How building painter education is structured
Basic course, main course and alternation between school and apprenticeship - all explained
If you want to work with upholstery, furnishings and curtains, you should expect a multi-year course that combines school and work. Home furnishing is a vocational education (VET), and the whole idea is that you alternate between going to school and training at a workplace. It is that alternation that makes you skilled: theory only really makes sense when you yourself stand with a furniture frame, a sewing machine or a car seat in front of you.
§The basic course: your gateway
If you come directly from 9th or 10th grade of primary school, you start on basic course 1. Here you work broadly and find out if a practical craft education is for you. Basic course 1 typically lasts half a school year. If more than a year has passed since you left primary school, you can as a starting point skip it and begin directly on basic course 2.
Basic course 2 is targeted at the home upholstery trade itself and lasts about half a school year. Here you meet the trade's basic disciplines: materials, colours and design, cover sewing, use of hand tools and machines and a first taste of the three directions you can choose between. You also have core subjects, and the course is completed with a basic course test.
| Phase. | What's happening | Approximate duration |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | Broad, basic craftsmanship skills (typically directly from compulsory school) | A half school year |
| Basic course 2 | Trade-targeted teaching directed toward housing installation. | A half school year |
| Main course (curtain decorator) | Alternation between apprenticeship and school - shortest specialization | Shorter than the others |
| Main course (upholsterer / auto trimmer) | Alternation between apprenticeship and school - the longest specializations | Up to 1 Gbit/s, older installations |
§The main course and the apprenticeship
When the basic program is completed and you have a training agreement, you begin the main program. You're at a workplace most of the time and come to school for shorter stays along the way. It's at the apprenticeship that you turn theory into routine and become an actual skilled worker.
How long the main course is depends on which speciality you choose. If you choose interior decorator, the course is shorter than for upholsterer and automotive trimmer. Altogether, the education can stretch from around 3 years and 3 months up to 4 years and 6 months, depending on speciality and your starting point.
§Admission and access requirements
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§Start looking for an apprenticeship early
As on most vocational apprenticeships the training place is decisive. The earlier you have a training agreement in place the more calm you get to concentrate on learning the trade. If you don't get an agreement right away you can in some cases move on through an apprenticeship centre at school. Use your school's guidance — they know the companies that take on students.
“The basic course is not a waiting room - it is where you discover whether your hands will sew curtains, upholster furniture or build car seats.”