Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin (Fachschule) für Möbelhandel/Bachelor Professional in Wirtschaft

This advanced training takes place at technical colleges (Fachschule) and other educational institutions. Learning locations include classrooms and computer rooms.

Occupation type: Advanced training occupation, Bachelor Professional. Type of advanced training: Advanced training at technical colleges (Fachschule) regulated by state law. Duration of advanced training: 2-4 years (full-time/part-time). Tasks and activities: Business economists specializing in furniture retail work in the purchase and sale of furniture, furniture parts, and home accessories. They search for new partner companies domestically and abroad, obtain offers, and establish new contacts, for example, at furniture fairs. They also negotiate delivery and payment terms with supplier companies. They plan product and sales strategies, analyze key figures, and develop and implement marketing and sales strategies. Furthermore, they prepare balance sheets and profit-and-loss statements, prepare control and monitoring information for company management, and audit accounting. Areas and places of work: Business economists specializing in furniture retail are employed in furniture companies.

Full-time: 2 years. Part-time: 3-4 years.

Distribution of hours (example): General Business Administration: 160 teaching hours. Human Resources and Training: 160 teaching hours. Marketing: 160 teaching hours. Labor and Commercial Law: 160 teaching hours. Balancing / Controlling: 240 teaching hours. Taxes: 120 teaching hours. Financing: 80 teaching hours. Math / Statistics: 160 teaching hours. Data Processing: 160 teaching hours. Rhetoric: 160 teaching hours. English: 80 teaching hours. Design / Planning: 640 teaching hours. Furniture Studies: 160 teaching hours. Upholstered Furniture Studies: 80 teaching hours. Home and Household Textiles: 80 teaching hours. Furniture Styles: 80 teaching hours. Total teaching hours: 2,680 teaching hours.

Advanced training at state technical colleges (Fachschule) is generally free for students. Private technical colleges, however, usually charge course fees, and sometimes also admission and examination fees. Additional costs may arise, for example, for work materials, travel to the training institution, or external accommodation. Funding opportunities: Business administration advanced training can be financially supported according to the Advanced Training Promotion Act (Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderungsgesetz). Further information: Aufstiegs-BAföG - Advancement with Funding. Support for particularly talented young professionals: Stiftung Begabtenförderung berufliche Bildung (SBB) - Advanced Training Scholarship.

Learning areas: Subject-specific, e.g.: Business administration, economic mathematics and statistics, accounting, business informatics, marketing, tax law, design theory, economic product knowledge (furniture, home textiles, upholstered furniture). Cross-disciplinary, e.g.: Communication, business English. Additional knowledge: Schools may also provide additional knowledge that enables the acquisition of the university of applied sciences entrance qualification (Fachhochschulreife).

In-depth knowledge in the following areas is a good prerequisite for successfully passing the advanced training (Weiterbildung) examination: Economics/Law, for example, to handle tasks in accounting, controlling, and taxation. Mathematics, for example, to prepare balance sheets or profit and loss statements.

The advanced training (Weiterbildung) consists of theoretical and practical lessons. Depending on the education provider, one should be prepared for the following conditions: For full-time instruction, lessons are full-day on at least four weekdays. For part-time instruction, it is typically career-accompanying advanced training on weekends or in the evenings. The learning format is usually in-person events: classroom instruction at the educational institution (possibly not in the place of residence).

Participation in advanced training (Weiterbildung) is not remunerated.

The following advanced training (Weiterbildung) alternatives are available for the profession of business administrator (Betriebswirt/in) specializing in furniture trade: In the field of Marketing and Advertising, one can become a business administrator (Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin (Fachschule) für allgemeine Betriebswirtschaft/Bachelor Professional in Wirtschaft) or a certified business specialist (Geprüfter Wirtschaftsfachwirt/Geprüfte Wirtschaftsfachwirtin). The commonality is developing and implementing sales strategies. In the field of Trade, one can become a certified sales specialist in retail (Geprüfter Fachwirt für Vertrieb im Einzelhandel/Geprüfte Fachwirtin für Vertrieb im Einzelhandel (Weiterbildung)) or a certified trade specialist (Geprüfter Handelsfachwirt/Geprüfte Handelsfachwirtin (Weiterbildung)). The commonality is conducting purchase and sales negotiations.

In 2020, the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz - BBiG) and the Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung - HWO) were amended. This included the introduction of advanced training (Weiterbildung) qualifications such as 'Geprüfte/r Berufsspezialist/in', 'Bachelor Professional', and 'Master Professional' to emphasize the equivalence of vocational and academic education. The use of these professional titles depends on the enactment of corresponding new advanced training (Fortbildung) regulations.

The school and vocational school (Fachschule) regulations of the Bundesländer (federal states) govern the duration, possibilities for shortening, and extending the training. Participants with a degree in another specialization of the economics field or in a second focus of a specialization can shorten the advanced training (Weiterbildung). Participants can partly make up for missing professional experience during the advanced training (Weiterbildung). This may extend the duration of the advanced training (Weiterbildung).

This advanced training is legally regulated only in the specified federal state (Bundesland) and leads to the following qualification: North Rhine-Westphalia: State-certified Business Administrator (Staatlich geprüfter Betriebswirt) - Specialization in Furniture Trade (Bachelor Professional in Wirtschaft).

Becoming a state-certified business administrator with a specialization in furniture trade is a vocational advanced training. It is regulated by state law and takes place at vocational colleges (Fachschule). The full-time training lasts 2 years, while part-time takes 3-4 years. Additionally, there is a dual-qualification initial training that combines a commercial vocational training (Ausbildung) with the advanced training degree mentioned above. This is typically aimed at high school graduates (Abiturienten).

After their advanced training, business administrators for furniture trade can work, for example, in wholesale and retail of office, kitchen, or living room furniture, or for furniture manufacturers. Through adaptive advanced training, one can keep their specialized knowledge current, up-to-date, and expand it. The range of topics extends from sales to commercial law. Career advancement training, specifically designed for graduates of advanced training, can expand and complement their competence profile, building on existing qualifications. It is a natural progression to take the examination as a business administrator according to the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz). With their advanced training qualification, business administrators can also gain access to university studies (Studium) even without a school-based higher education entrance qualification, and for example, acquire a bachelor's degree in business administration for trade.

The advanced training is regulated by state law in the following federal state (Bundesland): North Rhine-Westphalia. The Ordinance on Training and Examination in the Educational Courses of the Vocational College (APO-BK) from 26.05.1999 (GV. NRW. S. 240, corr. GV. NRW. 2000 S. 563, GV. NRW. 2001 S. 766), last amended by Article 3 of the Ordinance from 29.01.2026 (GV. NRW. S. 130). In the following federal states, there are no state law regulations: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia.

Vocational colleges (Fachschule) usually require a qualification in a relevant recognized vocational training (Ausbildung) and professional experience. The minimum school requirement is a secondary school leaving certificate (mittlerer Bildungsabschluss).