Training – How to Plan and Negotiate It

Continuing education : how does it work?

Except in certain very specific professions (police academy, etc.), there is no age limit for returning to education! Starting a second apprenticeship or enrolling in a university is possible at any time. But when making such a commitment, the financial aspect is of course the main obstacle. When you have rent to pay and perhaps a family to support, it's difficult to go back to being a student!

Scholarships and other state aid are only available for initial vocational training or if you are recognised by the disability insurance scheme as unfit for your current job due to a permanent health impairment.

C.A.S, D.A.S and co.

As a result, the most attractive continuing education courses are mainly taken while working: in the evenings, at weekends or a few days a month, in the case of C.A.S or D.A.S.

These qualifications are equivalent to university credits in a particular field and remain highly valued in the job market. They enable students to specialise in a specific area of their field, develop other skills (team management, project management) or broaden their professional horizons.

CAS programmes generally last six months to one year (15 credits), while DAS programmes last twice as long, as they are equivalent to two CAS programmes.

In all cases, these are demanding courses with final assessments that must be prepared in your free time. This should be taken into account before committing, especially as the fees are high.

Want to learn a new skill: how to broach the subject?

Training courses, especially if they are recognised as useful for your current position, may be supported by your employer in the form of financial contributions and/or the possibility of counting course hours as working time.

The annual appraisal interview is the ideal opportunity for this. However, you should find out in advance exactly what you want to do and how you can achieve this goal.

• Ask yourself the questions: "Where exactly do I want to go? Do I have a specialist role in mind or would I rather take on a leadership role? Take a close look at your career so far and write down your strengths.
• Find out which skills will be in demand in your industry in the future and what further training you could do to increase your employability.
• Once you've set your sights on a goal, find out what skills you need to achieve it. Do you need an academic degree with ETCS points or is further education outside of a university sufficient?

• What financial resources are necessary? Can you find these yourself or do you want to negotiate financial or time support with your employer?
• Find out how much time this further education will cost you. Is it compatible with your current work? Will you have to reduce your workload?
• Put togehter arguments in favor of your further training for your discussion with your superior. Refer to your good performance so far and also to a wage increase that might be due this year (high inflation, etc.). Maybe you can negotiate that your employer (co-)finances your further education instead of a wage increase.
• In our guide to salary negotiation, you will find helpful examples of arguments you can use to negotiate further training.
• Explain to your superiors exactly what advantages the company will have if you acquire new skills.
• If you agree, carefully review the terms of the contract: some employers will only fund training on condition that you remain with the company after completing the course. Would you be required to pay a fee if you leave the company? For how long?

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Dare to lay the foundation for a career change through continuing training. You have nothing to lose.

Finally, on a smaller scale, a daily course – or a course lasting a few days – is an excellent way to broaden your knowledge and remain competitive in the job market. This is especially true at a time when tools such as AI are shaking up the world of work!

Take advantage of our offer: courses are free for our members!

(This article was originally published in 2023 and updated in August 2025).