Qualifications Opportunities Act
- Name of the instrument - Local language
- Qualifizierungschancengesetz
- Name of the instrument - English translation
- Qualifications Opportunities Act
- Scheme ID
- 384
- Country
- Germany
- Reporting year
- 2020
- Type of instrument
- Grant for companies
- Sub-type of instrument
- Support for direct costs and wage costs
- Type of entry
- Single instrument
- Short description
This incentive provides co-funding for further education of employees, as part of the Qualifizierungsoffensive of the Federal State. All employees are eligible for funding. The qualification must take at least 160 hours, and only certified, external courses are eligible. The share of co-funding and wage subsidy depends on the size of the company. The share of co-funding of training costs is from 15 (for comp. > 2 500 employees) to 100% (<10 employees). The same applicant can use this scheme once in each calendar year.
- Short description of the related instruments
- Not applicable
- Level of operation
- National
- Name of a part of the country
- Not applicable
- Name of the region (for regional instruments)
- Not applicable
- Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
- Not applicable
- Relevance
- Key instrument
- Legal basis
- Gesetz zur Stärkung der Chancen für Qualifizierung und für mehr Schutz in der Arbeitslosenversicherung
- Objective(s) and target(s)
- To improve access to and financial support for further education of employees whose occupational activities are at risk of being replaced by new technologies, for employees affected by structural change, or those in jobs with a shortage of skilled workers. Minimum duration was reduced, from 160 to 120 hours.
- Year of implementation
- 2019
- Year of latest amendment
- 2020
- Operation/management
- The Federal Employment Agency is responsible for the implementation of the grant.
- Eligible group(s)
- All employees
- Group(s) with preferential treatment
- The share of co-funding and wage subsidy depends on the size of the company. The share of co-funding of training costs is from 15 (for comp. > 2 500 employees) to 100% (<10 employees).
- Education and training eligible
- The qualification must take at least 160 hours, and only certified, external courses are eligible.
- Source of financing and collection mechanism
- Federal budget for the Public Employment Agency
- Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
- The co-funding share depends on the size of the company. In micro enterprises (< 10 employees) 100% of co-funding is provided; in SMEs (< 250 employees) it is 75%. The share of wage subsidy is from 25 to 75%.
- Eligible costs
- Fees and wage subsidy
- Volumes of funding
- Not available
- Beneficiaries/take up
- Not available
- Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
- Federal Employment Agency
- Most relevant webpage - in English
- Not available
- Most relevant webpage - local language
- https://www.bmas.de/DE/Service/Gesetze-und-Gesetzesvorhaben/qualifizier….
- Recent changes
In October 2020 the Gesetz zur Förderung der beruflichenWeiterbildung im Strukturwandel undzur Weiterentwicklung der Ausbildungsförderung („Arbeit-von-morgen-Gesetz“) further enlarged the scope of the incentive by providing funding to those employees whose employment can only be guaranteed with further training, employees that are affected by the structural change.
Recent changes in response to COVID-19
No changes
- Sources
- https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/datei/flyer-weiterbildung-qualifizierungs…
- https://www.bgbl.de/xaver/bgbl/start.xav?startbk=Bundesanzeiger_BGBl&ju…
- https://www.ibb.com/fileadmin/uploads/White_Paper_-_Qualifizierungschan…
- Short description
- Short description of the related instruments
- Level of operation
- Name of a part of the country
- Name of the region (for regional instruments)
- Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
- Relevance
- Legal basis
- Objective(s) and target(s)
- Year of implementation
- Year of latest amendment
- Operation/management
- Eligible group(s)
- Group(s) with preferential treatment
- Education and training eligible
- Source of financing and collection mechanism
- Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
- Eligible costs
- Volumes of funding
- Beneficiaries/take up
- Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
- Most relevant webpage - in English
- Most relevant webpage - local language
- Recent changes
- Sources