Staatlich geprüfter Assistent/Staatlich geprüfte Assistentin für Technische Kommunikation

Assistants for Technical Communication are trained in a school-based Ausbildung (vocational training). Learning locations include Berufskolleg (vocational college): classrooms (classroom instruction), school's own computer labs, and internship companies: office spaces, e.g., of industrial companies.

Occupation Type: Vocational training occupation. Type of Training: School-based training at Berufskollegs (vocational colleges) (regulated by state law). Training Duration: 2 years. Learning Locations: Berufskolleg and internship company. What do you do in this profession? Assistants for Technical Communication participate, for example, in the creation of operating and user manuals, assembly and service instructions, or documentation and training handbooks, which they accompany from conception to layout design. They collect information, evaluate it, and create a concept. For the final manuscripts, they write texts, select photos, and create technical graphics. They archive and manage information materials and update documentation as needed. In the field of multimedia applications, they assist, for example, in the creation of technical 3D graphics and online documentation in HTML format. Contributing to research or target group analyses is also part of their tasks.

Job Title: Assistant for Technical Communication. Occupation Type: Vocational college profession. Training Duration: 2 years. Access Requirement: Usually a secondary school leaving certificate. What do you do in this profession? Assistants for Technical Communication participate, for example, in the creation of operating and user manuals, assembly and service instructions, or documentation and training handbooks, which they accompany from conception to layout design. They collect information, evaluate it, and create a concept. For the final manuscripts, they write texts, select photos, and create technical graphics. They archive and manage information materials and update documentation as needed. In the field of multimedia applications, they assist, for example, in the creation of technical 3D graphics and online documentation in HTML format. Contributing to research or target group analyses is also part of their tasks.

2 years

Example of hourly distribution: Compulsory Lessons. 1. General Education Area: German: (1st year 2 hours, 2nd year 1 hour), English: (1st year 2 hours, 2nd year 1 hour), History/Civics: (1st year 2 hours, 2nd year 1 hour), Physics: (1st year 0 hours, 2nd year 2 hours). Total general education area: 1st year 6 hours, 2nd year 5 hours. 2. Theoretical Specialization Area: Mathematics: (1st year 2 hours, 2nd year 2 hours), Information Technology: (1st year 1 hour, 2nd year 2 hours), Communication and Media Technology: (1st year 2 hours, 2nd year 0 hours), Communication Design: (1st year 0 hours, 2nd year 2 hours), Technical Documentation: (1st year 2 hours, 2nd year 3 hours), Technical English: (1st year 1 hour, 2nd year 0 hours), Business Communication.

Training at public schools is generally free for students, but admission and examination fees may apply. Private schools, however, usually charge course fees. Additional costs may arise, e.g., for learning materials, travel to the training institution, or external accommodation. Funding Opportunities: Under certain conditions, students participating in vocational training (Ausbildung) can receive funding under the Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (BAföG) (Federal Education Assistance Act). For more information: BAföG: all information at a glance.

During theoretical and practical lessons, one learns, for example: what to consider and how to apply job-relevant technical regulations and guidelines (e.g., DIN, EN, ISO, VDI); how to acquire, select, process, and present information; how to create standard-compliant partial and overall drawings in the technology areas of mechanical and device engineering, automation technology, electrical engineering, and building technology, according to the requirements of design, manufacturing, assembly, and sales, using computer-aided tools (e.g., CAD); how to visualize and illustrate user documents for target-group-specific and understandable descriptions of products in their area of use, from technical information to their application as a marketing instrument; how to plan, design, implement, evaluate, and present technical documentation in the field of communication design; and how to analyze work orders and use the necessary publishing software.

One should prepare for the following conditions and requirements: In theoretical lessons: classroom instruction, possibly project work, and reviewing content at home. In industrial and service companies: practical collaboration (under guidance), e.g., writing texts, creating graphics, converting documents to other formats. Environment: screen work in office spaces. Requirements: diligence and concentration ability (e.g., when researching and recording technical data), written expression skills (e.g., formulating complex technical relationships clearly), a sense of aesthetics (e.g., attractively creating the layout of documentation and multimedia applications), and technical understanding (e.g., when describing the functionality of complex technical devices).

For an Ausbildung (vocational training) abroad, there is, for example, the following option: France. Training offers: onisep - French training database (e.g., via free text search with the term "documentation technique").

No remuneration is paid for this Ausbildung (vocational training).

In-depth knowledge in the following school subjects are good prerequisites for a successful Ausbildung (vocational training): German (e.g., to create descriptions for company products), Mathematics/Physics (e.g., to understand the functionality of products), and Manual Arts/Technology (e.g., to create standard-compliant partial and overall drawings).

The following Ausbildung (vocational training) alternatives are available for the profession of Assistant for Technical Communication: Area of Archive, Library, and Documentation; Specialist for Media and Information Services, specializing in Information and Documentation; Medical Documentation Assistant. Commonality: acquiring, developing, and preparing information in a user-friendly way.

Assistant for Technical Communication is a school-based Ausbildung (vocational training) regulated by state law at Berufskollegs (vocational colleges). It lasts 2 years and leads to a state examination.

This Ausbildung (vocational training) is legally regulated only in the mentioned Bundesland (federal state) and leads to the following qualification titles there: Baden-Württemberg: State-certified technical communication assistant / State-certified technical communication assistant; State-recognized assistant for technical documentation / State-recognized assistant for technical documentation.

Improve opportunities with additional qualifications: Future assistants for technical communication can secure a good starting position by acquiring additional qualifications during their Ausbildung (vocational training), such as the Fachhochschulreife (university of applied sciences entrance qualification) as a basis for a later Studium (university study). Find the right employment: After their training, assistants for technical communication work in companies in the metal and electrical industry, vehicle manufacturing, medical technology, and for software manufacturers. Secure employability: Through adaptation training, one can keep their specialized knowledge current or bring it up to date. The range of topics extends from technical editing to desktop publishing (DTP). Advance professionally: Further training for career advancement helps to progress professionally and reach leadership positions. It is logical to take the examination as a specialist in information services. With a university.

2 years

State-certified technical communication assistant: During theoretical and practical lessons, knowledge is imparted in the following areas, for example: General area: German, English, History with Social Studies, Physics. Theoretical specialized area: Mathematics, Information Technology, Communication and Media Technology, Communication Design, Technical Documentation, Technical English, Business Communication, Business Administration and Marketing, Business and Economics. Practical specialized area: Internship in Information Technology, Internship in Communication and Media Technology, Internship in Communication Design, Internship in Technical Documentation, Project Work. Profile subjects: Animation/Motion Design or Film and Video. State-recognized assistant for technical documentation: During theoretical and practical lessons, knowledge is imparted in the following areas, for example: Focus areas: Technical Documentation, CAD, Printing Technology, Law and Safety, Technical.

Regulation at the federal level: Framework agreement on vocational schools (Resolution of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs from 17.10.2013 as amended on 21.03.2024). The framework agreement of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs on Ausbildung (vocational training) at vocational schools is not directly applicable law. The individual Bundesländer (federal states) regulate assistant training in their school or vocational school regulations based on the framework agreement. Regulation at the state level: School trial provisions. There are no state law regulations in the following Bundesländer (federal states): Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia.

A secondary school leaving certificate is required for this Ausbildung (vocational training). Additional requirements may exist depending on the specific educational program.

In the Bundesland (federal state) of Baden-Württemberg, the educational prerequisites for this Ausbildung include a Realschule certificate or the qualification to attend the gymnasiale Oberstufe (upper secondary school).