Career change as a vocational trainer for people with disabilities

Career change paths

• Head of a residential unit in integration assistance

  Also: Group leader in a residential facility for people with disabilities

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As head of a residential unit or team leader you lead a team, organize shifts and occupancy, and are the contact for funding bodies and legal guardians.

  What you bring:

  You know support planning, documentation, duty rosters and how to work with relatives and authorities.

  How to get there:

  This is an internal promotion after some years of work experience, often with a part-time further training course in management and team leadership lasting a few months. Providers usually expect a specialist qualification such as disability support worker (Heilerziehungspfleger). If you are a social care assistant (Sozialassistent), you usually need to complete this vocational college training (Fachschulausbildung) first. To lead whole facilities, some providers also expect further training such as special needs education (Heilpädagogik) or a university degree.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Lots of contact with people

  €5,771gross per monthMedian salary

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• Head of in-company training and further education

  Also: Learning and development specialist

  With on-the-job training

  In companies, you organize training and further education, develop programs and advise managers on developing their teams.

  What you bring:

  You know training regulations, exams and good learning paths and can plan learning.

  How to get there:

  Companies hire experienced vocational education professionals and train them on the job in HR processes. A further training course in HR development, lasting a few months, is helpful but not a must.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office
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• E-learning author

  Also: Instructional designer

  With on-the-job training

  As an e-learning author or instructional designer, you develop digital courses, learning videos and tests for companies and education providers.

  What you bring:

  You can structure learning material, formulate learning goals and know where learners get stuck.

  How to get there:

  Education providers, agencies and corporations train teachers on authoring tools and learning platforms. Courses on e-learning tools usually take a few days to a few weeks.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible

  €5,254gross per monthMedian salary

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• Specialist advisor for teaching development

  Also: Policy advisor at a state institute for school quality

  With on-the-job training

  In school supervision, state institutes or the education administration, you help develop curricula, further training and quality procedures.

  What you bring:

  You have designed learning-field teaching, exams and school development yourself.

  How to get there:

  Teachers in the school service are usually seconded or transferred to advertised positions, often after experience as a specialist advisor. The routes differ from state to state.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light

  €5,466gross per monthMedian salary

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• Department head at a vocational school

  Also: Head of a training center

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  In the management of a school, department or training center, you steer staff, offerings and budget.

  What you bring:

  You know teaching, exams and cooperation with companies and chambers.

  How to get there:

  At state schools, you apply for management positions, and depending on the state, there are qualification courses for school management. Private training providers also hire experienced teachers directly into management roles.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light
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• Career advisor at the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit)

  Also: Education counselor

  With on-the-job training

  As a career or education counselor, you help young people and adults find suitable training, degree programs or further training.

  What you bring:

  You know training occupations, requirements and typical stumbling blocks of young people very well.

  How to get there:

  The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) also hires university graduates as career advisors and qualifies them in-house. Municipal education counseling services and chambers also train experienced teachers on the job.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €4,457gross per monthMedian salary

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• Training advisor at a chamber

  Also: Policy advisor for vocational training

  With on-the-job training

  At Chambers of Industry and Commerce, Chambers of Crafts or associations, you advise training companies, mediate conflicts and help develop training rules.

  What you bring:

  You know training regulations, the exam system and the problems companies have with apprentices.

  How to get there:

  Chambers and associations train experienced vocational education professionals on the job in vocational training law and chamber procedures. Positions are advertised regionally.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €5,034gross per monthMedian salary

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• IT trainer

  Also: Trainer for digital skills

  With on-the-job training

  As an IT trainer, you train employees in software, digital ways of working or applications of your field.

  What you bring:

  You explain well and have experience with digital learning tools and specialist software.

  How to get there:

  Training providers and companies train teachers with good IT skills on the job. Vendor certificates for the software being taught usually take a few days to a few weeks. Besides permanent positions, there is also freelance work.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light

  €5,449gross per monthMedian salary

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• Application consultant in technical sales

  Also: Training officer at a device manufacturer

  With on-the-job training

  At manufacturers of machines, teaching aids or medical technology, you advise customers, demonstrate products and train users.

  What you bring:

  If you teach technical subjects, you can demonstrate devices and processes clearly.

  How to get there:

  Manufacturers give teachers with a technical background product training over a few weeks. Expect travel to customers and trade fairs.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €5,550gross per monthMedian salary

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• Special needs educator (Heilpädagoge)

  Also: Early intervention specialist

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a special needs educator you assess the support need more precisely and provide targeted support, for example in early intervention or special needs education services.

  What you bring:

  You support children, young people or adults with special support needs, and you know developmental observation, support plans and working with parents.

