It is always a dream of many Indian students to study abroad but unfortunately not everyone’s dream comes true. There might be so many reasons for not getting education abroad i.e. financial barriers, not enough grades, not enough information available etc. Here is the information about the education options in Germany for Indian students who are 12th passed.
One can go to Germany for higher education in a university or can get trained in a vocational training (Ausbildung or Dual Education) after 10 + 2. Now it has to be decided by the student whether he/ she wants to go for higher education or for a vocational training. The difference between Bachelors (Higher Education) and Ausbildung (Vocational Training) can be known from the following information.
Bachelors:
Indian education system is that the student can enrol him/herself in a desired course at the university after passing 12th standard. Some top universities use the cut off list system to grant admission whereas some universities offer admissions to every passed student. But in Germany, it is slightly different. To be able to study in a German University, one has to complete 13 years of education and should have very good knowledge of German Language. Since the schooling in India is of 12 years, one has to do Studienkolleg (13th Year) in a German Public or Private university. Studienkolleg lasts 9 to 12 months and after completion of the course, there is an exam to clear. Upon successful completion of Studienkolleg, one is eligible to start his or her education in a university. A graduation course duration is 3 years. After 3 years of graduation, one can do the master’s program. To be taken into consideration here is that one has to choose the relevant Studienkolleg carefully as there are multiple Studienkollegs i.e.:
T-Kurs
M-Kurs
W-Kurs
G-Kurs
For more details on Studienkolleg in Germany
Eligibility:
One is eligible to study a Bachelor in a German Public University if one meets the following eligibility criteria:
- One must be 12th Pass with minimum 65% of marks
- One should have good command of German Language (B2/C1 Level)
- One must clear the Studienkolleg entrance exam at a public university to get admission in a public (Free) Studienkolleg course.
- One must pass the Studienkolleg exam to be able to get admission in Bachelor course at a desired university.
Financial Requirements:
- Students from India need to show 10350 EUR in the blocked account. This amount can be withdrawn by the student monthly for daily expenditure i.e. Food, accommodation, insurance etc.
- If the student is able to get a slot in a public Studienkolleg after clearing the entrance test, then Studienkolleg would be free. Only the registration fee would be there. If the student chooses to do the Studienkolleg from a private institution or university, then the fee for Studienkolleg would range between 4500EUR – 9000EUR.
- Since the education in German Public University is free, the student has to pay only the semester fee or registration (50EUR – 200EUR)
- Once the Student is at a university, the student has to show again the amount of EUR 10350 in the blocked account as a proof of finances but student can save some portion of this money by working part time as it is allowed to work for 120 Full days or 240 half day or 80 hours in a month.
This is an overview of Bachelor studies in German Universities. Now coming to Ausbildung (Vocational Training/ Dual Education Program) as to what it is? Who is eligible to do it? How does it work? How can one get into this and how much does it cost or what are the chances after completing an Ausbildung in Germany?
Ausbildung/ Vocational Training/ Dual Education System:
Ausbildung (in German) is called Vocational Training or Dual Education in English. The Vocational Training is a program mixed of Classroom training and On Job training both. In other words, a trainee is going to get education at a government run school and training in a company of the same trade. The ratio of classroom training and on job training is 30:70. It means, a trainee has to learn at a school for 30% of the time and whatever has been learnt at a school has to be demonstrated or apply on the on-job training which consumes 70% of the remaining time. The combination of classroom and on job training is called Ausbildung or Vocational Training or Dual Education System. Under the Vocational training program, the students receive the necessary skills and knowledge for their professional activity. They work and study at the same time while receiving a monthly salary during the entire program.
Field of Vocational Training:
Vocational Training can be done in Business & Management, Healthcare and Travel & Hospitality. Some of the sought-after professions are listed here:
- Truck Driver
- Electrician
- Mechanical
- Hotel Expert
- Restaurant Expert
- Nursing
- Salesmen/ Saleslady
- Hairdresser
- Cook
- Baker
- Butcher
- Cosmetics
- Spa & Wellness
- IT Services
- Gas & Water Supply Technology
- Animal Husbandry Worker
- Industrial clerk
- Automobile profession
- Warehouse logistics specialist
- Gardener
Duration of Training:
The duration of the vocational training in most of the professions is 3 years. There are some professions where the vocational trainings last for 2 years, 2.5 years or 3.5 years too.
