🎓 Further training and retraining
In brief
If further training or retraining significantly improves your chances of lasting employment or prevents unemployment that would otherwise threaten, the employment agency or Jobcenter can cover the costs – usually through an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein) for a certified measure with an approved provider. Anyone who successfully completes a qualification-leading further training can additionally receive a further-training allowance (Weiterbildungsgeld).
Step by step
- Attend a counselling sessionGet advice from your contact person before any further training – without prior counselling an education voucher is generally not issued.
- Clarify necessityThe measure must be necessary to end or avoid unemployment, or to make up for a missing vocational qualification.
- Choose an approved provider and certified measureThe provider and the measure must be approved under the Accreditation and Approval Ordinance for Employment Promotion (AZAV).
- Redeem the education voucherThe education voucher sets the goal, duration and regional validity of the measure; within this framework you choose the course or provider yourself.
- Apply for the further-training allowanceFor a qualification-leading further training during receipt of Grundsicherungsgeld, a monthly further-training allowance can additionally be applied for.
Deadlines
- Without prior counselling and issue of an education voucher, the Agentur für Arbeit as a rule does not cover costs retroactively.
- Do not confuse the still-existing “Weiterbildungsgeld” (€150/month for qualification-leading further training, § 87a Abs. 2, 3 SGB III) with the former “Bürgergeldbonus” (€75/month) – this was already abolished on 28.3.2024 by the Haushaltsbegleitgesetz and has not existed since.
- Breaking off an approved measure without good cause can be treated as a breach of duty and lead to a reduction under § 31a SGB II.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Education voucher (§ 81 SGB III)
A condition for funding vocational further training is that participation is necessary because of a missing vocational qualification, outdated qualifications or to avoid/end unemployment, that prior counselling has taken place and that the measure and provider are approved under the AZAV.
Further-training allowance (§ 87a Abs. 2, 3 SGB III)
Persons receiving Grundsicherungsgeld who take part in a qualification-leading further training can receive a monthly further-training allowance of €150 in addition to the training costs. The amount is unchanged, but the legal basis changed with the reform: since 1.1.2025 the further-training allowance is regulated in § 87a Abs. 2 SGB III and extended via Abs. 3 to recipients of Grundsicherungsgeld/SGB II; the Agentur für Arbeit (SGB III) has since been responsible, instead of the Jobcenter (SGB II) as before.
Distinction: the abolished “Bürgergeldbonus”
The former “Bürgergeldbonus” of €75 per month for taking part in certain integration measures was already abolished on 28.3.2024 in the course of the Haushaltsbegleitgesetz 2024. It is not identical to the still-existing further-training allowance under § 87a Abs. 2, 3 SGB III; the two terms are often confused in advice texts.
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