Government funding for career development beyond the level of examination as a skilled worker, journeyman or spe- cialist employee, or beyond the leaving certificate of a tech- nical college.
Who
Participants in vocational training programmes who: require qualifications acknowledged pursuant to the Ger-
man vocational training act or by the trade board, or an equivalent examination pursuant to Federal or Federal Land laws,
in the same general line of profession, serve as preparation for further training examinations pursuant to Federal or Federal Land or chamber laws and rules for qualifications beyond that of a skilled worker, specialist employee or technical college graduate. This includes further training in health care professions on the basis of regulations of the Federal Laender or pursuant to the vocational training regulations of Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft (German Hospital Society) or training on the basis of state-approved examination regulations at recognised supplementary schools.
All sectors are included: agriculture, industry, trades, com- merce, freelance professionals, the services industry, medical and social professions. One vocational training course will be subsidised, not just the first one.
What
Government subsidies and loans by KfW Bankengruppe for full-time and part-time programmes, training courses and examination fees, child-care costs.
Maintenance: Singles without children receive up to EUR 697 a month. This amount consists of a subsidy up to EUR 238 and the rest as a low-interest loan. The loan is increased to currently EUR 215 for married participants, and by an- other EUR 210 for each child (half of this sum is paid as a subsidy). Maintenance funding is dependent upon the ap- plicant’s income and property as well as his/her spouse’s income. Parallel to funding, single parents additionally re- ceive monthly children’s care allowance for children up to the age of ten amounting to EUR 113.
Contribution to programmes: In the case of full-time and part-time measures, a contribution payment for financing tuition and examination fees is foreseen, irrespective of the applicant’s income or property, to the amount of the fees actually incurred, but in no case more than EUR 10,226. This comprises a grant of 30.5% and a low-interest bank loan. Examination piece: The costs for producing the examina-
tion piece (so-called craftsman’s masterpiece or a similar examination work) will be financed by a loan of up to 50%, however, by no more than a total sum of EUR 1,534. There is no possibility for loan release.
Exam preparation phase: For the time between the end of the measure and the last day of examination, eligible ap- plicants who have demonstrably registered immediately to sit their exam can apply to have maintenance support, including the increase amounts and the contribution to childcare, extended in the form of a loan beyond the end of the measure until the end of the month in which the final examination takes place, however, for no longer than three months.
Interest rate and redemption: Loans are interest free and re- demption free for applicants during the training term and a subsequent redemption-free period of up to two years (six years maximum), and subsequently become low-in- terest loans through refinancing by KfW Bankengruppe. Following the interest-free period, a minimum monthly amount of EUR 128 must be paid towards principal and in- terest.
General loan release: When the further training exam is passed successfully, 25% exemption from the training and examination fees not yet payable at this point in time Loan release for start-ups: If a company is founded or taken
over, or if freelance activities are commended within three years after passing the exam, release from the training and examination fees as follows:
a) 33%, if an additional trainee/apprentice was hired or if their trainee/apprenticeship term is twelve months or longer,
b) 33% for an additional employee whose regular and per- manent employment was at least six months old at the time of application,
c) 66% for one additional trainee/apprentice and one ad- ditional employee or for two additional employees as long as their employment meets with the employment requirements laid down in a) and b) above. It is crucial for the company to be in operation for at least one year and that the new jobs or apprenticeship/trainee positions are permanent and have not been terminated. The em- ployment contracts must also still be in effect when the application for loan exemption is submitted.
How
Formal application.
Application forms are available from the district authority offices for vocational training listed below, or can be down- loaded at: www.meister-bafoeg.info/, the website of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research.
You can complete your application online at: www.afbg- berlin.de. The plausibility of the application is automat- ically checked and you can then save it and print it out. Beginning in the second quarter of 2015, it should be tech- nically possible to electronically download the application and the appendices from the respective office for vocation- al training. The forms come with a special so-called “tele- number” for this purpose so that they can be clearly as- signed. However, since the preconditions for use of a digital signature are still not yet in place, you will have to print out and sign the application and its appendices. At the office for vocational training, however, you will not have to enter the details in the system. This new procedure will hence speed up processing significantly.
Education institutes other than public organisations or in- stitutes supervised by the government are obliged to prove that they are applying a quality assurance system.
Where
Further information and application forms are available from the district authority offices for vocational training in the district where you live:
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf von Berlin district authorities
Abteilung Soziales und Gesundheit (Dept. of Social Affairs and Health) Amt für Ausbildungsförderung (Office for vocational training) Otto-Suhr-Allee 100, 10585 Berlin Telephone: +49 (0) 30 / 9 02 91-0 Fax: +49 (0) 30 / 9 02 91-34 60
Responsible for the following districts: Mitte, Friedrichs- hain-Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Spandau, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Schöneberg-Tempelhof, Reinickendorf
Lichtenberg von Berlin district authorities
Amt für Ausbildungsförderung (Office for vocational training)
Alt-Friedrichsfelde 60, Haus 2, 10315 Berlin Telephone: +49 (0) 30 / 9 02 96-0 Fax: +49 (0) 30 / 9 02 96-39 09
Responsible for the following districts: Pankow, Treptow- Köpenick, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Lichtenberg, Neukölln Comprehensive information can be found on the Internet at: www.meister-bafoeg.info