Medium of Instruction (Training):
The medium of instruction at the classroom training and at the on- job training is going to be German. To be able to do a vocational training one must learn German up to at least B1 level. The interview between the trainee and employer is conducted in German and B1 certificate is required to apply and get a visa to do a vocational training in Germany. The trainee receives the further knowledge of German during the training in Germany.
Eligibility:
- To be able to do a vocational training, one must be minimum 18 years old and maximum 30 years old. There are some professions too where people up to 34 years of age are accepted.
- One must have completed 12th Standard from any education board of India or 10 + 2 diploma or 10 + 3 diploma from a recognized university/ college/ board of education of India.
- One must have the knowledge and certificate of at least B1 level of German. The vocational training in any healthcare profession, one needs to have B2 level German Certificate.
- One must have a valid Indian passport.
Financial Requirements:
Since the education for the foreigners in Germany is free, the vocational training in this case is also no exception. The vocational training in any profession is not only free but the trainee gets a monthly stipend from the employer for the training. The amount of stipend per month ranges between 600 EUR – 900 EUR. The stipend increases every year with 100 EUR per month. There are some professions where the employers provide accommodation and food for entire duration of the training along with monthly stipend. There are chances to work over time too. There are employers too who take care of the insurance, flight ticket and daily city conveyance.
Since a trainee gets accommodation, food, insurance, conveyance and a fixed monthly income, there is no need to open a Blocked account (as it is needed as a financial proof for daily expenditure for every student going from India to Germany for higher education) and no need to show any blocked account money.
Benefits of Vocational Training:
Indian students, after completing their higher secondary educations (10 + 2), can choose to get trained in Germany. The vocational training from Germany is certainly beneficial to them in many ways. Here are some positives or benefits of doing a Vocational Training in Germany:
- Students, who want to seek professional skills and start their career soon after their 12th standard, can find this program suitable for themselves as under this program they are getting trained for 3 years for their desired profession.
- No blocked account money needed to show as financial proof to stay and getting trained in Germany.
- Ausbildung is free of cost. Trainees don’t have to pay any fee for their 2- or 3-years training.
- The trainees get paid monthly during their entire vocational training.
- For some professions, the trainees get food and accommodation from the employer.
- The employers pay for the insurance and some times for the flight ticket as well.
- The medium of instruction is in German, the trainee gets good hold on the language during his/her stay in Germany.
- It is indeed a good opportunity to explore and learn about the German speaking countries and its people and a great chance to be in and get trained from the best of the innovative minds of the world.
- After the vocational training, the trainee gets a certificate from Berufschule and/or from the employer which is valid world-wide.
- There are great chances for a trainee to get a permanent work permit from German government after completing the vocational training which means the trainee can stay and work in Germany as long as he/she wants.
- Very attractive salary for the trainees after the successful completion of their training. The salary ranges between 2200 EUR – 3700 EUR.
- The trainees have good scope to study further after completion of their vocational training.
- Huge opportunities are available in India after the 3 years of vocational training in Germany.
- The trainees have good chances to open their own business in the same field they have got trained in Germany.
Career after Vocational Training:
After the successful completion of the vocational training, one can easily get a permanent job in the same sector or can do further training to become master of the trade. After becoming master of the trade, it is easy to start own company in the same trade or field or one can become a trainer of the same trade. After the vocational training, one might get the permanent work permit from German government, hence one can stay and work in Germany as long as one wants. There are hundreds of opportunities back at home or in other EU countries. There is the trend that more than 60% trainee prefer to work after the vocational training for the same employer, who provided them training. If one prefers to search other options in the outside market, one gets the job easily.
Conclusion:
Graduation at a university is very different than the vocational training at Berufschule & employer. Graduation can be done from the universities in courses like Finance, IT, Healthcare, Social Studies, history, economics or in any other subjects whereas the vocational training can be done in trades where one learns through the theory at a school and through the training at a company of the same trade. The training at an employer is sometimes considered as work experience and the trainee gets a job in the same company or in any other company of the same trade without any hardship. Vocational training isn’t available or is difficult to find in some fields such as Data Analyst, Cloud Computing or in core IT fields, law, Psychology or Maths, Physics or Chemistry. To conclude this, graduation or study at a university is for those who have sufficient financial resources, good grades and want to study further in a given field and the vocational training is for those who don’t have good financial resources to fund their higher studies and for those who want to start earning during their learning period and want to become a master of the chosen trade.
