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Vocational training in Germany (Ausbildung)

Optician (Augenoptiker/in)

Augenoptiker / Augenoptikerin

You advise customers, test their eyesight, choose lenses and make spectacles: a paid 3-year training combining workshop, advice and sales.

Check my eligibility →I already have B2
LevelBaccalaureaterequired
Duration3 years36 months
GermanB2required level
Pay during training€762 to €1,039gross / month, during the training
The occupation in 30 seconds

What an optician does

Opticians choose spectacles with their customers, carry out sight tests, then make, adjust and repair each pair in their workshop. They also handle the business side.

Advise

Carry out a sight test, explain lens materials and coatings, help the customer choose a frame.

Make

Centre and grind lenses, fit them into the frame, then adjust the spectacles to each face.

Repair and manage

Repair damaged spectacles, give advice on contact lenses and keep the accounts.

This occupation is for you if…

  • you have the manual dexterity for very fine work
  • you are careful and attentive to the smallest details
  • you enjoy advising and serving customers
  • you are interested in maths, physics and the biology of the eye

Less suitable if…

  • you dislike constant contact with customers
  • you refuse to work on Saturdays, which is common in this trade
  • you dislike calculations and optics theory

Advantages

  • Paid training from the first year
  • Varied work: workshop, advice and sales
  • Gesellenbrief recognised across Germany
  • Meister, studies or self-employment possible

Difficulties

  • Saturday work is usual
  • Dust and fumes in the workshop
  • Training pay rather low among the crafts
  • Optical calculations and physics to master
Day to day

A typical day and the key skills

Opening and preparationYou check the workshop tools and go through the day's orders with your trainer.
Welcome and sight testYou help measure a customer's eyesight and note their needs in the order.
Choosing lenses and frameYou explain lens types and coatings, then the customer picks a frame.
Workshop: grinding lensesYou centre the lenses using the measurements, grind them and fit them into the frame.
Adjusting and handing overYou adjust the spectacles to the customer's face and explain how to look after them.
Repairs and invoicingYou repair a damaged frame, then tidy the workshop and prepare the invoices.

Technical skills

Sight testingLens centringGrinding and fittingFitting spectaclesSpectacle repairAdvice and salesCosting and invoicing

Personal qualities

Eye for detailManual dexterityPeople skillsRigourListening
The training

How the Ausbildung works, year by year

In Germany you learn by working: this is the “dual system”. You are an employee of a company and a student at a vocational school (Berufsschule) at the same time.

3 to 4 days a week at the company
1–2 days school
Year 1

The basics

≈ €762gross / month
  • Tools, machines and safety
  • Working lenses and frames
  • First simple repairs
Year 2

Practice

≈ €902gross / month
  • Assessing lenses and contacts
  • Adjusting spectacles to the face
  • Exam part 1
Year 3

Advice and sales

≈ €1,039gross / month
  • Determining visual needs
  • Handing over spectacles, sales
  • Part 2 of the final exam

Gross monthly pay during the training. Source: ausbildung.de, moyenne calculée par Campus Allemagne à partir de la fourchette tarifaire de l'Augenoptiker-Handwerk publiée sur ausbildung.de (724-800/854-950/977-1100 €, borne basse alignée sur le minimum légal). These are averages: they vary by region, sector and collective agreement.

Exams and qualification
The Gesellenprüfung (journeyman's exam) has two parts. Part 1, before the end of the second year, covers the repair of spectacles and counts for 30%. Part 2, at the end of training, counts for 70%: rimless spectacles, optical advice, the eye and visual aids, economics. Qualification: the Gesellenbrief, issued through the Chamber of Crafts (HWK).
Requirements and prospects

Applying, then moving on

What you need to apply

Education levelBaccalaureate level is required.
German levelThe required level is B2. Good technical vocabulary for the trade is a real plus.
Physical fitnessIn the workshop you work with grinding dust and sometimes fumes; in the shop you are in constant contact with customers. Saturday work is usual.
Documents to prepare
  • CV and cover letter in German
  • Translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts
  • German B2 level certificate

Where it can lead

Straight awayQualified opticianJobs in optical shops, contact lens centres, eye clinics and practices, or the optical industry.
With experienceAdaptation coursesKeep your knowledge up to date with courses, from optics to online marketing.
Longer termMeister, studies or own shopTake the Meister (master craftsman), study optometry with a baccalaureate or open your own optician's shop.
Already B2? Take action

Already have German level B2 and looking for a training contract?

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Your pathway with Campus Germany

We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany

Four steps to move forward, all run by our own structures.

Check my eligibility

Take the test

Online on our website, or directly at our Douala office.

Take the test
Talk to an advisor

Talk to our team

Call us, an advisor will answer.

Germany+49 (0) 7033 694 18 80Cameroon+237 622 20 81 64
Need assistance
Prepare your German

DZK, our language centre

Our own language centre, in Douala. Elsewhere: partner centres, call us.

See the courses
Get the contract

AZUFA is always us

Our platform connects you with German companies recruiting apprentices.

