Have you lost your job? Or are you thinking about quitting your current one and making a complete career change? In all these cases, a well-chosen retraining course can help you. Losing a job is never pleasant, as we can probably all agree. On the other hand, staying in a job that does not fulfil you can be the equivalent of hell. Or perhaps you work in a sector that you do not really enjoy. There can be multiple scenarios.
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In today’s difficult times, being dismissed by an employer is nothing rare, and staff turnover in companies is substantial. At the same time, opportunities to find a new job are scarce, and in some cities, demand exceeds supply many times over. In Prague, the situation is the opposite, but living costs are higher there. How do you find a way out of this precarious situation? First and foremost, it is important to find a meaningful activity to fill your free time.
And that could be an interesting retraining course, which will not only fill your free time usefully, but also broaden your horizons, provide insight into various fields and, last but not least, significantly increase your chances when looking for a job.
Read our article on how Czechs manage their personal finances during the coronavirus pandemic, and you might be surprised.
Do you want to know how to choose the best retraining course correctly and where to look for authoritative information? Then definitely read on.
What does retraining actually mean?
Professional publications explain the concept of retraining as follows:
This is a systematic activity leading to the acquisition of a new qualification or to the expansion of an existing qualification. It is designed for all jobseekers and individuals interested in a new job.
Encyclopaedic articles supplement the basic factors considered when selecting or recommending courses to applicants. It depends primarily on:
- The applicant’s existing qualifications
- The applicant’s health status
- The applicant’s age
- The applicant’s abilities and physical predispositions
- The applicant’s preferences
These roughly summarise the criteria used to select a suitable retraining course for an applicant. The goal is to choose the best possible option, so it is recommended not only to consider your abilities, but within reason also your wishes and desires. Your goal should be to choose a job after completing the course that will not only support you financially, but also be enjoyable (if at all possible).
In connection with the term “retraining courses”, experts also use the attribute accredited. This means that these courses may only be provided by accredited facilities, or educational or healthcare institutions that offer official accredited educational programmes.
Last but not least, it is necessary to realise the difference between paid and “unpaid” courses.
- Paid retraining courses
These are courses that you choose yourself from the public course offering and pay for entirely on your own.
- “Unpaid” retraining courses
That is, those arranged by labour offices. They are arranged by the relevant Labour Office (úřad práce, ÚP) where you are registered as a jobseeker, though retraining is not an automatic entitlement, meaning you apply for the course, but it is entirely within the competence (and discretion) of the Labour Office whether the course will be granted to you. The advantage is that the office pays all expenses, known as the course fee, which usually includes travel, accommodation and meal costs. However, if an applicant fails to complete the course, they may be struck off the Labour Office register for up to six months.
What are the most popular retraining courses?
Interesting retraining courses are available in many fields. The most comprehensive list can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí, MPSV), where you can freely choose from courses in economics, management, accounting, gastronomy, administration and many others.
Your place of residence is a very important aspect, as the course offering varies considerably between individual cities. Naturally, you will have the most options in large cities such as Prague, Brno, Plzeň or Olomouc, but courses fill up much faster there, so by the time you make up your mind, all places might already be taken. Quotes from Labour Office staff speak clearly:
Always choose carefully and also pay attention to demand in your city, as there is no point in taking a beautician course, for example, when the greatest demand in your area is for accountants and administrative workers.
According to information from Google, the five most frequently searched retraining courses are:
- Accounting course (+ payroll consulting)
- Teaching assistant course
- Welder course
- Electrician course
- Hairdresser course
The list presents the five most searched retraining courses as entered by users into the Google search engine, and these courses are also of the greatest interest to people. For example, the teaching assistant course emerged with the transformation of the education system and the creation of many such jobs. A major advantage of some of these courses is the possibility of enrolling without the need to have graduated from a specialised secondary school or even university. These courses are best because they open up new opportunities for almost everyone, regardless of education or previous employment.
ACCOUNTING RETRAINING COURSE
The course is also suitable for complete beginners who want to completely change their career path. The programme is best for meticulous individuals with organisational skills who have an eye for detail. On the other hand, the accounting course is also great for existing accountants and administrative staff who want to deepen their knowledge and skills.
Among other things, the course covers the following topics:
- Accounts, payroll, assets, inventory
- Tax records, income and expenditure, accounting procedures, VAT, road tax
Course duration: from 12 to 18 days (depending on the venue)
Course price (for self-payers): from 9,000 to 11,000 CZK (about 410 to 500 USD) (depending on the venue)
TEACHING ASSISTANT RETRAINING COURSE
The course is also suitable for individuals with primary education or a vocational certificate, for whom, however, working as an assistant is conditional upon completing this qualification course. The graduate can subsequently perform educational support work. The retraining is also suitable for people who have completed secondary pedagogical education, higher vocational school (VOŠ), or university with a focus on education. These graduates can carry out highly specialised educational activities in schools, such as working with pupils with special needs or integrated pupils.
