offers online lectures and materials via email
- Lectures take place twice a week (in the evenings) or on Saturdays and can be attended online without leaving home
- More than 5,000 students per year
Studiengemeinschaft Darmstadt DE
- Studiengemeinschaft Darmstadt is a school offering the opportunity to take the German Abitur (Abitur) diploma as well as a variety of academic disciplines
- The school has been in operation since 1948!
- An information packet with sample lessons from selected courses can be ordered free of charge
- Course material is sent by mail as a hard copy
- 90 percent pass rate among students