Information technology assistant

The educational background information Technical Assistant / Information Technical Assistant (ITA) is a country-specific controlled school full-time education at a vocational school or a higher vocational school .

Example: programming language (Java)

It is based on the broad spectrum of information technology , with a focus on software technology .

job profile

Possible professional activities can be found in the area of software development , commissioning of computer systems , service and maintenance . Information technology assistants are also active when it comes to programming technical systems and processes. Information technology wizards have in-depth expertise in the areas of soft - hardware and network technology . Due to the practice-oriented training, they have very good practical experience and are used to working independently and cooperatively. The course is designed in such a way that the necessary knowledge from computer science and electrical and production engineering is always imparted in a practical way. Practice-oriented tasks on networked computer and computer-integrated manufacturing and assembly systems are solved on an industrial level.

Internships and close contacts with companies from the industrial , craft and service sectors are a must. A close link between theory and practice is achieved through action-oriented teaching. The students have the opportunity to structure their learning tasks independently. They acquire and deepen their knowledge in practical projects that promote independence and commitment. Your own planning and action are particularly important.

The course ends with a state examination. The job title is "state-certified information technology assistant". In addition, the university entrance qualification is acquired through a final examination, which is voluntary depending on the federal state.

This course can also be completed at some vocational colleges with the "general higher education entrance qualification" (AHR / Abitur). In this case, mathematics and computer engineering are the advanced courses (LKs). In this case the school education lasts 3½ years.

Internships

Company internships are an integral part of the training and thus a compulsory school event - the duration is determined by the country and is usually between four and sixteen weeks. It is the task of the pupils to find a suitable internship, with the support of the school. The ITAs prepare documentation about their activities during the internship, which should be summarized in reports. These are presented to the training school and assessed.

Professional areas of application

Typical fields of work and tasks are:

Application development (programming language / s is / are learned)
Management of computer systems and networks
Development of electronic devices and systems
Design of computer components and distribution or sale of information technology products
Provision of hardware and software services
First and second level support
Organization of training

Lesson content

The contents of the lessons are specified in the relevant training regulations for each country. They include electrical and process technology, operating systems and networks, databases, object-oriented programming, as well as computer and system technology.

The content of the IT assistant training corresponds to that of the IT specialist specializing in application development and system integration in the dual system.

Degree with double qualification

The course concludes with two separate final exams, in which the learners provide evidence of the professional competence they have acquired and the ability to study. The general higher education entrance qualification includes the advanced courses technical / practical computer science and mathematics. This regulation differs per federal state and in some does not even exist. By passing the final exams, students acquire on the one hand

the state-recognized professional qualification "State-certified information technology assistant"

and on the other hand

the technical college entrance qualification or general university entrance qualification.

Special regulations

Hesse, Bremen and Lower Saxony

In Hesse, Bremen and Lower Saxony the training lasts only 2 years, the additional courses for the technical college entrance qualification are only the main subjects. During the training to become a "state-certified information technology assistant - computer and network technology", a four-week certified internship must be completed in a company.

There are two options for obtaining the technical college entrance qualification. In the first variant, additional lessons in the main subjects of German, English and mathematics must be taken during the second year of training, and a six-month internship or further training must also be completed after the second year of training. Alternatively, after successfully completing the training, it is possible to attend the 12th grade of a technical college and obtain the technical college entrance qualification in this way.

Rhineland-Palatinate

In Rhineland-Palatinate , training is called information technology at a higher vocational school (HBF) and lasts 2 years. At the beginning of the school year, the pupil can decide for himself / herself whether he / she wants to take the additional subjects (German, English, mathematics, social studies and physics) for the advanced technical college entrance qualification. This must be communicated in writing to the responsible teacher. A certified internship of 12 or 16 weeks in a company must be completed during the training. The school decides on the duration of the internship. If no internship can be found, the student has to leave the school.

After passing the final examination, the graduate may call himself / herself a " state-certified IT assistant ".

In order to acquire the general technical college entrance qualification, a six-month internship must be completed. Only then is the school leaving certificate recognized nationwide. The internship of the course is taken into account.