Baker (Bäcker/in)
You make bread, pastries and simple dishes in a bakery: a 3-year training, paid from the first year, alternating between the bakehouse and vocational school.
What a baker does
They prepare doughs to the recipe, monitor proving, load the ovens, then glaze and garnish the products; in craft bakeries they also sell them to customers.
Prepare the doughs
Weigh the ingredients, prepare doughs to the recipe and monitor how they prove.
Bake
Load the ovens and bake bread, rolls, puff, short and yeast pastries, cakes and tarts.
Decorate and sell
Glaze and garnish products, prepare snacks and small dishes, advise customers.
This occupation is for you if…
- you are happy to start early in the morning and sometimes work on Sundays
- you enjoy precise manual work, from shaping to decorating
- you follow recipes and hygiene rules with care
- you like advising customers and presenting products
Less suitable if…
- you struggle with oven heat and flour dust
- you have skin or breathing allergies linked to flour
- you refuse to carry loads and stand for long periods
A typical day in the workshop
What you will learn, what is expected of you
Technical skills
Dough preparationFermentation and sourdoughOven bakingPastry and decoratingFood hygieneAdvice and sellingPersonal qualities
RigourSense of tasteManual dexterityStaminaHygiene awarenessHow the Ausbildung works
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.
The basics
- Hygiene, safety, equipment
- Wheat breads and rolls
- Pastries made from doughs
Widening the range
- Speciality breads and rolls
- Cake batters and creams
- Intermediate exam
Mastery
- Tarts, cakes and desserts
- Snacks and small dishes
- Final exam
Exams and qualification
An intermediate exam (Zwischenprüfung) before the end of the second year: practical (up to 4 hours) and written (up to 150 minutes). The final exam (Gesellenprüfung): a practical part A with 4 tasks (up to 8 hours) and a 15-minute discussion, and a written part B in 3 subjects. You obtain the Gesellenbrief (journeyman's certificate), issued by the Chamber of Crafts (HWK).
You are paid during the training
Gross monthly pay during the training. These amounts are averages: they vary by region, sector and collective agreement.
What you need to apply
Education level
German level
Physical fitness
Documents to prepare
- CV and cover letter in German
- Translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts
- German B2 level certificate
Advantages and difficulties
Advantages
- Paid from the first year
- Qualification recognised throughout Germany
- Concrete work: you see the result every day
- Jobs in both craft and industrial bakeries
Difficulties
- Days that start very early in the morning
- Physical work on your feet, in the heat
- Flour and fumes: strain on skin and lungs
- Irregular hours, sometimes on Sundays
Where it can lead
Skilled baker
Jobs in craft bakeries, industrial bakeries, catering or the restaurant trade.
Further training
Specialise in pastry or food hygiene, or become a technician (Techniker) in food technology.
Master baker or studies
Take the Bäckermeister (master baker) exam, set up your own bakery or study if university entry is met.
Other trainings: Agriculture, environment and sciences
Not quite convinced by this occupation? Here are related trainings in the same field.
We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany
Four steps to move forward, all run by our own structures.
Take the test online or at the office
The eligibility test is done online on our website, or by visiting our Douala office directly.
Take the testTalk to our team
Germany: +49 (0) 7033 694 18 80
Cameroon: +237 622 20 81 64
DZK, our language centre
Deutschzentrum KAGEDEV (DZK) is our own language centre in Douala. Outside Douala: partner language centres, call us to find the nearest one.
AZUFA is always us
AZUFA is our platform: it connects you with German companies that recruit apprentices and follows your application through to the training contract.
Go to AZUFAFrom German A1 to the first day of training in Germany
Each step is run by one of our structures. You keep the same contact from start to finish.
- 1
Check my eligibility
The test is done online on our website or at our Douala office.
Run by Campus Germany
- 2
Talk to an advisor
Review your profile, your wishes and the chosen occupation.
- 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.
Run by DZK
- 4
Prepare the application file
CV and cover letter in German, translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts, B2 level certificate.
- 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.
Run by AZUFA
- 6
Prepare the visa and paperwork
Support to gather the documents and complete the administrative steps.
- 7
Prepare your departure and settling in
Travel, housing and first steps in Germany: we prepare you before you leave.
Run by KAGEDEV e.V.
- 8
First day of training in Germany
You arrive prepared and supported, with a team that has known you since day one.
Stay informed
Join our channels to receive new offers, session dates and advice. These are announcement channels: no private conversations.
Our structures for this occupation
Our platform for recruiting apprentices and skilled staff from Africa: matching with German companies through to the training contract.
Our own German language centre, in Douala. Outside Douala: partner centres.
Training offers for this occupation
No offer is open here at the moment. Browse apprenticeship offers on AZUFA, or receive an e-mail as soon as a partner company recruits.
See offers on AZUFA →Take this sheet with you
A 5-page document to read offline or show your family: the occupation, the training, the pay and the whole pathway, from German A1 to the first day of training.
Download the brochure (PDF)You may be wondering…
What German level is required?
How long does the training last?
Am I paid during the training?
Where can I take the eligibility test?
Where can I learn German?
Do I need a health certificate to work?
Will the baker training change?
Ready to find out whether this occupation is for you?
Take the test online or come and see us at the office. We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany.