Germany’s trade system runs on institutions that exist to help you in, chambers, agencies, and official portals. These are the ones worth knowing, and what each actually does.
The front door: careers advice (Berufsberatung), the Bildungsgutschein, BAB, job placement, and Germany’s largest job database.
arbeitsagentur.de →Your regional craft chamber, registers apprenticeships, runs Gesellen and Meister exams, advises on the Meisterprämie, and knows local employers.
Find your HWK →The chamber for industrial and commercial trades. Mechatroniker, Industriemeister, and hundreds more. Exams, contracts, advice.
ihk.de →Trained abroad? The official portal for getting foreign trade qualifications recognised in Germany, with advice in multiple languages.
Check recognition →The federal portal for international skilled workers, visas, the Skilled Immigration Act, and trade-specific pathways into Germany.
make-it-in-germany.com →The BA’s official course finder, search approved training and Umschulung providers nationwide, including Bildungsgutschein-eligible courses.
Find a course →| You need… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Occupation profiles for every recognised trade, duties, training, requirements | BERUFENET |
| A self-assessment to find which trade fits you | Check-U (BA) |
| Official pay data by occupation and region | Entgeltatlas |
| Apply for Aufstiegs-BAföG online | aufstiegs-bafoeg.de |
| The craft sector’s own careers campaign | handwerk.de |
German applications follow strict conventions, the tabular Lebenslauf, the formal Anschreiben. Our free tools build both.