What you will do
- Installing and maintaining electrical systems in buildings
- Wiring, control cabinets, and building automation (smart home, KNX)
- Energy systems: photovoltaics, charging infrastructure, heat pumps
- Fault diagnosis, testing, and safety inspections
Requirements
Hauptschulabschluss or Mittlere Reife with solid math and physics. B1/B2 German; safety instructions and wiring diagrams are in German. Good color vision matters for wire identification. Craft businesses (Handwerk) hire most trainees.
Why this trade is popular with international applicants
The energy transition is an electrician hiring boom: heat pumps, solar, EV chargers, and building automation all need Elektroniker. Small craft businesses across Germany hire constantly, and the trade is on shortage lists, which helps non-EU visa cases.
The visa path
This trade qualifies for the Section 16a training residence permit (B1 German, signed training contract, up to 20h/week side work). Full walkthrough on the Ausbildung hub.