Course organisers generally structure the tuition as follows:
- 80 hours of theory
- 40 hours of practical training in an educational facility
- Completion of assigned tasks via e-learning (with specific providers, not everywhere)
Course price (for self-payers): from 7,000 to 15,000 CZK (about 320 to 690 USD)
WELDER RETRAINING COURSE
The graduate obtains a welder and flame-cutter licence (for metal welding) and a valid slinger licence (for load slinging). The course is suitable for holders of a vocational certificate, as well as meticulous and skilled individuals with an eye for detail.
Course organisers in various cities point out that the total scope of the course is usually around 200 hours (with minor variations depending on the facility), with roughly 20 hours devoted to theory and the rest consisting of practical training. Tuition generally takes place over several months in shorter blocks so that the applicant gets used to it and gains as much experience as possible.
Course price (for self-payers): from 12,000 to 40,000 CZK (about 550 to 1,800 USD) (depending on course duration and venue)
ELECTRICIAN RETRAINING COURSE
Holders of vocational certificates are permitted to enrol in the electrician retraining course, even from unrelated fields. The graduate will be able to work as an electrical fitter, operational electrician, inspection technician, construction electrician, and so on.
Organisers point out that the training lasts roughly 400 hours, of which about a third is theory and the remainder practical training. In some cities, they also assign an additional 100 hours of self-study. If you want to dive deeper into the field, you can also enrol in a shortened one-to-three-year programme at an accredited secondary school that can be managed alongside work.
The electrician course is certainly among the longest and most detailed, but considering it deals with a somewhat dangerous element, this is hardly surprising. Course instructors also add:
Electrician retraining is among the most popular and genuinely widely used in the Czech Republic.
Course price (for self-payers): from 20,000 to 50,000 CZK (about 920 to 2,300 USD) (depending on course duration and venue)
HAIRDRESSER RETRAINING COURSE
Another course that can also be used by individuals without secondary education, as it replaces a vocational certificate in the field of Hairdressing Services. The training lasts roughly 600 hours (half theory, half practical training). The applicant must primarily learn:
- Hair cutting
- Hair colouring
- Highlights
- Permanent waving
- Treatment of damaged and low-quality hair
- Working with hair cosmetics
- Individual advice for female clients
According to the organisers, every applicant must be prepared to learn the basics of anatomy and dermatology, as the best retraining courses go really deep into theory.
Course price (for self-payers): from 20,000 to 30,000 CZK (about 920 to 1,400 USD)
Other popular retraining courses
Other highly sought-after retraining courses include:
- Retraining course beautician
Course duration: 600 hours for people with primary education, 300 hours for high school graduates
Course price: from 15,000 to 20,000 CZK (about 690 to 920 USD)
- Retraining course CNC machine operator
Course duration: around 130 hours of theory and 160 hours of practice
Course price: from 25,000 to 39,000 CZK (about 1,100 to 1,800 USD)
- Retraining course forklift truck operation
Course duration: around 20 hours of theory and 100 hours of practice
Course price: from 10,000 to 17,000 CZK (about 460 to 780 USD)
- Retraining course social services worker
Course duration: roughly 160 hours
Course price: from 8,000 to 12,000 CZK (about 370 to 550 USD)
- Retraining course masseur
Course duration: roughly 150 hours
Course price: from 13,000 to 18,000 CZK (about 600 to 830 USD)
- Retraining course car mechanic
Course duration: roughly 300 hours
Course price: from 20,000 to 30,000 CZK (about 920 to 1,400 USD)
- Retraining course lorry driver
Course duration: roughly 200 hours (over a period of 2 to 3 months)
Conditions: age at least 24 years, category B driving licence, medical fitness including psychological tests
Course price: from 30,000 to 40,000 CZK (about 1,400 to 1,800 USD)
- Retraining course nanny
Course duration: roughly 160 hours
Course price: from 15,000 to 20,000 CZK (about 690 to 920 USD)
I repeat that the prices listed are averaged from amounts that depend on the city where the course takes place. The same applies to the duration of the courses, while in Strakonice they may dedicate 120 hours to a course, in Prague they dedicate 400 hours to the same field. If you apply for retraining at your tax office (finanční úřad) and they assess that you meet all the applicant conditions, you do not have to worry about the money, the Labour Office (úřad práce, ÚP) will pay all the course fees for you.
