Aufbereitungsmechaniker/Aufbereitungsmechanikerin Fachrichtung Naturstein

Preparation mechanics specializing in natural stone are trained in a dual system. Learning locations are the training company (usually natural stone extraction companies): production halls, outdoors; vocational school (Berufsschule): classrooms. If companies cannot provide all required training content, parts of the training can be moved to inter-company training centers. Vocational school lessons are partly conducted in cross-state specialized classes. Currently, for the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, and North Rhine-Westphalia, in Wiesau (Bavaria) at the State Vocational School Center Wiesau; for the states of Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia, in Erfurt (Thuringia) at the Walter-Gropius-Schule State Vocational School 7 of the City of Erfurt. Source: Overview of Cross-State Specialized Classes (As of: March 27, 2025).

Occupation type: Recognized apprenticeship (Ausbildung) occupation. Type of training: Dual training in industry (regulated by training ordinance). Training duration: 3 years. Learning locations: Training company and vocational school (Berufsschule) (dual training). What does one do in this profession? Preparation mechanics specializing in natural stone extract raw materials such as gravel, grit, or crushed sand in quarries using drilling and blasting. They transport it with vehicles, conveyor systems, and transport systems to processing plants that process it into building materials. Here, they monitor largely automated machines and plants that crush solid rock and sort it by size (classify) using screening plants. To ensure product quality, they take samples, analyze them, and document the results. They keep records of the quantities produced, store the products properly, or load them for further transport. In addition, they maintain machines and plants, determine the causes of technical malfunctions.

Job title: Preparation mechanic specializing in natural stone. What does one do in this profession? Preparation mechanics specializing in natural stone extract raw materials such as gravel, grit, or crushed sand in quarries using drilling and blasting. They transport it with vehicles, conveyor systems, and transport systems to processing plants that process it into building materials. Here, they monitor largely automated machines and plants that crush solid rock and sort it by size (classify) using screening plants. To ensure product quality, they take samples, analyze them, and document the results. They keep records of the quantities produced, store the products properly, or load them for further transport. In addition, they maintain machines and plants, determine the causes of technical malfunctions, and ensure their rectification. Where does one work? Preparation mechanics specializing in natural stone find...

3 years

The training is carried out in parallel in the training company and in the vocational school (Berufsschule). Vocational school lessons take place on specific weekdays or in block form. Excerpt from the training framework plan and the framework curriculum: 1st and 2nd year of training: Training in the company and, if necessary, in inter-company courses: Basic skills in material processing, maintenance of tools, exploration, extraction, and conveying techniques for raw materials, processing of raw materials into finished products, basics of hydraulics and pneumatics, basics of electrical engineering, measurement, control, and regulation technology, extraction, conveying, and transport of raw materials, crushing and classification of raw materials, sorting, mixing, and dosing of raw materials and intermediate products, maintenance of machines and plants, storage and disposal. Training in the vocational school in the learning areas: 1st year of training: Extraction and processing technology, manufacturing and testing technology, material technology, machine and equipment technology.

No costs are incurred for carrying out the training. The training company provides the training materials required for the practical part of the training and pays the examination fees. Unless otherwise regulated, apprentices must bear the costs of learning materials for vocational school (Berufsschule) lessons and for work clothing themselves. In addition, costs may arise if training facilities are far from the place of residence. Funding opportunities: In certain life situations, apprentices can receive vocational training allowance (Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe). Further information: Vocational Training Allowance (BAB).

During this Ausbildung (vocational training), trainees learn about raw material extraction and conveying techniques, processing methods such as dry and wet preparation, as well as machines and facilities. They also learn how to manually and mechanically process materials, assemble workpieces, and inspect and operate crushing and classifying equipment. Monitoring and evaluating sorting, dewatering, mixing, and dosing equipment, understanding control and regulation techniques, the basics of hydraulics and pneumatics, electrical measurements, and evaluating results are also part of the curriculum. Attention to sampling procedures, analytical methods, monitoring, controlling, and regulating preparation processes, along with the properties and uses of natural stone products, are covered. Furthermore, knowledge about rights and duties during the Ausbildung is acquired throughout the training.

Trainees should be prepared for the following conditions and requirements: In the company, practical work includes operating extraction vehicles or equipment, monitoring and controlling processing plants for granite, basalt, and limestone, analyzing samples, and maintaining operational facilities. The working environment may involve weather influences when working in a quarry, and dust and noise at processing plants. Protective clothing, respiratory and hearing protection, and possibly a helmet and safety glasses are worn. Working hours may include shift work. Requirements include prudence (e.g., during blasting and drilling in quarries), observational accuracy and attentiveness (e.g., when monitoring machines and plants), diligence (e.g., in purity tests and sieve analyses of natural stone), manual dexterity and technical understanding (e.g., in repair or maintenance work), and decision-making ability and reaction speed (e.g., in case of disruptions to processing operations). At the Berufsschule (vocational school), instruction takes place one or two days per week or in block form.

