Berufspädagoge/Berufspädagogin

Various media sources are available for this profession: bildung.digital, DEQA-VET, Der pädagogische Blick, Digitales Lernen und Lehren in der Berufsausbildung, Digitalisierung: Herausforderungen für die Aus- und Weiterbildung in Deutschland, EPALE, Fachportal Pädagogik, Kompetenzzentrum Digitales Handwerk, PÄDAGOGIKPOSITION, SCHULEWIRTSCHAFT, IAB Themenseite, ueberaus.de, wb-web, Zeitschrift für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik (ZBW), Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie.

The use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in vocational training (Aus- und Weiterbildung) is increasing. VR allows trainees to learn basic skills, such as machine operation in a virtual workshop, while AR can project warnings or operating instructions via data glasses. These technologies enable learners to practice in a practical and action-oriented way without fear of making mistakes. Hybrid learning is constantly changing the concepts of teaching, coaching, and training due to ongoing digitalization. Educators combine digital and analog learning forms to improve learning outcomes for all participants.

An interest in social-advisory activities is important and helpful for practicing this profession. This includes conveying specialized knowledge using vocational pedagogical methods, advising learners in crises and difficult situations, and motivating learners to acquire knowledge independently through learning-accompanying discussions.

Vocational educators (Berufspädagogen/Berufspädagoginnen) primarily work in offices, seminar rooms, meeting rooms, and classrooms.

Core competencies acquired or deepened during studies (Studium) include: Training and further education, vocational and work pedagogy, educational counseling, educational management and planning, didactics, theoretical instruction, creating and updating teaching materials, learning objective control, methodology, personnel development, teaching and training (extracurricular area), teaching at vocational schools (Berufsschule) and vocational colleges. Further competencies that may be significant for this profession are: Digital learning forms, digital learning certificates, digital whiteboards, game-based learning, customer consulting and support, learning platforms and apps, marketing, pedagogical psychology, school psychology, human resources, teaching (school area).

The progressive digitalization of the working and professional world can change task areas and requirement profiles. For vocational educators (Berufspädagogen/Berufspädagoginnen), this may open up opportunities to deal with the following technologies, procedures, or systems: Blended Learning (e.g., providing homework and project work on learning platforms for lesson preparation), digital learning certificates (e.g., planning the use of digital learning certificates in training and further education courses), digital whiteboards (e.g., conducting vocational training and further education courses using a digital whiteboard), document cameras (e.g., presenting high-resolution images of teaching materials with a document camera), document management systems (DMS) (e.g., digitally managing learning media, materials, and guiding texts), Game Based Learning (e.g., motivating training participants to better performance with gamification methods), Inverted Classroom Model (ICM) (e.g., using digitally provided lesson materials).

Vocational educators plan and organize vocational education processes, and advise, accompany, and assess the participants. This requires communication skills, assertiveness, and self-confidence. They adapt to different target groups, which often consist of changing individuals. In their work, they demonstrate pedagogical skill, a sense of responsibility, empathy, and perseverance to achieve desired long-term goals. If they lead a project team, organization, planning, and personnel management are among their tasks. Administrative-organizational, conceptual, or, if applicable, scientific activities are carefully planned and executed. Vocational educators work on computers in an office. Here, for example, they design teaching concepts, write reports, and handle administrative and organizational tasks. For consulting and training events, they use B (the source text is cut here, but context suggests 'specific tools' or 'venues').

Vocational educators can become self-employed, for example, as corporate educators.

Due to the broad professional spectrum, no representative salary information can be provided. Please check BERUFENET for current details.

Adult education and other teaching sectors: Vocational adult education (e.g., continuing education institutions), all other teaching services not elsewhere classified (e.g., community colleges). Economic and professional associations, trade unions: Economic and employer associations, professional organizations (e.g., Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK), Chambers of Skilled Trades). Vocational schools: Vocational secondary schools.

Those wishing to work in this profession typically need a completed undergraduate degree (grundständig Studium) in vocational pedagogy. Leadership positions or specialized tasks usually require a master's degree (Masterstudium). Activities in science and research often require a doctorate (Promotion) or habilitation (post-doctoral qualification).

Vocational Pedagogy (undergraduate), Vocational Pedagogy (postgraduate), Educational Sciences (undergraduate), Educational Sciences (postgraduate), Engineering Pedagogy (undergraduate), Engineering Pedagogy (postgraduate), Teaching at vocational schools (Lehramt an berufsbildenden/beruflichen Schulen/Berufskollegs) (postgraduate), Teaching at vocational schools (State Examination), Business Pedagogy (undergraduate), Business Pedagogy (postgraduate).

Vocational educators primarily find employment in vocational training and further education institutions, such as Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK), and in vocational schools (Berufsschule). Furthermore, they also find employment in human resources departments and in in-company training and further education in businesses across almost all economic sectors.