Taking a financial literacy course is also a good investment for the future.
Internships and courses
In some fields, rather than the term retraining course, you will come across the term course or internship. These are various courses for individual skills such as languages, with English and German being the most in demand. Internships are a kind of gateway for many people into fields where they do not yet have much experience. They receive the necessary information and in return perform certain activities that they can already handle in the field. It is a kind of regime between school and work. Some internships are paid and others are not.
How to prepare well for a retraining course?
Retraining courses should not be a bogeyman, but an opportunity to develop your skills and expand your field of activity. Whether you decide on interesting courses in healthcare or a trade, remember that there is nothing to fear and that all instructors make every effort to accommodate you and prepare you adequately for your future profession.
It does not matter in which city the courses take place, Olomouc, České Budějovice, Znojmo, Prague, Zlín, and many others, every time you can rely on the first-class quality and professional approach of the lecturers. At the end of the course, you will not face a school-leaving exam or state exams, but many projects end with a final exam, after passing which you will receive a certificate of completion. It is therefore not wise to underestimate preparation.
The following five tricks should help you handle retraining better, without stress and worry:
- Carefully choose the area/field of retraining
- Be informed about the course matters in advance
- Do not be shy to write down interesting findings
- Focus on your time schedule
- Study at home and leave nothing to chance
Now let us look at each of the points in a little more detail.
Carefully choose the area/field of retraining
A crucial point of the entire retraining process is to choose an area that is close to you and in which you can find employment in the future. No one is underestimating you and certainly not discouraging you, but if you have been dedicated to cosmetics all your life, for example, it would be surprising, to say the least, if you chose a healthcare course.
For example, it is advantageous to develop already acquired knowledge. Did you study economics? Then it will be suitable for you to choose a marketing and management course, where you will refresh your acquired knowledge and learn a lot of new information. Are you meticulous, detailed, even perfectionist by nature? Bet on an accounting and payroll advisory course and you will not go wrong!
Be informed about the course matters in advance
The motto “Always prepared” is more than appropriate in connection with retraining. We are not forcing you to read piles of professional books and cram theory in advance, after all, that is what the course is for, but finding out basic information is definitely not a bad thing.
Ideally, each course should have its own website where you can learn about the focus of the project, the topics of individual lectures, the goals of the practice and the method of completing the course. You should know at least this information, not only will you find your way around more easily, but you will also gain a bit of confidence for the start.
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Do not be shy to write down interesting findings
Most educational and retraining courses are focused primarily on practice, but you simply cannot avoid some theory. It is not good to underestimate it and believe that you will learn everything important from practical demonstrations.
Experts advise: “Bring at least a small notebook to classes. Write down new findings in short bullet points and look up the rest in peace at home. Having comprehensive notes is definitely very worthwhile.”
If you do not enjoy writing notes by hand, feel free to bring a laptop or tablet with you.
Focus on your time schedule
Under the term “time management”, you can imagine the process of efficient time allocation. Most retraining courses can be completed during school or employment, but if you schedule your time poorly, everything will be far more chaotic and stressful for you.
So think right at the beginning about how you will combine retraining with your other duties. Take into account, for example, the following:
- Can I ask for time off at work because of the course?
- Will retraining disrupt my school schedule?
- Do I have someone to watch the children?
- Can I postpone my routine duties until later?
It is not good to “rush” into retraining without preparation, as it is after all a specific type of education that takes a considerable amount of time. Therefore, do not underestimate writing a “time schedule”, keeping to it will, among other things, give you a sense of security.
Study and leave nothing to chance
Repetition is the mother of wisdom, you will never spoil anything with thorough home study, quite the contrary. Take at least a quick look at the notes from classes, you can try practical skills on family members or friends if it is at least slightly possible.
Know that retraining is not a simple thing that you can handle easily. It is necessary to approach it with humility and openness, prepare well and dedicate a significant amount of your time to the field. In reality, it is a “condensation” of even a three-year study into a few hundred hours, which is no joke. Finally, experts add that retraining must be both purposeful and necessary.
What is that supposed to mean? Purposefulness means that after completing the qualification course, there is a real chance of finding and obtaining employment. Necessity expresses that the applicant’s current qualification does not allow them to obtain adequate employment. In these cases, retraining will be recommended to you and most likely approved by the office (if you apply there).
With a good job, you will earn a decent salary and perhaps finally dive into the secrets of saving or investing.
USD amounts are approximate, converted at the Czech National Bank rate of 21.80 CZK per USD on 2 October 2026.
