Video summary

10 WORST AUSBILDUNGEN IN GERMANY 🇩🇪 (2026)| Ausbildung You Should Think Twice About!

Main summary

Key takeaways

Business

Business/strategy-focused summary (what to watch out for in Germany’s Ausbildung choices)

The video argues that visa/workforce motivation (“Germany needs workers”) is not a hiring strategy for your personal career. Instead, it emphasizes that fit between Ausbildung type and your desired life outcomes—such as income, stability, progression, working hours/conditions, and language readiness—matters more than picking what’s simply “easy to get.”

Core “decision framework” the presenter recommends

Before signing, evaluate each Ausbildung using these five factors:

  • Salary

    • What you earn during Ausbildung (often dependent on tariff/collective agreements)
    • What you can realistically earn after Ausbildung

  • Demand / employability

    • Whether employers actually seek qualified workers in that specific occupation
    • Risk: finishing Ausbildung and then being unable to find work

  • Career progression

    • Availability of Weiterbildung (advancement to higher qualifications, specialization, supervisory/manager paths)

  • Working conditions

    • Night shifts, weekends/holidays, outdoor winter/summer work, physical intensity

  • German language requirements

    • Even if B1 is accepted, Berufsschule + workplace communication may still be difficult
    • Practical recommendation: target B2 where possible for smoother learning and operations

Key metrics & concrete salary signals mentioned (BIBB / 2025 tariff-based AusbildungvergĂĽtung)

The video cites approximate monthly Ausbildung incomes:

  • #10 Hairdresser (Friseur): ~€727/month (lowest among measured occupations)
  • #9 Pharmacy-related retail assistant (PKA): ~€925/month (3rd year mentioned)
  • #8 Painter/Coating (Maler/Lackieren): ~€985/month
  • #7 Flooring installer (Bodenleger): ~€925/month

A recurring KPI-like point: Ausbildung pay is your only income, so affordability (rent/transport/food/clothing) becomes a real constraint.

“Playbook” insights by profession (why these are “think twice” choices)

Rather than claiming these pathways are universally bad, the video frames them as high-risk for misalignment between job reality and desired outcomes:

  • #10 Friseur (Hairdresser)

    • Risk drivers: low pay, lots of standing, direct customer-facing physical work
    • Action: compare with other roles if you want higher earning potential

  • #9 PKA (pharmacy commercial assistant)

    • Risk driver: limited earning potential versus “real pharmacist / Pflege” career tracks
    • Action: confirm what qualification you’re actually getting and what progression exists

  • #8 Maler/Lackieren (Painter/Coating)

    • Risk drivers: physically demanding work, outdoor temperature exposure, ladders/heavy carrying
    • Upside: potential for higher earnings via self-employment/specialization/experience
    • Action: choose only if you genuinely tolerate physical/outdoor conditions

  • #7 Bodenleger (Flooring installer)

    • Risk drivers: heavy physical labor (kneeling, lifting, construction sites)
    • Upside: can fit if you’re aiming for eventual self-employment/specialization
    • Action: avoid if you want an “easier office route”

  • #6 Gastronomy/Hospitality (hotels/restaurants/catering)

    • Risk drivers: evenings/weekends, long standing, high customer pressure, seasonal busy periods
    • Action: if you need predictable Mon–Fri schedules, think carefully

  • #5 Hotel Fachmann/Fachfrau

    • Risk drivers: early/late hours, weekends/holidays, customer complaints
    • Action: worth it mainly if your goal is hotel management; otherwise salary predictability may be poor

  • #4 Retail (Fachwirtin context; customer-facing retail operations)

    • Risk drivers: long customer-facing standing hours, Saturday work, shift/overtime risk
    • Action: build an explicit 5–10 year progression plan (Weiterbildung → team lead/supervision/management)

  • #3 Gastronomy “shorter qualification” (Fachkraft fĂĽr Gastronomie)

    • Risk driver: shorter training doesn’t guarantee long-term career economics
    • Action: evaluate using the framework questions:
      • realistic post-training salary
      • Weiterbildung options
      • likelihood of management progression
      • fit with financial goals

  • #2 “grouped skilled trades” (lacquering + physically demanding construction)

    • Central risk: shortage ≠ easy job
    • Decision lens: temperature/outdoor exposure (winter to -10°C vs summer >25°C)
    • Action: choose based on long-term body/health sustainability, not just workforce shortage

  • #1 “any Ausbildung chosen because it’s easiest to get a visa/contract”

    • Biggest strategy risk: choosing based on ease of entry (language/B1, fast contract) rather than career fit
    • Action: shift from “Which Ausbildung gets me quickly?” to “Which Ausbildung builds the life I want in Germany?”

Actionable recommendations (practical “next steps”)

  • Read the Ausbildung contract carefully and understand collective agreement/tariff coverage (employer-dependent pay structure)
  • Investigate the employer, not just the occupation
  • Validate demand: confirm job openings for that exact qualification after training
  • Plan for Weiterbildung early, especially in retail/hospitality tracks
  • Treat German language as operational readiness; aim for B2 if possible

High-level caveat about “Germany needs workers”

The video acknowledges labor shortages can create opportunities, but repeatedly warns against assuming:

  • shortage occupations automatically mean better work-life, higher pay, or lower effort
  • “easy to obtain” pathways correlate with “best long-term outcomes”

In other words: labor-market need doesn’t automatically translate into your personal career win.

Presenter/source attribution

  • Presenter: Nomusa Ngwenya (immigrant nurse; channel content about nursing and living in Germany)
  • Named source data (mentioned): BIBB (Bundesinstitut fĂĽr Berufsbildung), 2025 data for AusbildungvergĂĽtung figures
  • Institution mentioned (policy context): Bundesagentur fĂĽr Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency; referenced regarding pay variation by occupation/industry/region/collective agreements)

Original video