Second educational path

Educational paths are not always straightforward. Anyone who wants to catch up on their school-leaving qualifications has the chance to do so at any time. Qualifications can be obtained via the second educational pathway. The term "second-chance education" refers to the various opportunities for adults to obtain a general school-leaving qualification after completing compulsory schooling.

Such courses are offered by many institutions. As a rule, the respective qualifications can be obtained on a full-time, part-time or part-time basis. Depending on the course chosen, lessons take place during the day, in the evening and/or at weekends.

The advantages of a better qualification are obvious:

• The educational qualification opens up new opportunities for you to shape your personal life.
• A higher qualification improves your prospects on the job market.
• A qualified education increases the chances of a better income.
• The world of work is moving faster and faster. Lifelong learning is a basic requirement for staying fit for the job market. With your own initiative and newly acquired skills, you show a willingness to perform and the will to face the challenges of the future.

The following school-leaving qualifications can be acquired via the second educational pathway:

• First school-leaving certificate (formerly: Hauptschulabschluss) and extended first school-leaving certificate: entitles the holder to start vocational training.
• Mittlerer Schulabschluss or Fachoberschulreife: entitles the holder to start vocational training and attend a technical college.
• Fachhochschulreife ("Fachabitur"): entitles you to study at a Fachhochschule or university.
• Fachgebundene Hochschulreife: entitles you to study a subject-related course at a Fachhochschule or university.
• Allgemeine Hochschulreife: this opens up all professional and academic opportunities.

Further education colleges

Further education colleges for adult students play a central role in North Rhine-Westphalia. They include

• evening schools,
• evening secondary schools,
• evening grammar schools,
• full-time colleges and
• "abitur-online"

Teaching is free of charge. Teaching and learning materials are provided free of charge. The courses are adapted to the students' life situations. In addition to the evening courses, which have been tried and tested for many years, there are also morning courses, which are particularly aimed at students with family commitments and those working shifts. You can find more information on further education colleges on the website of the NRW Ministry of Education.

Volkshochschulen

Volkshochschulen and other recognized independent further education institutions offer courses that can be used to obtain the first school-leaving certificate, the extended first school-leaving certificate and the intermediate school-leaving certificate. Depending on the local offer, day or evening courses can be taken. Further information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Culture and Science. The adult education centers will be happy to advise you on site.

Vocational colleges

The vocational colleges in North Rhine-Westphalia combine vocational and academic qualifications. At the vocational colleges, all school-leaving qualifications from secondary general school certificate to general higher education entrance qualification can be obtained and vocational skills or professional qualifications can be acquired at the same time. You can find more information on vocational colleges on the website of the NRW Ministry of Education.

• The public second-chance courses at a further education college or vocational college are free of charge. The courses offered by adult education centers and community-oriented continuing education are also free of charge. Fees may be charged for materials. Find out about the costs incurred on site.
• If you are unable to continue working as usual during the learning period, you may have to make do with a tighter budget. In this case, find out whether you can get BAföG, an educational loan, a scholarship or other funding programs. At vocational colleges, you can also choose paid practice-integrated forms in the courses that award a vocational qualification in addition to a school-leaving certificate. Practical phases alternate with theoretical learning.

There's no beating around the bush: Second-chance education can be exhausting. There may be a few challenges to overcome:

• You will have to expect to spend a lot of time studying and reorganize your everyday life for a longer period of time. This will be at the expense of your free time.
• If you have been at school for a long time, you may first have to get used to concentrated learning again.
• Also be aware that learning on the second educational pathway is a highly individual responsibility and that you need to motivate yourself or in a group in order to persevere. To do this, you need self-discipline and initiative.