Ausbaufacharbeiter/Ausbaufacharbeiterin Schwerpunkt Wärme-, Kälte- und Schallschutzarbeiten

Construction workers specializing in thermal, cold, and sound insulation work are trained in the dual system. Learning takes place at the training company (usually construction firms), which includes construction sites, workshops, and production halls. The Berufsschule (vocational school) provides classroom instruction. Additionally, parts of the training must be completed in inter-company training centers. Vocational school classes are sometimes conducted in cross-state specialized classes. For example, for the Bundesländer (federal states) of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, training is in Hamburg at the Berufliche Schule Bautechnik (BS 08); for North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland, in Oberhausen at the Hans-Sachs-Berufskolleg Oberhausen; and for Hessen, Saxony, and Thuringia, in Erfurt at the Walter-Gropius-Schule Staatliche Berufsbildende Schule 7 der Stadt Erfurt. (Source: Overview of Cross-State Specialized Classes, as of: 27.03.2025)

The Ausbildung (vocational training) in the construction industry is being modernized. The training in the 19 recognized vocational occupations in the construction industry is being updated and adapted both in terms of content and structure. Technical progress and, in particular, increased requirements for environmental and consumer protection, such as energy saving and the prevention of CO2 emissions, necessitate a reorganization of the training. In both new construction and existing building renovation, the demands on construction trades have changed. For example, buildings are becoming smarter, and technical systems, tools, and machines are increasingly networked. The effects of new technologies and procedures, as well as digitalization, on activities in the construction industry are taken into account in the new training regulations, as is the topic of sustainability. The current legal basis for all 19 construction trades is the 'Regulation on Vocational Training in the Construction Industry'.

This is a recognized Ausbildung (vocational training) occupation in industry and crafts, regulated by a training ordinance, and lasts 2 years. Learning takes place at the training company and the Berufsschule (vocational school) as part of a dual training system. In this profession, construction workers specializing in thermal, cold, and sound insulation work, among other tasks, clad facades with insulation materials, apply insulating barrier layers, wrap heating pipes, or insulate ceilings and floors with sound-absorbing layers. They select suitable insulation and insulating materials, cut them to size, and fasten them to pipelines, containers, ceilings, and walls. Exposed insulation layers are covered, for example, with metal sheets, plastic components, or foils. Furthermore, they install interior linings for cold rooms and construct lightweight walls from drywall materials. If necessary, they carry out required rework. They can work in new construction or renovation projects.

Construction workers specializing in thermal, cold, and sound insulation work, among other tasks, clad facades with insulation materials, apply insulating barrier layers, wrap heating pipes, or insulate ceilings and floors with sound-absorbing layers. They select suitable insulation and insulating materials, cut them to size, and fasten them to pipelines, containers, ceilings, and walls. Exposed insulation layers are covered, for example, with metal sheets, plastic components, or foils. Furthermore, they install interior linings for cold rooms and construct lightweight walls from drywall materials. If necessary, they carry out required rework. They can work in new construction or renovation projects. Construction workers in this field find employment with construction companies.

2 years

The Ausbildung (vocational training) is conducted in parallel at the training company and the Berufsschule (vocational school). Vocational school classes take place on specific weekdays or in block form. In the first year of training, company and inter-company courses cover topics such as order acceptance, performance recording, work and process planning, setting up, securing, and clearing construction sites, inspecting, storing, and selecting building and auxiliary building materials, reading and applying drawings, making sketches, performing measurements, processing wood and manufacturing wooden components, manufacturing concrete and reinforced concrete components, manufacturing building structures from stones, installing insulation materials for thermal, cold, sound, and fire protection, producing plaster and stucco, producing screeds, setting and laying tiles and slabs, and manufacturing drywall components. Vocational school instruction focuses on learning fields such as setting up a construction site and developing it.

There are no costs for undertaking the Ausbildung (vocational training). The training company provides the necessary training materials for the practical part of the training and pays the examination fees. Unless otherwise specified, trainees usually bear the costs for learning materials for Berufsschule (vocational school) lessons and for work clothing. Additional costs may arise if training locations are far from home. In certain life situations, trainees may receive Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe (vocational training allowance).

In the training company, trainees learn, for example, what to consider when accepting orders and how to apply building regulations. They also learn how to set up and secure construction sites and how to erect scaffolding. They are taught how to select, inspect, and store building materials, prefabricated parts, tools, and machinery. Understanding how to read drawings and sketches and how to create measurement sketches are also part of the curriculum. Trainees learn how to construct a light partition wall, how to check surfaces for damage and moisture, and how to determine dimensions for fittings on operational systems and assemble them. They also learn how to select insulation materials and attach them to pipelines, containers, ceilings, and walls. The training covers how to produce claddings from plasterboard and gypsum fiberboards or internal linings for cold rooms, and how to seal building components. Considerations for selecting plastics and sheet metals for surface protection and how to process plastic hoses or sheet metals are also taught.

One should be prepared for the following conditions and requirements in this profession: In the company, practical work (under guidance) includes creating insulation layers, installing insulating materials, and processing sheets for cladding. The environment involves changing construction sites, cold, heat, and drafts in unfinished buildings, as well as construction dust and noise. Protective clothing (e.g., helmet, gloves, safety shoes, hearing protection if necessary) is worn. Manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination (e.g., when cutting sheets, insulating pipes), care and prudence (e.g., when determining dimensions for fittings, working on ladders and scaffolding), and good physical constitution (e.g., when lifting and carrying building materials) are required. At the Berufsschule (vocational school), lessons take place one or two days per week or in block instruction.

