Further and continuing education
What you can build on your journeyman certificate
When you are trained you have a solid foundation – but you don't need to stand still. A vocational education is today a good platform to build on both if you want to become better in your field and if you want to move in new directions. Here are some of the paths that lie open.
§Stay sharp with further education
The simplest step is continuous further education. Short courses, including those at the labor market training (AMU), let you update your knowledge about new materials, techniques, and machines. It is a good way to keep up when the trade develops — and it does not require you to leave working life for a long time.
§Specialize deeper
Another way is to go deep with a niche in your own profession. As a boatbuilder, you can become an expert in, for example, wooden boat restoration or advanced composite boatbuilding. As a sailmaker, you can specialise in particular sail types or in computer-aided sail design. Deep specialisation makes you the one others call when the job is difficult.
§Further toward technician and higher level
With a journeyman's certificate in hand you have access to several higher education options. Many skilled workers build on towards e.g. technician or academic level within a related technical area or towards a business academy education if you want more theory and broader competencies. The specific entry requirements depend on the individual education — check them with the education provider.
- 01Short AMU courses to update materials and techniques
- 02Deep specialization in a niche of your own profession.
- 03Further education toward technician or academy level
- 04Business academy or other advanced education in the technical field.
- 05Entrepreneurship – starting your own workshop or sailmaking
§The independent path
For many craftspeople the dream is to become self-employed. With experience a customer base and a handle on business you can open your own workshop or sail loft. Here courses in business management economics and leadership are a good investment alongside the purely technical — because a good craftsperson is not automatically a good business operator but both can be learned.
“Your journeyman certificate is not a full stop, but a springboard — you choose how high you want to jump.”