Vocational educator. Professional title in English: Vocational training specialist (m/f). Professional title in French: Pédagogue (m/f) en formation professionnelle.

For employment as a teacher at vocational schools (Berufsschule), teaching qualification is required. Employees in community and medical facilities must provide proof of their measles vaccination or immunity, if they were born after 1970, in accordance with the Infection Protection Act.

Some characteristics of work and social behavior are equally relevant for all professions and are therefore not mentioned separately. These include: reliability, punctuality, honesty, ability to criticize, and appropriate manners. In addition, the following profession-specific characteristics are required to practice this academic profession: willingness to perform and commitment (e.g., willingly and actively implementing pedagogical goals even in tense teaching situations), perseverance / determination (e.g., persistently pursuing learning goals despite temporary setbacks), conscientiousness (e.g., accurately determining qualification needs; carefully evaluating the effectiveness of educational measures), sense of responsibility and willingness to take responsibility (e.g., supporting learners in exam preparation and with learning difficulties), independent way of working (e.g., independently planning and organizing in-company vocational training and further education processes).

Vocational educators plan and optimize vocational education processes by planning initial and further training, advising participants, and identifying educational needs or competencies.

BAG:WfbM, LehrCare - Die Lehrervermittlung, Lehrer.biz.

Key associations and organizations in this profession include: Federal Working Group of Vocational Training Centers (BAG BBW) e.V., Federal Association of Vocational Education Teachers (BVLB) e.V., Federal Association of German Private Schools (VDP) e.V., German Teachers' Association (DL), German Association for Educational and Vocational Counseling (dvb) e.V. - Head Office, Research Institute for Company-Based Education (f-bb), Education and Science Union (GEW), Institute for Employment Research of the Federal Employment Agency (IAB), Leibniz Institute for Educational Research and Educational Information DIPF, United Services Union (ver.di), Association for Company-Based Educational Research e.V.

This profession involves responsibility for individuals, such as assessing trainees in their company contexts. It includes working with children and young people in vocational schools (Berufsschule). Screen work, such as designing teaching concepts or writing reports, is common. Work with technical devices, machines, and systems, for example demonstrating the functionality of profession-specific equipment, is also part of the job. Manual work, such as guiding profession-specific activities, is also involved. Work takes place in teaching/training rooms and office spaces, for instance preparing lessons or designing learning materials.

Career opportunities are structured by fields of activity: In company-based training and further education, one can work as a training and further education pedagogue or head of company-based training and further education. In educational and vocational counseling, roles include training advisor, job entry companion, job coach, and educational/study advisor. In adult education, one can be an educational officer or a teacher/lecturer in adult education. Teaching positions are available at vocational/vocational schools (Berufsschule), specialized schools for seafaring, or schools for work education. In higher education, roles include lecturer at universities and academies or study program coordinator. In scientific research, one can work as an educational researcher, research officer, head of a research group, or scientific assistant.

Documents and software used include: pedagogical concepts, information brochures, assessment forms, training certificates, training contracts, placement plans, company-based training and further education plans, personnel files, statistics, expert opinions, framework plans, training and examination regulations. Software includes learning platforms, learning apps, and virtual classrooms. Presentation tools such as (digital) whiteboards, projectors, and document cameras are utilized. Office equipment includes PCs, internet access, and telephones.

Vocational pedagogues work in vocational training and further education, developing new educational concepts and methods. They impart specialized knowledge and skills using various learning media. They plan and organize company-based training and further education processes and determine the necessary qualifications. Additionally, they advise and support participants, for example, through learning-supportive discussions or counseling services. They use pedagogical methods to assess competencies or evaluate participants, and for this purpose, they develop or optimize assessment systems and examination procedures.

Access to this profession is possible without a university degree (Studium), for example, with the advanced training 'Certified Vocational Pedagogue' (Geprüfter Berufspädagoge/Geprüfte Berufspädagogin).

Adaptation training helps to keep professional knowledge up-to-date and adapt it to new developments (e.g., in the areas of in-company training and further education, adult education, personnel development, learning counseling). Furthermore, the trend of using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in education and training can become an important further education topic for vocational educators.

Depending on one's professional background, further career opportunities open up through a bachelor's (Studium) or master's (weiterführendes Studium) degree (e.g., in vocational pedagogy, educational management, or business pedagogy). Under certain conditions, it is also possible to study without a general higher education entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung). For more information: Access to higher education in the individual German states (Bundesland).

Organize educational processes, determine in-company training needs, conceive and plan vocational learning processes using vocational pedagogical methods, and implement them (e.g., with regard to qualification profiles for the demands of the working and professional world 4.0). Appropriately use or develop learning media and materials, guiding texts, and learning resource pools. Consider cost and economic aspects. Determine specific qualification needs and implement learning content accordingly. Accompany learning processes. Convey learning content. Moderate learning-accompanying discussions or learning groups, provide advice and moderation in difficult situations and crises, and resolve conflicts. Optimize learning situations. Assess learners. Apply modern, competence-oriented examination forms appropriately and with psychological empathy. Assess examinees in operational contexts, conduct or guide competence assessment procedures. Conduct educational controlling. Plan educational measures and their public and private.

