Activation specialists work with elderly, disabled or sick people (adults), contributing to an improved quality of life through activation therapies and an active approach to everyday life. As an activation specialist CHE, you will find employment in care facilities and retirement homes, in homes for the disabled and day homes, in psychiatric facilities, geriatric departments and special clinics.

An activation specialist HF has the following tasks:

• Activation specialists HF design activities for individuals and groups with physical, mental and/or dementia-related limitations based on artistic, creative, cognitive and practical life activities.
• The client's physical, mental and psychosocial abilities are supported, maintained, promoted and reactivated by specific therapeutic means Activation therapy is central to the work of an activation specialist HF. This involves gathering holistic information about the client's biography, medical history and current life situation.
• The aim of activation therapy is to organize the client's daily and weekly structure. This improves the quality of life of those affected by enabling them to use their own resources and interests to do and decide as much as possible independently.
• Depending on the disabilities and limitations, existing abilities, possibilities and interests, the activation specialist HF defines the therapeutic goals and measures. They determine the procedure, select suitable forms of therapy and draw up a therapy plan.

Training to become an activation specialist CHE is a continuing education, further training course at a College of Higher Education (CHE) that requires a qualification at upper-secondary level. This means that prospective students must have a Matura, a Specialized School Certificate (Diplommittelschule) or a Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training from an apprenticeship lasting at least three years before they can start training in activation.

During your studies at the College of Higher Education (CHE) to become an activation specialist, you will not only receive theoretical training in the classroom, but will also apply what you have learned in practice. You will be paid for your working hours. However, as the CHE activation course is a full-time course, it is not possible, or only possible to a very limited extent, to pursue other employment.

After successfully completing their continuing education, activation specialists are awarded the federally recognized title of "Certified Activation Specialist CHE".

There is no actual entrance exam that you have to pass in order to be admitted to a College of Higher Education to train as an activation specialist CHE, but you do have to go through an admission procedure. This may vary from school to school, but will test your personal motivation, commitment and social skills in the form of group and individual interviews. Please contact the schools directly for more detailed information on this admission procedure.