Blog Post

1. the German context: dual training as the standard

In Germany, dual training as an IT specialist (e.g. in system integration, application development, digital networking, data and process analysis) is the recognized career entry into the IT sector.
Typical features:

• Three (3) years of training with practical part in the company and theoretical part at vocational school
• Work with real systems, networks, servers, firewalls, databases
• Direct contact with customers, documentation, ITIL-related processes
• Manufacturer-specific training and certificates (e.g. Cisco, Microsoft, VMware)
• Vocational qualification with IHK examination

 Result: Graduates of this training program have a high market value, are considered to be practice-oriented, industry-tested and team players.

They are also usually between 18 and 25 years old - in other words young, malleable and flexible.

2 CompTIA & Google Certificates - what they do, what they don't do

Strengths:

• CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ are internationally recognized basic certificates - particularly widespread in the Anglo-American region
• They are a good theoretical introduction to topics such as hardware, networks, operating systems and IT security.
• Solid content, often with exam questions at helpdesk/1st level level
• Google certificates (e.g. IT support, cybersecurity) rely on structured online learning paths with accompanying knowledge

Weaknesses in the German market:

• No practical relevance with real hardware (no labs, no case studies from German companies)
• Not anchored in German training systems (not recognized by IHK/HWK)
• English-speaking, which is a hurdle for many non-native speakers
• Lack of depth for higher technical roles (network administration, security, DevOps, etc.)
• Employers in Germany often do not recognize these certificates or classify them as entry level
• No training status, no dual framework, no vocational school structure

Conclusion: CompTIA or Google certificates are useful as supplementary self-qualification, but are no substitute for professional training or in-depth further training with manufacturer certification.

3 Udemy, Coursera & Co. - self-learning platforms with limited market impact

• Coursera & edX offer some very good content in cooperation with universities (e.g. Google, IBM, Stanford).
  However, these courses are not formally accredited, but should rather be seen as "online certificates".
• Udemy is an open course platform - anyone can create content. The quality is extremely variable.

 Result: These courses demonstrate personal initiative, but have little evidence of relevance to the labor market - especially not for jobs with structured induction or safety requirements.

 4. conclusion in direct comparison

  Recommendation

If you want to gain a sustainable foothold in the IT sector in Germany, you should look at:

state-recognized qualifications,
certified further training with practical experience,
manufacturer certificates with market value (e.g. Cisco CCNA, CCNP)
- especially for professions in the fields of network technology, IT security and infrastructure.

CompTIA and Google Certificates are helpful for getting started, but not sufficient for the job market if you want to work as a network technician, security engineer or system administrator, for example.

Further training alone is not enough - the competition is better prepared

After completing many IT training courses (e.g. CompTIA, Google certificates or short IT courses), graduates enter the job market as junior candidates.
This is often underestimated: The direct competition is trained IT specialists who come from the dual system - i.e. from a three-year in-company training program with real project responsibility, system knowledge, customer contact and often even manufacturer certificates (Cisco, Microsoft, VMware, etc.).

And that's where the difficulties begin.

This is because many further training courses tend to impart superficial knowledge or remain at helpdesk level, while IT specialists (e.g. in system integration) are already familiar with:

• Active Directory
• Routing & Switching
• Firewall configuration
• Virtualization
• Operating system deployment
• Automation & scripting

have worked in practice - often under the guidance of experienced administrators in real day-to-day operations.

The figures speak for themselves: the market is full.

According to the applicant exchange of the Federal Employment Agency (July 2025):

• 6,153 job-seeking IT specialists - system integration
  to the source
• 6,086 job-seeking IT specialists - application development
  to the source

This means that even trained IT specialists are currently registered as unemployed - and are on the market with full professional experience.

However, it is not only the training that is decisive, but also the specialist focus.
Whether someone finds a job today depends much more on the IT area in which their qualifications lie - and whether they are directly aligned with current market requirements.

If you specialize in general application development or first-level support, for example, you will face a lot of competition and a comparatively large number of applicants.

In contrast, specialists with a focus on network security, infrastructure, Cisco technologies, firewalls, automation or cloud VPN are much more in demand - in some cases, there are only a few dozen actively seeking applicants nationwide.

Conclusion: Not every IT qualification automatically brings job opportunities.
Only those who enter the market with the right professional focus have realistic prospects of success.

What does this mean for career changers?

For people without dual training who want to enter the IT sector through further training:
The chance of entering the job market with a 3 to 6-month course is only realistic if the course:

is practice-oriented
works with original hardware
includes recognized manufacturer certificates (e.g. CCNA, CCNP)
supports application training & strategic positioning

Otherwise, the application strategy quickly becomes a dead end - because why should a company hire an inexperienced career changer when it has several trained IT specialists with real-world experience to choose from?

Conclusion:

The decision for further training in IT must not be blindly based on general trends or promises - but must be geared towards the real need for skilled workers.

And today, this is not first-level support or "general application development" - but specialized segments such as network security, infrastructure, security operations and automation.

Anyone who ventures into this job market has to bring more than the minimum - especially if they want to stand up to the strong competition from dual training.