Hospitality service specialist (Fachkraft für Gastronomie)
You welcome guests, serve meals and drinks and prepare simple dishes: a paid 2-year training, with a choice between restaurant service and system catering (organised fast-food style).
What a hospitality service specialist does
They are the face of the restaurant towards guests: they receive and advise them, serve food and drinks, work the till and look after cleanliness and stock.
Welcome and serve
Receive guests, take orders, serve food and drinks and prepare hot or cold beverages.
Prepare
Receive and store goods, prepare simple dishes from a recipe, clean and lay out the dining room.
Charge and sell
Draw up the bill, take payment, handle complaints and promote the house's products.
This occupation is for you if…
- you enjoy contact with guests and waiting on them
- you have a good memory and are comfortable with numbers
- you accept working at weekends and on public holidays
- you stay calm and organised when the dining room is full
Less suitable if…
- you cannot stand or walk for long periods
- you refuse unsociable hours, evenings and weekends
- you dislike noise and the rhythm of peak hours
A typical day in the workshop
What you will learn, what is expected of you
Technical skills
Serving food and drinksWelcoming and advising guestsReceiving and storing goodsSimple dishes from a recipePayment and billingHygiene and cleanlinessPersonal qualities
People skillsMemory and arithmeticOrganisationStaminaTeamworkHow 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 of the job
- Welcome, service, kitchen
- Goods and storage
- Intermediate exam
Specialisation and sales
- Choice: restaurant or system
- Sales promotion
- Final exam
Exams and qualification
An intermediate exam (Zwischenprüfung) covers the first 12 months. The final exam before the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) covers production and service, guest experience and sales, and economics and society. You obtain the IHK final certificate (Abschlusszeugnis).
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
- Short 2-year training, paid from the start
- A 3rd year is possible towards a more qualified job
- Human contact with guests from all backgrounds
- Restaurants, hotels, canteens: many places to work
Difficulties
- Work on your feet and on the move, carrying trays
- Weekends, public holidays and evenings worked
- Stressful peaks of activity and noise
- Service vocabulary in German takes effort
Where it can lead
Qualified service staff
Work in a restaurant, canteen, hotel with catering or spa facility.
A third year of training
Continue for one year towards Fachmann for restaurants or system catering.
Restaurantmeister or studies
Take the Restaurantmeister (restaurant master), set up on your own or study hotel management.
Other trainings: Hospitality, catering and tourism
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?
Can I continue after the 2 years?
What does “Berufsschule” mean?
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.