University degree or vocational training?
Germany is a popular destination for international students. Dual vocational training offers great opportunities too. What are the arguments in favour of which path?
Theory and practice
If you embark on a programme of dual vocational training in Germany, you will spend most of the time working in a company but will also take classes at a vocational training college. What you will be taught there will be relevant to your practical work, so you’ll be able to apply it directly in the company. If you opt to study at a university, the main focus will be on theory - you will take an academic/scientific approach to your work and engage with complex topics. However, many degree courses - such as those in medicine or engineering - also involve practical elements, and the curriculum often includes a practical semester.
The financial side of things
While doing your dual vocational training, you will be paid an average monthly salary of 1,100 euros gross. You will need to cover the costs of a university degree, by contrast - though most state universities in Germany do not charge any tuition fees, you do have to pay what is called a “semester fee”. Depending on the university, this can cost anything from 100 to 400 euros, though it does often include a ticket for local public transport. To finance your studies, there are funding opportunities such as scholarships in Germany. In the long term, most graduate jobs tend to be better paid than those requiring vocational training.
Professions
In Germany, there are 328 state-recognised occupations requiring vocational training – in the skilled crafts, for example, or in the medical, commercial or technical sectors. If you decide to do vocational training, it is likely that you will also work in this field once your complete your training. The choice of degree courses is wider: Germany offers an attractive higher education landscape, with around 22,000 different bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes currently available. As a university graduate, you will normally have more professional opportunities open to you than if you have completed a course of vocational training.
Future prospects
Regardless of whether you choose dual vocational training or a university degree, however, your future professional prospects will be equally good. Around three quarters of apprentices and trainees are taken on by their companies once they have completed their training. Qualified international skilled workers are in demand. You will play your part in ensuring that Germany’s economy remains successful. Though your professional prospects will depend to a greater extent on the particular subject you study at university, it is also the case here that Germany needs experts to secure its future.
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Facts about the dual vocational training system
How good does my German need to be, how do I find the right university, and are there any scholarships? Find the answers here.
Seven tips on taking a degree course in Germany
Germany’s vocational training system is internationally renowned. Find out here how it works.
Facts about the dual vocational training system
Germany’s vocational training system is internationally renowned. Find out here how it works.
Facts about the dual vocational training system
How good does my German need to be, how do I find the right university, and are there any scholarships? Find the answers here.
Seven tips on taking a degree course in Germany
Germany’s vocational training system is internationally renowned. Find out here how it works.
Facts about the dual vocational training system
How good does my German need to be, how do I find the right university, and are there any scholarships? Find the answers here.
Seven tips on taking a degree course in Germany
How good does my German need to be, how do I find the right university, and are there any scholarships? Find the answers here.
Seven tips on taking a degree course in Germany
Germany’s vocational training system is internationally renowned. Find out here how it works.
Facts about the dual vocational training system
How good does my German need to be, how do I find the right university, and are there any scholarships? Find the answers here.
Seven tips on taking a degree course in Germany
Germany’s vocational training system is internationally renowned. Find out here how it works.
Facts about the dual vocational training system
