Training as an IT specialist specializing in application development

At the time you start training, you should have an intermediate school leaving certificate (Realschulabschluss). Your grades in mathematics and English should be at least "satisfactory" or better on your school-leaving certificate. An interest in data processing, especially network technology, is also an advantage. The ability to think logically and a sense of responsibility are desirable.

The working time is 40 hours per week. The employees of the IT service center and thus also the trainees of the IT service center participate in the flexible working time, i.e. you can determine the start and end of the daily individual working time yourself within the framework of the applicable pre- and post-flexitime and the applicable core working time. Please note, however, that it makes sense for you to be present even when your instructor(s) is/are on site.

The trainees have fixed working hours. These are from 8:00-16:30.

Training as an IT specialist specializing in application development is a classic dual training program and lasts a total of three years. While the lessons take place on up to two days at the vocational school or in the form of block lessons, you put the knowledge you have learned directly into practice at the University of Kassel. In the third year of training, you will complete your training with an examination.

You will learn theoretical and practical basics that are the same in all IT specializations and which will later be supplemented by special expertise in application development and company project work. Since August 2020, there has been a stretched final exam. Part one of the exam is the same in all IT occupations. The second part of the exam consists of job-specific tasks and a company project work.

Although trainees decide on one of the specializations at the beginning of their training, they have common basic subjects at vocational school during the first years of training.

While the training for IT specialists specializing in application development mainly deals with web development and the development of plugins and patches for Typo3, Moodle and Mahara, IT specialists specializing in system integration set up networks, install systems and are the first point of contact for problems in the technical area.

Instruction at the vocational school is made up of various learning areas. Vocationally related interdisciplinary and general education subjects are taught. The vocational learning area includes subjects that have a practical relevance for IT specialists specializing in application development, such as information systems, but also economic and business areas. The general learning area is used to acquire advanced skills in subjects such as German, politics and sports. In addition, cross-discipline knowledge must also be acquired, for example from the areas of vocational training, labor law and collective bargaining law. This also includes subjects such as the structure and organization of the training company, health and safety, environmental protection and networked cooperation using digital media.

Trainees learn the basics and structures of information and communication systems. They also learn how to install and configure simple applications and software. In addition, technical English is on the timetable, as technical literature and software and hardware documentation are predominantly written in English. One of the main learning areas is the development and deployment of application systems. Here, trainees learn everything from the basics, such as basic algorithms, to extensive database development. Trainees also gain the knowledge they need to prepare offers for communications networks based on an assessment of the current performance of various information services (this includes fixed-network connections or radio networks). In addition, there is accounting and controlling.

A monthly training allowance is paid in accordance with Section 8 (1) of the Collective Agreement for Trainees of the State of Hesse (TVA-H BBiG). This currently amounts to

• 1,126.85 EUR in the 1st year of training
• 1,181.43 EUR in the 2nd year of training
• 1,231.51 EUR in the 3rd year of training