Apprenticeship and career start
Are you about to finish school or looking for new opportunities to start your career? Here you’ll find a concise overview of the wide range of apprenticeship opportunities in Jena. Discover careers that match your interests and talents, and find the right way to start your working life.
Many reasons for doing an apprenticeship in Jena:
- A wide range of apprenticeship opportunities: Discover exciting career paths in engineering and the natural sciences, nursing and healthcare, optics and photonics, the digital economy and services, and much more.
- An innovative business landscape: From high-tech and research to skilled trades – here, large, internationally renowned companies rub shoulders with strong medium-sized businesses and ‘hidden champions’ that are global leaders in their sectors.
- A strong and future-proof economy: You’ll benefit from crisis-proof, high-growth sectors and good prospects of being taken on permanently after your apprenticeship.
- Committed training companies: Many companies in Jena actively promote their young talent and provide support through special programmes and mentoring.
- Practical dual system: You’ll be working within the company right from the start, whilst gaining in-depth knowledge at vocational college.
Types of vocational training
What is dual vocational training and what is school-based vocational training? What is a dual study programme?
In a dual vocational training programme, you apply to a company in Jena and sign your training contract there. Practical phases at the company, during which you learn and work on site, alternate with periods at vocational school. At vocational school, you learn the theoretical basics of your chosen trade in a classroom setting. The final examination also takes place at vocational school.
School-based training takes place exclusively at a vocational school and focuses on the relevant theory. You will gain practical experience mainly through (compulsory) work placements, the duration of which varies depending on the course.
A dual study programme combines a university degree with practical placements in a company. This allows you to apply your academic knowledge directly. Here too, you enter into a contract directly with the company and then enrol at the relevant dual university.
Dual models therefore combine practical experience with theory; school-based training (and, incidentally, traditional degree programmes too) takes place mainly at vocational colleges (or universities).
Vocational Schools
- Karl-Volkmar-Stoy-Schule: Staatliches Berufsschulzentrum für Wirtschaft und Verwaltung Jena (State Vocational School for Business and Administration)
- SBBS: Staatliche Berufsbildende Schule für Gesundheit und Soziales (State vocational school for health and social affairs)
- SBSZ: Staatliches Berufsschulzentrum Jena-Göschwitz (State Vocational School Centre Jena-Göschwitz)
- TSA: Freie Berufsbildende Schule Jena (Free Vocational School Jena)
Please note the application deadline: you can enrol at a vocational school for the relevant training year until 31 March.
Career fields in Jena
The following sectors are particularly strong in Jena and are suitable for training.