You cannot become a head chef directly after completing an apprenticeship. You need to acquire all the necessary skills and competencies on a progressive basis. This means that you first train as a chef with a Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (VET Diploma) and, after a few years of work experience, begin continuing education, further training as a head chef.

As continuing education, further training to become a chef with a Federal VET Diploma is a part-time course, the course times are of course also tailored to your profession as a Federal VET Diploma chef. In this case, this means that you do not attend a course once or twice a week in the evening or at the weekend, but attend block courses over the course of a year. This gives you the opportunity to take time off at these times and attend six block courses of five days each.

Professional experience after basic training as a chef is essential to start continuing education, further training as a chef FPE. You must have at least three years of professional experience in your profession before taking the Federal Professional Examination.

In principle, it is not mandatory to attend a preparation course, but it is highly recommended. Here you will be taught the knowledge and skills required for the BP in a practice-oriented manner. In order to be admitted to the final examination, you will need the relevant module qualifications or module certificates. In addition, equivalence assessment procedures can be very time-consuming.

The continuing education, further training for the Federal Professional Examination "Chef with Federal Diploma of Higher Education" corresponds to the former title of "Gastronomy Chef".