Trainees can complete parts of their Ausbildung (vocational training) abroad. For example, an internship abroad of at least 3 weeks can be undertaken in various European countries as part of the additional qualification "Europaassistent/in". The prerequisite for access is a secondary school leaving certificate. Further information on the additional qualification "Europaassistent/in" is available.

The Ausbildungvergütung (training allowance) for a dual Ausbildung (vocational training) is paid by the training company and, in companies bound by collective agreements, is based on collective bargaining agreements. Trainees must be granted an appropriate remuneration. If the Ausbildung takes place in a school-based form (e.g., at a Berufsfachschule (vocational school) or as a Berufsgrundbildungsjahr (BGJ) in the 1st year of Ausbildung), no Ausbildungvergütung is paid. Example for the natural stone industry (monthly gross - depending on the Bundesland (federal state)): 1st year of Ausbildung: 941 € to 1,100 €, 2nd year of Ausbildung: 1,100 € to 1,200 €, 3rd year of Ausbildung: 1,200 € to 1,344 €. This information is for orientation purposes only. No claims can be derived from it.

In-depth knowledge in the following school subjects are good prerequisites for a successful Ausbildung (vocational training): Mathematics (e.g., to calculate mixing ratios of raw materials), Physics (e.g., to understand the crushing and sinking behavior of rock), and Crafts/Technology (e.g., to create sketches and process flow diagrams).

The additional qualification "Europaassistent/in" is aimed at trainees with at least a secondary school leaving certificate. It expands the initial Ausbildung (vocational training) with intercultural competencies and offers trainees the opportunity to improve their foreign language skills. For this purpose, trainees attend additional Berufsschule (vocational school) classes, for example, in European Commercial and Economic Law, and complete a several-week internship abroad. The relevant chamber provides further information, for example, on "Europaassistent/in".

The following Ausbildung (vocational training) alternatives are available for the profession of Aufbereitungsmechaniker/in Fachrichtung Naturstein: In the field of building materials and natural stones, there are specializations such as sand and gravel, refractory and ceramic raw materials. Additionally, as a process mechanic in the stone and earth industry, there are specializations in building materials, asphalt technology, precast concrete products, gypsum boards or fiber cement, sand-lime bricks or aerated concrete, and ready-mix concrete.

In 1992, the Ausbildung (vocational training) regulation for the Aufbereitungsmechaniker/in profession, with specializations in natural stone, refractory and ceramic raw materials, sand and gravel, and hard coal, came into force under the Berufsbildungsgesetz (Vocational Training Act). The predecessor profession of Aufbereiter/in in mining was abolished. In 2004, a new, modernized Ausbildung regulation was introduced, including the new specialization in lignite. In 2020, the Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBiG) and Handwerksordnung (HWO) were amended, introducing a minimum Ausbildung (vocational training) remuneration and expanding the possibility of completing Ausbildung in Teilzeit (part-time). In 2024, the Berufsbildungsvalidierungs- und -digitalisierungsgesetz (Vocational Training Validation and Digitalization Act) came into effect, legally establishing the possibility of digital mobile Ausbildung and introducing a process for determining and certifying individual professional competence (professional validation) against the standard of a recognized Ausbildung profession.

Aufbereitungsmechaniker/in Fachrichtung Naturstein is a recognized 3-year Ausbildung (vocational training) profession in industry.

Qualification Title: Aufbereitungsmechaniker/Aufbereitungsmechanikerin - Fachrichtung Naturstein.

The Ausbildung (vocational training) remuneration for a dual Ausbildung is paid by the training company and, for companies bound by collective agreements, is determined by collective bargaining agreements. Trainees must be granted appropriate remuneration. The appropriateness of an Ausbildung remuneration for training starting in 2020 and later is regulated by the Berufsbildungsgesetz (Vocational Training Act) via the minimum remuneration. For example, in the natural stone industry (monthly gross): 1st year of training: 941 €, 2nd year of training: 1,132 €, 3rd year of training: 1,344 €. Source: IHK Würzburg, as of July 2024. Note: This information is for orientation purposes only. No claims can be derived from it.

The Ausbildung (vocational training) remuneration for a dual Ausbildung is paid by the training company and, for companies bound by collective agreements, is determined by collective bargaining agreements. Trainees must be granted appropriate remuneration. The appropriateness of an Ausbildung remuneration for training starting in 2020 and later is regulated by the Berufsbildungsgesetz (Vocational Training Act) via the minimum remuneration. For example, in the natural stone industry (monthly gross): 1st year of training: 1,100 €, 2nd year of training: 1,200 €, 3rd year of training: 1,300 €. Source: Tarifregister Bremen, as of May 2026. Note: This information is for orientation purposes only. No claims can be derived from it.

The vocational training (Ausbildung) remuneration for a dual training in Hamburg is paid by the training company. In companies bound by collective agreements, the remuneration is based on collective bargaining agreements. Trainees (Auszubildende) must be granted appropriate remuneration. The appropriateness of vocational training remuneration for trainings starting in 2020 and later is regulated by the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz) regarding the minimum remuneration. Example for the natural stone industry (monthly gross): 1st year: 1,068 €, 2nd year: 1,162 €, 3rd year: 1,282 €. Source: IG Bau, as of May 2026. This information is for orientation only; no claims can be derived from it.

