Master craftsman
The master craftsman is the highest classic vocational qualification in the craft including the arts and crafts and has a centuries-old tradition. Master craftsmen are authorized to run a craft business independently and to train apprentices .
The job as a master craftsman requires advanced training as a journeyman with a successfully completed master's examination . The certificate of the passed master's examination is the master’s certificate , with it the legally protected master’s title is awarded. It certifies that the owner has extensive practical and theoretical knowledge in the relevant craft as well as commercial, business and professional educational knowledge.
History and duties of the master craftsman
history
The history of the development of the modern master craftsman begins in the class society of the Holy Roman Empire in the Middle Ages. The guilds as associations of craftsmen, especially in the cities, formed their own social group with defined rights and obligations. In order to gain access to the status of the "guild craftsman", three stages of development were planned: that of the apprentice , that of the journeyman and finally, after the completion of a " masterpiece " and a proper examination, acceptance as a master in the guild. Only the master had full guild and civil rights . He was self-employed within the scope of the powers assigned to his class, employed journeymen, trained apprentices himself, and participated - in an outstanding way in the Free Cities - in the administration of the community. Despite steady adaptation to the needs of the modern economy in everyday work numerous traditions from the early days have evolved to date Customs receive the craft.
The formal training as an apprentice, the professional qualification of the journeymen and the advancement training to the self-employed and authorized teaching " honorable " master as a specialist still distinguish the craft as one of the most important branches of the economy. It is thus a historical model for the later developing training system in industry and other branches of the economy, and the master craftsman as such is the model for the younger master’s titles in business (see the article master ).
→ Main article: guild
Today's tasks
Today's master craftsman is a specialist in his field due to his four- fold qualification - both in technical practice and in technical theory -, trainer and entrepreneur . He incorporates new process, information and communication technologies into his own work processes and range of services and implements them. The promotion of young talent is an integral part of a future-oriented strategy. A master craftsman can also work as an employee in a senior position in a company. One of the tasks of the master craftsman is to recognize the employee's learning areas ( cognitive , affective and psychomotor ) and to use them efficiently .
Germany
Admission requirements
In the craft regulations it is now regulated that the rule requirement for taking the master craftsman's examination is the passed journeyman's examination in the relevant craft. The previously required three or more years of professional activity as a journeyman is no longer necessary according to the new craft regulations for taking the master craftsman's examination. Participation in a preparatory course, such as the master class, is also not mandatory. In practice, however, the majority of the candidates first attend a master craftsman's school or technical college .
Carrying out the exam
The examination to become a master craftsman in the respective trade is divided into several parts:
- subject-specific parts:
- Part I: Practical specialist knowledge, documented by: Master work (concept, draft and calculation), production of the masterpiece
- Part II: Theoretical specialist knowledge, documented by exams
- Cross-disciplinary parts:
- Part III: Business administration, bookkeeping and law, documented by exams
- Part IV: Vocational and work education, documented by exams and an instruction sample
The trainer aptitude test is part of the master craftsman examination. In the case of engineers and other university graduates , the theoretical examination can be waived under certain conditions.
The examination is held by master craftsmen's examination committees, which are set up as state examination authorities for the individual craft trades at the headquarters of the Chamber of Crafts (HWK) for their district. The master craftsman's certificate is awarded after successfully passing the master’s examination (“ major qualification certificate ”). A successfully passed master craftsman's examination in a craft is a prerequisite for participation in an examination of the competent chamber of crafts to become a certified business economist according to the craft regulations .
The Wiesbaden Chamber of Crafts has the abbreviation me. as a short title for "master craftsman" to be protected under trademark law. Holders of a master craftsman's certificate from a German chamber of handicrafts may use it in front of the name as an indication of the professional qualifications they have acquired (e.g. me. Eva Mustermann, master goldsmith). With the nationwide Vocational Training Modernization Act coming into force on January 1, 2020, masters in Germany can now also call themselves Bachelor Professional .
European qualifications framework
In Germany, the federal and state governments and other partners agreed in February 2012 to classify master craftsmen's certificates acquired from chambers of crafts, industry and commerce at level 6 of 8 within the framework of the creation of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). This means that a master ’s degree is on the same level as a bachelor’s degree ( B.Eng. , B.Sc. ), as is the technician . The German Qualifications Framework (DQR) assigns the champion level 6 to review and evaluate the final terms of its aspiration levels as equal wertig Bachelor, the two qualifications but not as the same manner . Both qualifications were acquired in different educational areas and differ both in terms of their competence and task profiles; the DQR does not remove these differences; rather, all previous types of qualifications and qualifications are retained. The existing system of national access authorizations is also not affected by the DQR. In this respect, a master craftsman's certificate entitles the holder to direct access to the bachelor's degree, but not to the master’s degree . The assignments to the levels of the DQR also do not affect existing collective bargaining or salary regulations.
