Staatlich geprüfter Betriebsleiter/Staatlich geprüfte Betriebsleiterin Fachrichtung Hotel und Gaststätten/Bachelor Professional in Hauswirtschaft

This advanced training takes place at vocational colleges (Fachschulen). Learning locations include classrooms for in-person events and home for online learning units.

Occupation type: Advanced training profession (Bachelor Professional). Type of advanced training: Advanced training at vocational colleges (Fachschulen) (regulated by state law). Duration of advanced training: Varies, 2-4 years – depending on the educational offer and form of instruction (full-time/part-time). Tasks and activities: Hotel and restaurant managers coordinate operational processes, create duty rosters, and instruct employees. They set quality guidelines and monitor their compliance, for example, regarding hygiene and cleaning. They also keep business ledgers, create demand and cost analyses, and check cash register statements. They oversee purchasing, look after guests, and organize events such as wedding celebrations. Furthermore, they observe the gastronomy market and carry out special or promotional campaigns. Work areas and locations: Hotel and restaurant managers are employed in hotel and gastronomy companies.

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

Distribution of lessons (example): Cross-disciplinary area: German/Communication: 120 teaching hours. English: 160 teaching hours. Politics/Social Studies: 80 teaching hours. Business and Human Resources Management: 120 teaching hours. Subject-specific area: Hotel and Restaurant Organization: 480 teaching hours. Product Development and Maintenance: 240 teaching hours. Quality Management: 200 teaching hours. Human Resources Management: 240 teaching hours. Business Management and Foundation: 480 teaching hours. Project Work: 160 teaching hours. Differentiation area: French: 160 teaching hours and/or Spanish: 160 teaching hours. Total teaching hours: 2,600 teaching hours.

Attending advanced training at vocational colleges (Fachschulen) may incur course fees, and examination fees for the exam. Additional costs may arise, for example, for work materials, travel to the training location, or external accommodation. Funding opportunities: Advanced training courses can be financially supported according to the Advanced Training Promotion Act (Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderungsgesetz). Further information: Aufstiegs-BAföG - Advancement with Funding. Promotion of particularly talented young professionals: Stiftung Begabtenförderung berufliche Bildung (SBB) - Advanced Training Scholarship.

Cross-disciplinary learning area: German/Communication. Foreign language, e.g., English. Politics/Social Studies. Business and Human Resources Management. Subject-specific learning area: Accommodation and Conference Management. Hotel and Restaurant Organization. Marketing. Human Resources Management. Budget Management. Quality Management. Product Development and Product Maintenance. Project Work. Differentiation area: Vocational and Work Pedagogy. Mathematics. Second foreign language, e.g., French and/or Spanish. Technical Communication (IT).

Vocational schools or academies may offer additional qualifications, such as certification as a quality coach (Service-Q-Certificate).

In-depth knowledge in the following areas is a good prerequisite for successfully passing the advanced training examination: Economics/Law: e.g., to successfully manage hotel and restaurant businesses. Foreign Languages: e.g., to communicate with international guests. Mathematics: e.g., to perform cost calculations and billing.

The advanced training consists of theoretical and practical lessons. Depending on the educational provider, one should be prepared for the following conditions: Class Time: For full-time instruction: full-day classes on at least four weekdays; for part-time instruction: usually career-accompanying advanced training on weekends or in the evening. Learning Format: Usually combined learning formats (e.g., blended learning): in-person events in a classroom setting at the educational institution and self-directed learning via electronic learning platforms and systems from home.

For advanced training abroad, the following options are available, for example: Austria: Advanced training offers: WIFI Austria (e.g., with the search term 'Gastronomiemanager/in'). Switzerland: Advanced training offers: wab - The Swiss Advanced Training Database (e.g., with the search term 'Gastro-Betriebsleiter/in'). Documentation of professional experience abroad: The Europass offers the possibility to document learning stays completed abroad. Further information on the Europass is available.

Participation in advanced training is not remunerated.

The following advanced training alternatives are available for the profession of operations manager in the hotel and restaurant sector: Hotel and Restaurant Industry Sector: Certified Bartender, Specialist in Hospitality, State-certified Gastronome (Bachelor Professional in Business), Certified Hotel Manager, Certified Head Chef, Certified Restaurant Manager, Certified Specialist Sommelier. Commonality: Leading businesses and employees in the hospitality industry. Management and Business Administration Sector: Business Administrator (Vocational School) for Catering/Food Management (Bachelor Professional in Business), Business Administrator (Vocational School) for Hotel, Restaurant Industry (Bachelor Professional in Business), Business Administrator (Vocational School) for Tourism (Bachelor Professional in Business). Commonality: Leading.

In 2020, the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and the Crafts Code (HWO) were amended. Among other things, this introduced advanced training 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 regulations.

This advanced training is legally regulated only in the stated Bundesland (federal state) and leads there to the following qualification: North Rhine-Westphalia: State-Certified Operations Manager - Hotel and Restaurant Specialization (Bachelor Professional in Home Economics).

A state-certified operations manager specializing in hotels and restaurants is a vocational advanced training. It is regulated by state law and takes place at Fachschulen (technical colleges). The advanced training lasts 2 years full-time, or 3-4 years part-time.

Improve opportunities with additional qualifications: Future hotel and restaurant operations managers can gain a good starting position by acquiring additional qualifications during their advanced training, for example, a certificate as a quality coach. Find the right employment: After their advanced training, hotel and restaurant operations managers work in hospitality and gastronomy businesses. Secure employability: Through adaptive advanced training, one can keep their specialized knowledge current, bring it up to date, and expand it. The range of topics extends from management in the hotel and catering industry to customer service. Advance professionally: With their advanced training qualification, hotel and restaurant operations managers can gain access to a Studium (university degree program) even without a general higher education entrance qualification, and for example, obtain a Bachelor's degree in hotel management.

Federal level: Framework Agreement on Fachschulen (technical colleges) (Resolution of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of 07.11.2002 as amended by the Conference of Ministers of Education of 12.12.2025). The framework agreement of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs on advanced training at Fachschulen is not directly applicable law. Individual Bundesländer (federal states) regulate advanced training in their school or Fachschule regulations based on the framework agreement. State level: The advanced training is regulated by state law in the following Bundesland: Ordinance on Training and Examinations in Vocational College Courses (Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsordnung Berufskolleg - APO-BK) of 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 of 29.01.2026 (GV. NRW. S. 130). In the following Bundesländer, there are no state law regulations: Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen.

The prerequisite for admission to advanced training is usually: the final examination in a recognized relevant Ausbildung (vocational training) profession, e.g., as a cook, hotel specialist, or specialist for restaurants and event gastronomy, as well as at least 1 year of relevant professional experience (which can also be completed during the advanced training) or at least 5 years of relevant professional experience. A Hauptschulabschluss (secondary school certificate) is required. Handling food requires instruction and a certificate from the health department.