The 14 "green professions" are versatile, technically demanding and nature-related professions in the agricultural and food sector: working with people, animals and plants, producing food such as milk, wine, honey or meat, operating state-of-the-art digitally supported technology, using laboratory know-how to ensure the quality of agricultural products or protecting our forests - the "green professions" offer a wide range of professional activities to choose from.
In addition to knowledge about production and technology, the agricultural training to qualify for these professions teaches business management qualifications and service skills. Besides a basic school-leaver’s certificate, candidates for the training programmes should be interested, independent and willing to carry out ongoing advanced training.
The BMEL’s remit
The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is heavily involved in training and further education. On the basis of the Vocational Training Act, for example, it has issued regulations on vocational training for the 14 current professions in the agricultural sector.
Ordinances also regulate advanced training examinations - particularly for master craftsmen and specialist agricultural economists -, the suitability of training centres and the technical qualification of trainers in the agricultural sector.
Facts and figures on the individual training programmes
In 2017, 32,898 young people completed training in the "green professions".
- Distiller: 0
- Agricultural service specialist: 672
- Fish farmer: 189
- Forest manager: 1,704
- Horticulturalist: 2,952
- Gardener: 12,555
- Home economist: 132
- Farmer: 9,309
- Agricultural technician: 558
- Dairy technologist: 762
- Dairy laboratory technician: 510
- Equine manager: 1,617
- Plant technologist: 105
- District hunter: 51
- Livestock farmer: 810
- Vintner: 957
Source: Statistics on practical vocational training in agriculture in the Federal Republic of Germany - Reporting period: 1 January to 31 December 2017 (as of August 2018)
The Education Server for Agriculture ("Bilungsserver Agrar", link at the end of the page) pools the wide range of information on vocational training in the agricultural sector and other educationally relevant topics with the aim of providing a high degree of transparency, both for those interested in education and those involved in education. It also offers current facts and figures.