On this matter, the VDI published a position paper, which shows that the master craftsman and technician degrees correspond to the same level of competence as the Bachelor, but are not of the same kind .
Promotion of advancement training to master craftsmen
Craftsmen who have completed initial training or a comparable professional qualification recognized in accordance with the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) or the Crafts Code (HwO) can receive training funding for further training to become a master craftsman in accordance with the Promotion Training Act (so-called Meister-BaFöG ). The prerequisite is that they take part in a training course that specifically prepares them for a corresponding public law examination. The completion of the advanced training must be above the level of a journeyman and assistant examination or a vocational college qualification , which is the case with the master craftsman examination. Qualifications that are higher than the master’s degree (e.g. technical college or university degrees) are not funded in this way; measures under the Federal Training Assistance Act come into consideration here.
Position of the master in handicraft in Germany
The craft regulations protect the professional title of master craftsman . Anyone who uses the professional title of master craftsman without having successfully passed the master craftsman's examination is acting improperly and can be fined up to € 5000 (§§ 117 Paragraph 1 No. 2 and Paragraph 2 in conjunction with 51 , 51d HwO).
The master craftsman's examination as a mandatory prerequisite for being allowed to run a craft business (the so-called large certificate of proficiency ) is limited to certain professions in Germany (HwO § 1 Paragraph 2, Annex A ). Since the amendment to the craft regulations that came into force on January 1, 2004, a master craftsman's qualification is no longer required in order to open a commercial enterprise in the non-licensed and craft-like professions in the craft (HwO § 18 Paragraph 2, Annex B, B1 ) . The options for practicing the profession independently with alternative qualifications have also been expanded for almost all professions that are still subject to authorization. If the owner or an employee of such a company has taken the trainer aptitude test, training in non-licensed and craft-like trades can also be carried out without a master craftsman's certificate. However , according to § 51 and § 51d HwO, the designation master business may only be used if the business owner or an employee has a master craftsman's certificate in the relevant trade.
The self-employed masters in Germany - just like the other operators of a craft trade - are compulsory members in the regional chamber of crafts responsible for them as the competent professional chamber . In the guilds as voluntary associations of the skilled craft groups, which among other things organize the training and journeyman's exams, the elected chairmen are referred to as chief masters or guild masters . (For the designation of district craftsmen, see district craftsmen .)
Excursus: Master craftsmen in the GDR
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In the German Democratic Republic there were two types of Master: Since the early 1970s the champion national enterprise or in state-owned industries (short VE-Master ), the activities of the Industrial Master is comparable, and the masters in the craft of Tradition of three-stage training from apprentice to journeyman to master.
The examining and training instance for obtaining the master craftsman's certificate were the 14 chambers of crafts, which also existed in the new political circumstances. His possession was the prerequisite for the entry in the trade register and thus for the exercise of the profession as a self-employed. Since the 1970s, the state's political pressure on self-employed craftsmen to join handicrafts production cooperatives (PGH) increased, since economic independence was defined as the relic of a "perishable" social order with private ownership of the means of production . At the same time, the gradual integration of the production cooperatives into the state- owned enterprises (VEB) was promoted. As a result, the qualification as a master craftsman lost its importance and attractiveness; from 1975 there was no more master craftsman training in the chambers. Advancement-oriented skilled craftsmen could only obtain the master's title in the state-sponsored masterclasses in industry. With their extensive instruction in the subjects of work sciences, business administration, philosophy and law under the premises of the socialist state ideology and their rather detailed professional competence ascriptions, these were far removed from the private-sector craft tradition. The chambers of crafts were only granted participation rights there. After all, the designation “master of the craft” in the respective subject could possibly still be confirmed on the master’s certificate. (More in the article industrial master )
According to the unification agreement of August 31, 1990 between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, the educational qualifications obtained in both countries, including the master craftsman’s qualifications, are “equal to each other and grant the same authorizations if they are equivalent” (Article 37, Para. 1). When VE masters trained after the unification of Germany in 1990 sought to be registered in the trade register and to become self-employed in the trade, with reference to the agreements in the unification contract, the Federal Minister of Economics issued a special ordinance setting the conditions for recognition of equivalence, if necessary. stipulated further training measures to be provided and the equivalence to the professional titles in the craft according to the craft regulations. 89 of the total of 177 VE master's degree courses awarded could be assigned to existing trades.
Austria
The Austrian counterpart to the German master craftsman is the commercial master ; the foreman in Austria corresponds to the German industrial foreman . In contrast to the foreman, the master craftsman also has the necessary commercial and business management knowledge to run a company independently.
The respective professional organizations of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce are responsible for the examination regulations for the individual trades . The master craftsman's examination consists of five modules (technical-practical part, technical-oral part, technical-written part, trainer examination and entrepreneur examination), some of which can be replaced by other relevant evidence of knowledge. It is carried out by the master craftsman's examination offices of the economic chambers.