The vocational training (Ausbildung) remuneration for a dual training in Saarland is paid by the training company. In companies bound by collective agreements, the remuneration is based on collective bargaining agreements. Trainees (Auszubildende) must be granted appropriate remuneration. The appropriateness of vocational training remuneration for trainings starting in 2020 and later is regulated by the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz) regarding the minimum remuneration. Example for the natural stone industry (monthly gross): 1st year: 1,000 €, 2nd year: 1,100 €, 3rd year: 1,200 €. Source: Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), as of July 2025. This information is for orientation only; no claims can be derived from it.

Improve opportunities with additional qualifications: Future natural stone processing mechanics (Aufbereitungsmechaniker/innen Fachrichtung Naturstein) can gain a good starting position by acquiring additional qualifications during their vocational training (Ausbildung), e.g., in European Commercial and Economic Law through the additional qualification 'Europaassistent/in'. Find the right employment: After their vocational training, natural stone processing mechanics work in quarries and processing plants such as cement or precast concrete factories. Secure employability: Through adaptive continuing education (Anpassungsweiterbildung), one can keep their specialized knowledge current, bring it up to date, and expand it. The range of topics extends from raw material extraction to measurement technology. Advance professionally: Further training for career advancement (Aufstiegsweiterbildung) helps to progress professionally and reach leadership positions. It is a natural step to take the examination as an industrial master (Industriemeister/in) specializing in natural stone.

In 2024, there were 33 new vocational training (Ausbildung) entrants. 45 percent had a Hauptschulabschluss (general secondary school certificate) or a mittlerer Bildungsabschluss (intermediate school certificate). Of the new vocational training entrants in 2024, 45% had a Hauptschulabschluss*, 45% had a mittlerer Bildungsabschluss, and 10% had other qualifications. *Depending on the federal state (Bundesland), Hauptschulabschluss may also be referred to as (Einfache) Berufsbildungsreife, Berufsreife, Erfolgreicher Abschluss der Mittelschule, Erster (allgemeinbildender) Schulabschluss. Source: The information is based on data from the Trainee Data System (DAZUBI) of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB).

The vocational training (Ausbildung) remuneration for a dual training in Niedersachsen is paid by the training company. In companies bound by collective agreements, the remuneration is based on collective bargaining agreements. Trainees (Auszubildende) must be granted appropriate remuneration. The appropriateness of vocational training remuneration for trainings starting in 2020 and later is regulated by the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz) regarding the minimum remuneration. Example for the natural stone industry (monthly gross): 1st year: 1,068 €, 2nd year: 1,162 €, 3rd year: 1,282 €. Source: IG Bau, as of May 2026. This information is for orientation only; no claims can be derived from it.

The vocational training (Ausbildung) remuneration for a dual training in Rheinland-Pfalz is paid by the training company. In companies bound by collective agreements, the remuneration is based on collective bargaining agreements. Trainees (Auszubildende) must be granted appropriate remuneration. The appropriateness of vocational training remuneration for trainings starting in 2020 and later is regulated by the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz) regarding the minimum remuneration. Example for the natural stone industry (monthly gross): 1st year: 1,000 € to 1,033 €, 2nd year: 1,100 € to 1,127 €, 3rd year: 1,200 € to 1,235 €. Source: Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), as of July 2025. This information is for orientation only; no claims can be derived from it.

Legal regulations and recommendations for this vocational training (Ausbildung) exist. These include the Ordinance on Vocational Training for Aufbereitungsmechaniker/Aufbereitungsmechanikerin (AMAusbV) from February 9, 2004, and the framework curriculum plan decided by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs on April 29, 1992.

The training allowance for a dual vocational training (duale Ausbildung) is paid by the training company. For companies bound by collective agreements, the allowance is based on these agreements. Trainees must be granted an appropriate remuneration. For training programs starting in 2020 and later, the appropriateness of the training allowance is regulated by the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz) via the minimum remuneration. For example, in the natural stone industry, the monthly gross allowance is: 1,068 € in the 1st year of training, 1,162 € in the 2nd year, and 1,282 € in the 3rd year (Source: IG Bau, as of May 2026). This information is for orientation purposes only and no claims can be derived from it.

Legally, no specific prior education is required.

The training allowance for a dual vocational training (duale Ausbildung) is paid by the training company. For companies bound by collective agreements, the allowance is based on these agreements. Trainees must be granted an appropriate remuneration. For training programs starting in 2020 and later, the appropriateness of the training allowance is regulated by the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz) via the minimum remuneration. For example, in the natural stone industry, the monthly gross allowance is: 1,100 € in the 1st year of training, 1,200 € in the 2nd year, and 1,300 € in the 3rd year (Source: Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), as of July 2025). This information is for orientation purposes only and no claims can be derived from it.