Leather technician (VA) or Chemical master in tanning technology

The Sächsische Bildungsgesellschaft Dresden (SBG) and the FILK, with the support of the industry, offer a further vocational qualification in the tanning and leather industry. The training course consists of the qualification as a state-approved “Industriemeister/in Fachrichtung Chemie” and the IHK-approved additional qualification “Gerberei- und Ledertechnik”.

The qualification is completed overall in a ten-month full-time training course, mainly in Dresden. If both parts are successfully completed, the graduates also receive a certificate from us recognizing them as a “Leather Technician (VA)”.

Already during the established training course for “Industriemeister/in Fachrichtung Chemie” at SBG in Dresden, participants are taught first connections to tanning and leather technology in the form of job-specific work situations. In addition to the technical background, master technician training also provides a cross-disciplinary basic qualification (business management, accountancy, human resources, etc.), as well as the vocational and occupational paedagogical qualification to enable the skilled workers to train apprentices.

The continued vocational training for the tanning and leather industry in the form of an IHK-approved additional qualification in tanning and leather technology follows on from the master technician training both chronologically and in terms of content. The core elements are a theoretical part “Leather Technology” at the SBG in Dresden, with participation of the FILK and representatives of the leather industry, and practically oriented technical work, which is carried out at the FILK. The participants are taught the most important theoretical contents on all process steps of leather production, as well as ecology, machine knowledge, quality assurance and occupational safety. The high level of practical orientation of the further training is reflected in the examination, which, in addition to a written examination, also consists of working on a practice-oriented project and its presentation.

In accordance with the European Qualification Framework, the new additional qualification follows on from the basic professional” training as a higher national degree. Together with the “Industriemeister/in Chemie”, it fully compensates for the qualification level of the former “Techniker/in”.

Entry requirements

The further vocational qualification to become an Industriemeister/in Chemie includes the following training objectives:

  1. Vocational and occupational paedagogical qualifications
  2. Basic interdisciplinary qualifications
  3. Specific practical qualifications

Accordingly, the ordinance governing the examination for the recognized qualification of “Certified Industrial Foreman” (Geprüfter Industriemeister/Geprüfte Industriemeisterin – Fachrichtung Chemie) stipulates the following admission requirements:

Anyone who can demonstrate the following is to be admitted to the examination in the “Basic Interdisciplinary Qualifications” section:

  1. a successfully completed final examination in a recognized training occupation that can be assigned to the chemical occupations, or
  2. a successfully completed final examination in another recognized training occupation, followed by at least one year’s work experience, or
  3. at least four years of professional experience.

The most important contents of the additional qualification in tanning and leather technology are

  • Raw materials and leather production
  • Technology of leather and fur production
  • Tanning machine knowledge
  • Ecology of leather production
  • Quality assurance
  • Leather processing

For further information, please contact the FILK Freiberg Institute gGmbH, contact us or get more information from the SBG.

The Aufstiegs-BAföG offers attractive advancement funding

Further education is financially supported: the Aufstiegs-BAföG is a state subsidy according to the Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderungsgesetz (AFBG). Irrespective of age and assets, the course and examination fees are subsidized partly as a grant and partly as a low-interest loan from the KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau). More details can be found here: Aufstiegs-BAföG – Career included