Civil engineering service / trainee program for Bachelor graduates

Depending on the subject area of the preparatory service, you should have completed your studies in one of the following subject areas:

• Architecture/Civil Engineering
• Civil engineering
• Transportation
• Road and bridge construction
• Electrical engineering
• Energy and building services engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Landscape architecture/ planning

If you have completed a similar course of study, we will be happy to advise you on the appropriate recognition.

As you will be entering a career as a civil servant at the start of the preparatory service, you must also meet the requirements for employment under civil service law. These include German citizenship, citizenship of another member state of the European Union, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Iceland.
Furthermore, you must not have exceeded the maximum age of 45 at the time of recruitment.

The preparatory service lasts a total of 15 months. It always begins on January 1 of the year of recruitment. If required, you can also be employed by the City of Erlangen beforehand.

During the 15 months, you will be assigned to a fixed department of the city administration. Depending on your specialist focus, this could be the Civil Engineering Office, the Office for Environmental Protection and Energy Issues, the Building Supervisory Office or the Office for Facility Management, for example.

During your practical training, you will actively work in your department or complete internal and external work shadowing.

In specialist theory, you will attend various seminars and courses (e.g. administrative law, building law, nature conservation law, cost planning, project management, technical standards and guidelines, etc.).

The Bavarian State Ministry of Housing, Building and Transport determines the exact course of the trainee program.

The trainee program serves to

• To deepen and expand your specialist knowledge depending on your area of specialization.
• You will acquire additional legal and administrative knowledge.
• You will be prepared for management tasks.
• You will get to know various departments of the City of Erlangen through work shadowing.
• You will get to know the working methods of other municipal or state authorities and cooperation partners through work shadowing.
• You will learn to think and act in an interdisciplinary and networked way.

The preparatory service ends with a qualification examination.

At the start of the program, you will be appointed as a civil servant on revocation. After successfully passing the qualification examination, you will be appointed as a probationary civil servant as a senior technical inspector.

Status: May 2023

During your studies, you will receive a monthly salary of €1,413.85 (gross) and around €1,372.85 (net) if you are unmarried and have no children. In addition, there are capital-forming benefits, a special payment (Christmas bonus) and, depending on your personal circumstances, a family allowance.
After graduation, the starting salary in grade A10, level 2, is currently €3,152.72 (gross) and around €2,642.64 (net) if you are unmarried and have no children. You can also expect regular salary increases and performance-related steps. The salary is based on the Bavarian Salary Act (BayBesG).

At the City of Erlangen, training is seen as the first step in personnel development. After completing it, employees have extensive career advancement and development opportunities at their disposal. For further professional qualification, a varied and high-quality further education and training program is offered.
There are extensive opportunities for promotion. The principle of performance orientation is at the heart of what happens at Erlangen City Council.
In addition, particularly qualified and motivated civil servants can be promoted to the fourth qualification level.