The Austrian Economic Development Institute (WIFI) organizes courses for all master trades , but training is not required; The master craftsman examination is open to everyone who has reached the age of 18 and has the required professional training.
Switzerland
The master craftsman training was included in the higher vocational training in Switzerland and can be found in it as a professional examination and higher technical examination . The completion of the higher technical examination and the federal diploma awarded are equivalent to the German master’s examination and the master’s certificate . The main differences to Germany are:
In Switzerland, one or more years of professional experience is often required after the apprenticeship. In many professions, the training is graded, admission to the higher technical examination requires the passing of one or more professional examinations (for example two in the electrical trade). Attending a master's school is not absolutely necessary, but attending preparatory courses is always recommended or prescribed in some regulations.
The final certificate is a federal diploma and not, as in Germany, the master craftsman's certificate. The job title of a graduate can (for example, federally qualified boat builder, master dental technician ) but does not have to contain the term master (for example, federally qualified electrical installer ). The designation federal diploma poses a problem, especially in Germany, as diplomas in connection with professional titles are usually reserved for university degrees .
Luxembourg
In the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the legal regulations regarding master craftsmen's duties, training and examinations in the craft are largely similar to those in Germany. The competent authority for training and examining master craftsmen is the Luxembourg Chamber of Crafts (Chambre des Métiers) .
The master craftsman training is modular and part-time over a period of usually three years (limited to a maximum of six years). The languages of instruction are mostly Luxembourgish and German, to a lesser extent French, the written teaching material is largely in German, supplemented by key texts in French. The successful completion of the training is certified with the master craftsman's certificate (Luxembourgish Meeschterkaart, on the French certificate Brevet de Maitrise ).
There are no professional master's titles outside of the craft (such as industrial or agricultural masters and in trade) in Luxembourg.
Italy (South Tyrol)
In the autonomous province of Bolzano - South Tyrol , the regional administration organizes training for master craftsmen in its area of German vocational training for more than 70 practical trades, gastronomy and trade. Proof of successful completion is the master craftsman's certificate (Italian diploma di maestro professionale ).
In the rest of Italy, various bodies - for example, commissions set up specifically by regions or provinces or regional chambers of commerce (camere di commercio) - award the honorary designation maestro artigiano (= master craftsman) to proven quality service providers in the craft as a brand under certain conditions , without this this involves the transfer of special professional competences. In the Autonomous Province of Trento , neighboring South Tyrol , with which it forms the Autonomous Region of Trentino-South Tyrol , there has been a regulation for applications for the title maestro artigiano since 2015 .
Belgium (German-speaking Community)
The German-speaking Community of Belgium also knows the master craftsman training. As a qualification offer, it is aimed at appropriately trained people in numerous commercial areas and is not limited to the traditional activity sector of the craft .
The supervisory authority is the Institute for Education and Training in SMEs and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (IAWM).
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Structured advanced training in the skilled trades (PDF; 196 kB)
- ↑ Explanatory note in the online edition of the Deutsche HandwerksZeitung from March 4, 2002 (accessed on February 1, 2016).
- ↑ Example of use in Rheinhessen
- ↑ First "professional bachelor" receives certificate , article in research and teaching (online) from January 9, 2020.
- ↑ Annual Report 2008 , eureta.org (pdf; 539 kB)
- ↑ Bachelor and master craftsmen now equivalent , report by Berliner Morgenpost (online) from February 2, 2012
- ↑ Detailed description of the DQR
- ↑ VDI on the German Qualifications Framework April 2012 ( Memento from December 3, 2012 in the Internet Archive ), vdi.de (pdf; 50 kB)
- ↑ In contrast to academic degrees , the master's title is therefore not subject to the special protection of criminal law.
- ↑ The master in the GDR economic system (PDF; 135 kB)
- ↑ Ordinance on the recognition of training qualifications of masters in the state-owned industry as a prerequisite for entry in the craft register (accessed on February 3, 2019)
- ↑ Internet presence of the Luxembourg Chamber of Crafts, accessed on December 20, 2018
- ↑ Information on the master craftsman's certificate of the information initiative hands up of the Luxembourg craft (accessed on February 2, 2019)
- ↑ Obtain the master craftsman's certificate from the government information portal (accessed on February 2, 2019)
- ↑ Information pages on the master craftsman training of the South Tyrolean provincial administration (accessed on May 1, 2017)
- ↑ Title holder in Cosenza - Further award ceremony in Calabria (Italian; accessed on February 2, 2019)
- ^ Statute of the Prato Chamber of Commerce - Statute of the Florence Chamber of Commerce (Italian; accessed February 2, 2019)
- ↑ Official website of the Autonomous Province of Trento on the subject (Italian; accessed on January 31, 2019)
- ↑ Information on master craftsman training at the center for training and further education for medium-sized businesses in Eupen (accessed on February 2, 2019)
