Berufsvorbereitungsjahr allgemeine Informationen

Are you still in school, without a vocational qualification (Hauptschulabschluss) and have not yet found an apprenticeship or job? Then find out more about the so-called vocational preparation year.

The vocational preparation year (BVJ) prepares young people without a vocational qualification ("Hauptschulabschluss") for entry into vocational training or employment.

The prerequisites for attending the BVJ are compulsory schooling, at least 9 years of attendance at a general school (e.g. Realschule plus, Förderschule Lernen) and, for various reasons, no training or employment and no participation in an employment agency support measure.

The aim of this one-year course is to provide young people with a vocational qualification ("Hauptschulabschluss") in conjunction with learning and life support in the professional and personal area.

Vocational focuses can be, for example

• Health and care
• Nutrition and home economics
• construction technology
• Color technology and interior design
• Wood technology
• Metal technology
• Business and administration

This offer provides young people with an orientation on various professional focuses in order to recognize their interests and abilities and increase their chances of finding an apprenticeship.

To register at the relevant vocational school, you must generally submit the half-year report from the last school you attended and, as soon as it is available, the final or leaving certificate.

Your vocational school will provide you with further information on any documents that may be required (e.g. CV, passport photo).

The prerequisite for admission to the vocational preparation year is at least nine years of schooling and

• a leaving certificate from a Realschule plus, an integrated comprehensive school or a grammar school or
• a leaving certificate from a school with a special focus on learning or
• an equivalent qualification

There are no school fees.

You can obtain initial advice on the vocational preparation year from your local employment agency. They can also recommend the relevant vocational school, which you can also contact for further information on the vocational preparation year and the registration procedure.

In order for a school to be able to set up a sufficient number of classes in good time, registration should take place after the half-year reports have been issued, preferably before March 1st of each year.

Later registrations are also possible.

The vocational preparation year is aimed at young people who are subject to compulsory schooling and are not in a training or employment relationship. The vocational preparation year enables the acquisition of an educational qualification equivalent to the secondary general school leaving certificate ("Berufsreife").

You can obtain further information on the vocational preparation year (BVJ) and the registration procedure from the vocational school responsible for you.

You can find the relevant vocational school on the Rhineland-Palatinate education server.

Alternatively, you can also contact the employment agency to find out about your career options.

Individual school