Optician (Augenoptiker/in)
You advise customers, test their eyesight, choose lenses and make spectacles: a paid 3-year training combining workshop, advice and sales.
What an optician does
Opticians choose spectacles with their customers, carry out sight tests, then make, adjust and repair each pair in their workshop. They also handle the business side.
Advise
Carry out a sight test, explain lens materials and coatings, help the customer choose a frame.
Make
Centre and grind lenses, fit them into the frame, then adjust the spectacles to each face.
Repair and manage
Repair damaged spectacles, give advice on contact lenses and keep the accounts.
This occupation is for you if…
- you have the manual dexterity for very fine work
- you are careful and attentive to the smallest details
- you enjoy advising and serving customers
- you are interested in maths, physics and the biology of the eye
Less suitable if…
- you dislike constant contact with customers
- you refuse to work on Saturdays, which is common in this trade
- you dislike calculations and optics theory
A typical day in the workshop
What you will learn, what is expected of you
Technical skills
Sight testingLens centringGrinding and fittingFitting spectaclesSpectacle repairAdvice and salesCosting and invoicingPersonal qualities
Eye for detailManual dexterityPeople skillsRigourListeningHow 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
- Tools, machines and safety
- Working lenses and frames
- First simple repairs
Practice
- Assessing lenses and contacts
- Adjusting spectacles to the face
- Exam part 1
Advice and sales
- Determining visual needs
- Handing over spectacles, sales
- Part 2 of the final exam
Exams and qualification
The Gesellenprüfung (journeyman's exam) has two parts. Part 1, before the end of the second year, covers the repair of spectacles and counts for 30%. Part 2, at the end of training, counts for 70%: rimless spectacles, optical advice, the eye and visual aids, economics. Qualification: the Gesellenbrief, issued through the Chamber of Crafts (HWK).
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 training from the first year
- Varied work: workshop, advice and sales
- Gesellenbrief recognised across Germany
- Meister, studies or self-employment possible
Difficulties
- Saturday work is usual
- Dust and fumes in the workshop
- Training pay rather low among the crafts
- Optical calculations and physics to master
Where it can lead
Qualified optician
Jobs in optical shops, contact lens centres, eye clinics and practices, or the optical industry.
Adaptation courses
Keep your knowledge up to date with courses, from optics to online marketing.
Meister, studies or own shop
Take the Meister (master craftsman), study optometry with a baccalaureate or open your own optician's shop.
Other trainings: Health and well-being
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?
What is a “Gesellenbrief”?
Do I need a specific school certificate?
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.