Further and continuing education
What you can build on your skilled title
Many think a vocational education is a dead end. It is not. As a trained pedagogical assistant you have a very good springboard if you later want to go further — and you can often take your work experience into the next education.
§The path to pedagogue
The most obvious step for many is to become an educator. As a pedagogical assistant you have access to educator training and in some cases you can get credit for parts of it because you already know a lot from your field. It shortens the way and makes the transition easier.
§Merit pedagogue — train while you work
If you have worked in the trade for a while, the merit pedagogue path may be interesting. It is designed for people with practical experience, and the idea is that you can continue your education while keeping your job. You get recognition for some of what you already know, and build on that. There are requirements for a certain amount of relevant work experience before you can get started.
§Other professional educations
Pedagogue is not the only path. With your background, you can orient yourself toward several related professional bachelor degrees in the social, health, and educational fields. Which ones are open to you depends on the admission requirements of each program, so investigate it concretely before you choose.
§Shorter further education and courses
You don't need to launch into an entirely new education to develop. There are plenty of shorter courses and follow-up programmes where you can specialise — for example in working with children with special needs, in conflict management, in language and inclusion or in digital tools. It keeps your skills sharp and can open up new tasks at your workplace.
- 01Pedagogue — direct access and often credit
- 02Merit pedagogue — further education while you work
- 03Related professional bachelors in social and health field
- 04Academy, diploma and course programs to specialize
My best advice: think of your education as a staircase, not a final station. You can stay on a step you are happy on — or take a step up when you are ready. Both are perfectly fine.