What is it about? Vocational educators plan and organize both vocational training and further education, as well as vocational educational processes. In doing so, they advise, accompany, and assess the educational participants, determine competencies in addition to educational requirements, and coordinate and optimize learning processes. Designing learning processes: Vocational educators are in demand when the pedagogical quality of vocational training and further education is to be improved or newly conceived, e.g., with regard to new qualification requirements in terms of digitalization and Industry 4.0. They coordinate processes and advise all involved persons, analyze work situations, learning locations, methods, and media, prepare learning content clearly and understandably, and convey it in a target-group-specific manner. The goal is to promote learning processes and motivation. In doing so, they also consider aspects of economic efficiency and use instruments from the areas of marketing, controlling, and quality.

The following abilities, knowledge, and skills are required for carrying out possible activities in this field of study. Abilities: Verbal (linguistic) thinking (e.g., analyzing and designing learning materials for vocational educational content). Observational accuracy (e.g., precisely observing the behavior of examinees in their operational contexts). Memory (e.g., memory for names and faces, as well as technical content). Manual dexterity (e.g., instructing apprentices in practical vocational lessons, such as in wood, metal, or meat processing). Ability to plan and organize (e.g., planning and organizing educational processes and measures). Pedagogical skill (e.g., advising, supporting, teaching, and educating people in different areas of life, including in difficult situations and crises). Knowledge and skills: Oral expression (e.g., conducting learning-accompanying discussions; moderating learning groups).

The equivalence of foreign professional qualifications is regulated by the Act on the Determination of the Equivalence of Professional Qualifications (Berufsqualifikationsfeststellungsgesetz - BQFG) of December 6, 2011 (BGBl. I S. 2515), last amended by Article 10 of the Act of August 16, 2023 (BGBl. 2023 I Nr. 217).

The exercise of this profession may entail certain physical requirements. These may not necessarily apply to every job profile or every professional application. Functionality of arms and hands (e.g., demonstrating the operation of typical professional equipment; guiding professional activities), unimpaired speech ability (e.g., speaking in front of the class and explaining facts), near vision - even corrected (e.g., reading and correcting student learning assessments; designing lesson concepts or writing reports), hearing and speech comprehension (e.g., understanding students, even with higher noise levels in the classroom), (intact) resilient nervous system (e.g., appearing confident and maintaining calm even in tense situations or difficult classes) may be required. This information does not form a basis for legal action and should not be understood as a medical suitability assessment.

The following lists professions or activities that show similarities to the initial profession. These professions offer a possible alternative for applicants who cannot find a vacant position in their learned profession. Furthermore, employers can consider specialists from these professions as alternatives for filling a position in the initial profession. Some alternative professions only cover partial activities of the initial profession, while others require an induction period, which can vary in length in individual cases. The following immediate employment and staffing alternatives are available for the profession of Berufspädagoge/Berufspädagogin: For the overall activity (usually short induction): Berufspädagoge/Berufspädagogin (IHK) für Aus- und Weiterbildung (Vocational Educator/Pedagogue (IHK) for Training and Further Education). For partial activities and professional application possibilities (with/without induction): Aus- und Weiterbildungspädagoge/Aus- und Weiterbildungspädagogin (Training and Further Education Educator/Pedagogue), Ausbildungsberater/Ausbildungsberaterin (Training Consultant), Bildungsreferent (Education Officer).

The activity as a Berufspädagoge/Berufspädagogin (Vocational Educator) is not regulated. To work in this profession with a qualification acquired abroad, no professional recognition is necessary. However, an assessment of equivalence can help German employers better evaluate professional skills acquired abroad. Information on the determination of equivalence is available on the German government's information portal for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications: www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de. The competent bodies in the field of further education are the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK). A central office has been established for applications: IHK FOSA. For foreign university degrees, it is possible to apply for an individual certificate evaluation by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). This can be helpful for applications in the German labor market. Further information on living and working in Germany is also available.

The following health limitations could lead to problems when performing the profession. This information does not necessarily apply to every job profile or every professional application. Increasingly, there are also possibilities to compensate for limitations, for example, through technical aids. Restricted functionality of arms and hands (e.g., demonstrating the operation of typical professional equipment; guiding professional activities), speech disorder, speech impediment (e.g., speaking in front of the class and explaining facts), uncorrectable near vision impairment (e.g., reading and correcting student learning assessments; designing lesson concepts or writing reports), hearing impairment, hard of hearing, deafness, hearing disorder, chronic ear ailments (e.g., understanding students, even with higher noise levels in the classroom), severe vegetative or nervous diseases (e.g., appearing confident and maintaining calm even in tense situations or difficult classes) may cause issues.