Go to AZUFA

From German A1 to the first day of training in Germany

A pathway in a loopEach step is run by one of our structures. You keep the same contact from start to finish.
  1. 1

    Check my eligibility

    Campus GermanyCampus Germany
  2. 2

    Talk to an advisor

    Campus GermanyCampus Germany
  3. 3

    Learn German, from A1 to B2

    DZKDZK
    Douala: DZK centre. Elsewhere: partners
  4. 4

    Prepare the application file

    Campus GermanyCampus Germany
  5. 5

    Find the company and sign the training contract

    AZUFAAZUFA
    It is always us
  6. 6

    Prepare the visa and paperwork

    Campus GermanyCampus Germany
  7. 7

    Prepare your departure and settling in

    KAGEDEV e.V.KAGEDEV e.V.
  8. 8

    First day of training in Germany

    AZUFAAZUFA
    It is always us
See the detail of the 8 steps
  1. 1. Check my eligibility (Campus Germany)
    The test is done online on our website or at our Douala office.
  2. 2. Talk to an advisor (Campus Germany)
    Review your profile, your wishes and the chosen occupation.
  3. 3. Learn German, from A1 to B2 (DZK)
    Courses adapted to your starting level, up to the required B2 level. In Douala at our own language centre; elsewhere, with our partner centres.
  4. 4. Prepare the application file (Campus Germany)
    CV and cover letter in German, translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts, B2 level certificate.
  5. 5. Find the company and sign the training contract (AZUFA)
    We connect you with German companies that recruit apprentices, and follow your application through to the contract.
  6. 6. Prepare the visa and paperwork (Campus Germany)
    Support to gather the documents and complete the administrative steps.
  7. 7. Prepare your departure and settling in (KAGEDEV e.V.)
    Travel, housing and first steps in Germany: we prepare you before you leave.
  8. 8. First day of training in Germany (AZUFA)
    You arrive prepared and supported, with a team that has known you since day one.
  1. 1

    Check my eligibility

    The test is done online on our website or at our Douala office.

    Campus GermanyRun by Campus Germany
  2. 2

    Talk to an advisor

    Review your profile, your wishes and the chosen occupation.

    Campus GermanyRun by Campus Germany
  3. 3

    Learn German, from A1 to B2

    Courses adapted to your starting level, up to the required B2 level. In Douala at our own language centre; elsewhere, with our partner centres.

    DZKRun by DZK · Douala: DZK centre. Elsewhere: partners
  4. 4

    Prepare the application file

    CV and cover letter in German, translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts, B2 level certificate.

    Campus GermanyRun by Campus Germany
  5. 5

    Find the company and sign the training contract

    We connect you with German companies that recruit apprentices, and follow your application through to the contract.

    AZUFARun by AZUFA · It is always us
  6. 6

    Prepare the visa and paperwork

    Support to gather the documents and complete the administrative steps.

    Campus GermanyRun by Campus Germany
  7. 7

    Prepare your departure and settling in

    Travel, housing and first steps in Germany: we prepare you before you leave.

    KAGEDEV e.V.Run by KAGEDEV e.V.
  8. 8

    First day of training in Germany

    You arrive prepared and supported, with a team that has known you since day one.

    AZUFARun by AZUFA · It is always us

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Our structures for this occupation

AZUFA
AZUFAOur platform for recruiting apprentices and skilled staff from Africa: matching with German companies through to the training contract.
See AZUFA
DZK
Deutschzentrum KAGEDEV (DZK)Our own German language centre, in Douala. Outside Douala: partner centres.
See the offer
Occupation brochure

Take this sheet with you

Two documents to read offline or show your family: the 5-page brochure (occupation, training, pay, pathway) and the one-page flyer with the essentials.

Occupation brochure
Occupation brochurePDF, 5 pagesDownload the brochure
Flyer
FlyerPDF, 1 A4 pageDownload the flyer
Frequently asked questions

You may be wondering…

What German level is required?
Level B2 is required. You do not need perfect German, but you must be able to follow lessons and understand safety instructions.
How long does the training last?
36 months, i.e. 3 years.
Am I paid during the training?
Yes. You receive a monthly pay throughout the training, and it generally increases each year.
Where can I take the eligibility test?
Online on our website, or directly at our Douala office.
Where can I learn German?
In Douala, at our language centre DZK. Elsewhere, at our partner language centres: call us to find the nearest one.
What is a “Gesellenbrief”?
It is the qualification obtained at the end of a crafts training. It certifies that you are a skilled worker in the trade.
Do I need a specific school certificate?
The law does not require a specific school certificate. In practice, most trainees hold an intermediate school certificate or the baccalaureate, and the company chooses its trainees.
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Ready to find out whether this training is for you?

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Germany+49 (0) 7033 694 18 80Cameroon+237 622 20 81 64
Douala office : Rond-point Maetur Bonamoussadi – Nice Cream building (4th floor), opposite the COGENI hardware store, Douala, Cameroon
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