Trainees can complete parts of their Ausbildung (vocational training) abroad, for example, in various European countries. An internship abroad as part of the additional qualification 'Europaassistent/in' lasts at least 3 weeks and requires a secondary school leaving certificate. More information on the 'Europaassistent/in' additional qualification is available.

The training allowance for a dual Ausbildung (vocational training) is paid by the training company and, for companies bound by collective agreements, is based on collective bargaining agreements. Trainees must be granted an appropriate remuneration. If the training takes place in a school-based form (e.g., at a Berufsfachschule or as a Berufsgrundbildungsjahr BGJ in the 1st year), no training allowance is paid. For example, in the construction industry in the new Bundesländer (federal states) - excluding Berlin - the monthly gross allowance is 1,122 € in the 1st year and 1,351 € in the 2nd year. The same amounts apply for the old Bundesländer (excluding Berlin) and Berlin. These figures are for orientation only; no claims can be derived from them. Please check BERUFENET for more information.

In-depth knowledge in the following school subjects provides a good foundation for successful Ausbildung (vocational training): Mathematics is essential for future Ausbaufacharbeiter/innen (construction specialists) with a focus on thermal, cold, and sound insulation, for example, to calculate area measurements and material requirements. Craft/Technology skills are useful as future specialists work with construction and machine tools, equipment, and tools. Knowledge of technical drawing is helpful for reading and creating sketches. Physics knowledge is advantageous for understanding relationships in construction work.

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

The following vocational training (Ausbildung) alternatives are available for the profession of Ausbaufacharbeiter/in (Construction Specialist) with a focus on thermal, cold, and sound insulation work: Thermal, Cold, and Sound Insulation Installer; Ausbaufacharbeiter/in with a focus on drywall work; Drywall Installer; Ausbaufacharbeiter/in with a focus on screed work; Screed Layer; Ausbaufacharbeiter/in with a focus on stucco work; Stucco Plasterer; Ausbaufacharbeiter/in with a focus on tile, slab, and mosaic work; Tile, Slab, and Mosaic Layer; Ausbaufacharbeiter/in with a focus on carpentry work; Carpenter; Specialist for Wood and Building Protection Work; Insulation Specialist; Painter and Varnisher specializing in Energy Efficiency and Design Technology.

In 1974, the ordinance on vocational training (Ausbildung) in the construction industry came into force. The profession of Ausbaufacharbeiter/in was recognized with seven specializations: concrete and terrazzo work, screed work, tile, slab, and mosaic work, insulation work, stucco work, drywall work, and carpentry work in the craft and industrial training sectors. In 1999, vocational training in the construction industry was reorganized. The profession of Ausbaufacharbeiter/in was trained in six specializations: screed work, tile, slab, and mosaic work, stucco work, drywall work, thermal, cold, and sound insulation work, and carpentry work. Training content was modernized, for example, the use of new building and auxiliary materials, the use of equipment and machinery, and work in the area of renovation and repair. In 2020, the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and the Crafts Code (HWO) were amended: a minimum training allowance was introduced.

Ausbaufacharbeiter/in with a focus on thermal, cold, and sound insulation work is a 2-year recognized vocational training (Ausbildung) profession in industry and crafts.

Qualification title: Ausbaufacharbeiter/in.

Improve opportunities with additional qualifications: Prospective Ausbaufacharbeiter/innen with a focus on thermal, cold, and sound insulation work can gain a good starting position by acquiring additional qualifications during their vocational training (Ausbildung), for example, in European Goods and Commercial Law through the "Europaassistent/in" (Europe Assistant) additional qualification. Find the right employment: After their training, Ausbaufacharbeiter/innen with a focus on thermal, cold, and sound insulation work are employed by construction companies in the finishing sector. Secure employability: Through adaptive further training, one can keep their specialized knowledge current, up-to-date, and expanded. The range of topics extends from insulation and damping to plastic processing. Advance professionally: After successfully passing the final/journeyman's examination, Ausbaufacharbeiter/innen with a focus on thermal, cold, and sound insulation work can advance their careers under certain conditions.

In 2024, there were 441 new Ausbildung (vocational training) students in the skilled trades (Handwerk) sector. Of these, 40 percent had a Hauptschulabschluss (secondary school certificate) or a mittlerer Bildungsabschluss (intermediate school certificate). 12 percent possessed the Hochschulreife (university entrance qualification), and 5 percent did not have a Hauptschulabschluss. 7 percent of the new students had completed a Berufsfachschule (vocational school) before starting their Ausbildung. In the industry and trade sector, there were 63 new Ausbildung students. 52 percent of these had a Hauptschulabschluss, and 33 percent had a mittlerer Bildungsabschluss.

Legal regulations for this Ausbildung are defined by the Ordinance on Vocational Training in the Construction Industry (BauWiAusbV) from June 2, 1999, and the Framework Curriculum Plan for Vocational Professions in the Construction Industry, decided by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs on February 5, 1999.

Legally, no specific prior education is required for this Ausbildung.

After successfully passing the Abschluss-/Gesellenprüfung (final/journeyman's examination) in the profession of Ausbaufacharbeiter/in (Building Finisher), the Ausbildung can potentially be continued in one of the following related professions: Wärme-, Kälte- und Schallschutzisolierer/in (Thermal, Cold, and Sound Insulation Installer), Estrichleger/in (Screed Layer), Fliesen-, Platten- und Mosaikleger/in (Tile, Slab, and Mosaic Layer), Stuckateur/in (Plasterer/Stucco Worker), Trockenbaumonteur/in (Drywall Installer), and Zimmerer/Zimmerin (Carpenter).