Vocational Training by Distance Learning: What Really Works

"Can I do my vocational training by distance learning?" I hear this question regularly in initial consultations, often from people who have worked in their job for years and only lack the paper. The short answer: vocational training by distance learning in the sense of an apprenticeship does not exist.

That is only half the answer. You can still reach a recognised vocational qualification without a classic apprenticeship in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The route simply does not run through the course you book online, but through an exam you have to be admitted to. That is exactly what many adverts for distance training leave out.

Why vocational training by distance learning does not work as an apprenticeship

An apprenticeship is a contract, not a course. In Germany, section 10 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) requires a training contract with a company, and much of the learning happens there. An online provider cannot replace that, however good the material is.

What is sold as distance or online vocational training is therefore almost always something else: a distance course. The word training is used very freely here, which causes misunderstandings. Anyone reading "HR training by distance course" thinks of a vocational qualification. What they receive is the provider's certificate.

That need not be a bad thing. It is simply something other than what many people expect.

Distance vocational training, distance courses, distance degrees: three different things

Before you compare, look at where you will end up. These three terms get mixed up all the time:

The distinction works the other way too: a distance degree is not vocational training. You get an academic degree, but no journeyman's certificate and no Federal VET Diploma.

The ZFU approval many German providers advertise does not change this. Under section 12 of the German Distance Learning Protection Act (FernUSG), distance courses need approval, and the check covers whether the course can reach its stated goal. That protects you as a customer, but it does not turn a certificate into a state qualification. Your other rights are explained on the FernUSG page. I explain the difference from a university degree under distance learning vs on-campus.

The real route to a qualification: vocational training without an apprenticeship

This is where it gets interesting for many people. You can earn the state vocational qualification without ever having had a training contract. You study on your own, for example with a distance course, and then take the same exam as the apprentices.

Germany: external exam. Under section 45(2) BBiG, anyone who has worked in the occupation for at least one and a half times the prescribed training period must be admitted to the final exam. For a three-year occupation that is four and a half years. For the skilled trades the same rule is in section 37 of the Crafts Code. Training periods in another relevant occupation count. If you lack the time, the chamber can waive it if you credibly show that you have the required professional competence.

Austria: exceptional apprenticeship exam. Under section 23(5) of the Vocational Training Act (BAG), the apprenticeship office can exceptionally admit anyone who is 18 and credibly shows they acquired the necessary skills in another way, for example through relevant work or suitable courses. More on Austria is under distance learning in Austria.

State-certified occupations: external school exam. In Germany, occupations such as childcare worker are trained at schools under state law, so the chambers are not responsible. Here too there are exams for external candidates, and the ZFU lists approved preparation courses. The rules differ by federal state, so ask the responsible school authority first.

The order matters: first check with the responsible body whether you will be admitted. Only then book a course. The other way round, you may pay for a course and still not be allowed to sit the exam.

Distance vocational training in Switzerland: how to reach the EFZ

Switzerland is where people search for distance vocational training especially often, and the rules are clear. No course provider awards the Federal VET Diploma (EFZ) or the Federal VET Certificate (EBA). You get them through the qualification procedure.

Under Art. 32 of the Vocational Training Ordinance, adults can be admitted directly to the qualification procedure, even without an apprenticeship contract. The Canton of Zurich names five years of work experience plus the specific experience the training ordinance requires for the occupation. The Canton of Bern specifies a workload of generally 80 to 100 percent, so if you work part-time it is worth asking early.

The law does not say how you acquire the theory. That is where a distance course can make sense. It does not admit you, though; the canton decides. In some occupations there is also the validation of prior learning, where you document your skills in a dossier. Your starting point is the cantonal office for vocational qualifications for adults.

A German ZFU seal says nothing about an EFZ. If you already hold a qualification and want to go further, the route is more likely the Swiss federal vocational exam or a university programme. The university options are covered under distance learning in Switzerland.

When online vocational training is still worth it

A certificate course is not automatically worse than a state qualification. It is simply made for other goals:

• You want knowledge, not a title. In many jobs, what you can do counts. A well-made course in web design or bookkeeping can do more for you than a piece of paper.
• You are preparing for a chamber exam. The German Fachwirt and Meister can be prepared for alongside work by distance course. The qualification is a public one, and an approved distance course can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG under section 4 AFBG. How this compares with a bachelor's is covered under Fachwirt or bachelor.
• You take funded training. Under certain conditions the German employment agency covers the cost, as explained under education voucher and AZAV.

A course is usually not worth it if you want to work in a regulated profession. Nursing, medicine or law require a specific qualification that no distance course replaces.

Checking distance vocational training before you sign up: five questions

Ask these before you sign. An evasive answer is also an answer.

1. What exactly is on the paper at the end? A provider's certificate or a chamber exam certificate?
2. Who conducts the exam? The provider itself or a public body?
3. Do I meet the admission rules? Have the chamber or canton confirm this, not the sales call.
4. Does the qualification count in my country? What applies in Germany does not automatically apply in Switzerland or Austria.
5. How do I get out of the contract? For distance learning under the FernUSG, you have a right of withdrawal and a right to terminate in Germany. Check the deadlines.

Conclusion: vocational training by distance learning almost always means a distance course

An apprenticeship cannot be done by distance learning. Distance training gives you knowledge and a certificate, but the state qualification only comes through the exam. So the key question is not which course sounds best, but whether you will be admitted to the exam.

If you are unsure which route fits your experience, we can look at it together in the free initial consultation. Then you will know whether catching up on a qualification, a distance course or going straight to a degree is the shorter way.