After the journeyman certificate — further and continuing education for structural workers
From skilled to foreman technician sewer worker or building constructor
Many think a vocational education is a dead end where you end up as what you were trained as and stay there the rest of your life. Far from it. A journeyman's certificate as a stuccoplasterer is a solid foundation you can build further on in many directions — from short courses that make you better at your current work to entire higher educations that open new jobs.
§Become better at your trade
The shortest path forward is further education that focuses on your existing skills. This can be courses in new materials and methods, renewing certificates or documentation to operate more types of machines. Such courses keep you sharp and make you more valuable to your employer without you having to leave the trade.
§Take responsibility — become a crew lead or manager
If you want to lead rather than just execute, you can train to become a foreman — the person who leads a crew and coordinates work on site. There are also management educations aimed at construction where you learn to plan, manage finances and lead people. It is often the first step for someone who will eventually become a foreman or construction manager.
§Authorisations and Specialties
Some choose to become self-employed – as a freelance personal trainer, by running your own small studio or by offering online training guidance. It requires, in addition to professional competencies, business understanding: pricing, marketing and administration. The industry's demand for skilled, trained personal trainers has been increasing, which provides a solid foundation for those who want to stand on their own feet.
§Higher educations on top of the profession
If you want to go further, your journeyman certificate can be your ticket to higher educations in construction. Here are some of the typical paths:
| Education | What you can do afterwards |
|---|---|
| Building technician | Technical work with design and planning in construction |
| Surveyor | Measurement and setting out of building and construction projects |
| Building constructor | Direct rainwater away from the window |
| Sewer master | Independent and authorised sewage work |
If you choose the EUX path already during the qualification, you get higher education subjects on top of the craft, and this can give even broader access to further education — for example engineer or architect direction, if the subject composition suits.
§Make your own plan
There is no one right path. Some love being on site and build their entire career on being an excellent craftsperson. Others want to go up and further. What is important is that the structural worker trade gives you the freedom to choose — and that the door to more education is always open if you feel like it.
“Your journeyman certificate is not a stop, but a platform where you can choose many trains.”