  How to get there:

  You take the further training at a vocational college for special needs education (Fachschule für Heilpädagogik). It usually takes one and a half to two years full-time and longer alongside a job, and ends with a qualification as state-recognized special needs educator (Heilpädagoge). You generally need a qualification as early childhood educator (Erzieher) or disability support worker (Heilerziehungspfleger) plus work experience. The further training can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications).*Regulated by law (State law: state recognition under each state's vocational college regulations).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,350gross per monthMedian salary

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• Occupational therapist

  With further training

  Occupational therapists treat exactly this on a doctor's prescription, for example in children, after accidents or in people with mental illness.

  What you bring:

  You promote motor skills, perception and independence in everyday life, and you know developmental delays and disabilities from hands-on experience.

  How to get there:

  You train at a vocational school (Berufsfachschule) for three years and finish with a state exam. You need an intermediate school-leaving certificate (mittlerer Schulabschluss), or a lower secondary school certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) plus at least two years of vocational training. Depending on the state and school, tuition fees may still apply.*Regulated by law (Occupational Therapists Act (ErgThG)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsLots of contact with people

  €4,001gross per monthMedian salary

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• Speech therapist

  With further training

  In speech therapy you treat language, speech, voice and swallowing disorders in children and adults on a doctor's prescription.

  What you bring:

  You support people with disabilities in communicating, for example with plain language, signs or communication aids, and you notice problems with speaking or swallowing.

  How to get there:

  You train at a vocational school for speech therapy (Berufsfachschule für Logopädie) for three years and finish with a state exam. You need an intermediate school-leaving certificate (mittlerer Schulabschluss), or a lower secondary school certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) plus at least two years of vocational training. At some schools tuition fees still apply.*Regulated by law (Act on the Profession of Speech Therapist (LogopG) § 4).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €4,307gross per monthMedian salary

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• Registered nurse (Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann)

  With vocational training

  The nursing training adds medical nursing care, pathology and responsibility for care planning.

  What you bring:

  Especially as a disability support worker, you know basic care, giving medication according to plan and supporting people who need assistance.

  How to get there:

  You do vocational training (Ausbildung) as a registered nurse (Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann). It takes three years full-time or up to five years part-time, and you receive a training allowance. On request, the responsible authority can credit an equivalent previous training, up to two thirds of the training period at most. How much is possible with your qualification is decided case by case.*Regulated by law (Nursing Professions Act (PflBG)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €4,421gross per monthMedian salary

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• Prison officer

  Also: Officer in the general prison service

  With vocational training

  In the prison service you look after and supervise prisoners in daily life, and in juvenile detention in particular, educational skills are in demand.

  What you bring:

  You can lead groups, defuse conflicts and enforce clear rules in a friendly but firm way.

  How to get there:

  You do the preparatory service as a state civil servant, usually for about two years, and you are paid during training. You usually need an intermediate school-leaving certificate (mittlerer Schulabschluss), or a lower secondary school certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) together with vocational training (Berufsausbildung). The sports test, health requirements and age limits differ by state.*Regulated by law (Training and examination regulations of the federal states for the general prison service).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demanding

  €4,041gross per monthMedian salary

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• Adventure education specialist (Erlebnispädagoge)

  Also: Outdoor trainer

  With vocational training

  In adventure education you lead climbing, canoe trips, hikes and team exercises for school classes, youth groups or companies.

  What you bring:

  You plan group activities, keep safety and group dynamics in view, and can inspire children and young people.

  How to get there:

  You take a part-time additional training in adventure education at an independent training provider, usually in modules over several months, often with certificates, for example for climbing or canoeing. Permanent jobs exist mainly at child and youth welfare providers, youth hostels and training centers, and some positions are seasonal or paid on a fee basis.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically demandingLots of contact with peopleLots of time outdoors

  €4,457gross per monthMedian salary

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• Early childhood educator (Erzieher)

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an early childhood educator (Erzieher) you work with children and young people in a daycare center (Kita), after-school care center (Hort), all-day school or residential group, plan the educational work and take responsibility for a group.

  What you bring:

  From your work in social facilities you know everyday support, observation, documentation and cooperation with relatives and professionals.

  How to get there:

  You do vocational college training (Fachschulausbildung) under state law, usually for two to three years plus practice. Depending on the state, it can also be practice-integrated with pay, or part-time alongside a job. Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications) is possible. Depending on the state, a qualification as social care assistant (Sozialassistent) is the usual route in. With other qualifications, the states regulate access differently.*Regulated by law (State law: state recognition under each state's vocational college regulations).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsLots of contact with people

  €3,995gross per monthMedian salary

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Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.