You cannot become a head chef directly after completing an apprenticeship. You need to acquire all the necessary skills and competencies on a progressive basis. This means that you first train as a chef with a Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (VET Diploma) and, after a few years of work experience, begin continuing education, further training as a head chef.

As continuing education, further training to become a chef with a Federal VET Diploma is a part-time course, the course times are of course also tailored to your profession as a Federal VET Diploma chef. In this case, this means that you do not attend a course once or twice a week in the evening or at the weekend, but attend block courses over the course of a year. This gives you the opportunity to take time off at these times and attend six block courses of five days each.

The continuing education, further training for the Federal Professional Examination "Chef with Federal Diploma of Higher Education" corresponds to the former title of "Gastronomy Chef".

In principle, it is not mandatory to attend a preparation course, but it is highly recommended. Here you will be taught the knowledge and skills required for the BP in a practice-oriented manner. In order to be admitted to the final examination, you will need the relevant module qualifications or module certificates. In addition, equivalence assessment procedures can be very time-consuming.

Professional experience after basic training as a chef is essential to start continuing education, further training as a chef FPE. You must have at least three years of professional experience in your profession before taking the Federal Professional Examination.