Education bonus

Name of the instrument - Local language: Bildungsprämie
Name of the instrument - English translation: Education bonus
Country: Germany
Type of instrument: Grant for individuals
Type of entry: Single instrument

Short description: The scheme shows a broad approach. Specific, vulnerable groups are eligible to receive State funding to cover part of their education and training costs. A person needs to be 25 years or older, employed 15 hours or more per week, have an income of a maximum of EUR 20 000 per year (individual) or EUR 40 000 per year (household income) to be eligible to apply for the grant. The public co-funding is 50% of education and training costs.
Short description of the related instruments: nap

Level of operation

National

Name of a part of the country

nap

Name of the region (for regional instruments)

nap

Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)

nap

Relevance

Key scheme

Legal basis

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung: Richtlinie zur Förderung von Prämiengutscheinen und Beratungsleistungen im Rahmen des Bundesprogramms „Bildungsprämie“ (Federal Ministry of Education and Research: Directive on the promotion of education vouchers and advisory services under the federal program "education bonus");
allgemeine Verwaltungsvorschriften zu §§ 23, 44 Bundeshaushaltsordnung (BHO) (general administrative regulations under §§ 23 and 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO))
+ for the savings version: Vermögensbildungsgesetz (VermBG) (act on capital accumulation)

Objective(s) and target(s)

To support working persons who want to further improve their chances in their professions - especially those who previously could not bear the cost of training easily because of their low income.

Year of implementation

2008

Year of latest amendment

2014

Operation/Management

The scheme is governed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The funding is based on the financial resources available in the framework of the ESF-funding period 2014-2020. Contributions to training providers who accept these vouchers are granted through project funding as a proportion of funding for further training or testing. The grant is 50% of the course fees up to a maximum amount of EUR 500 per voucher.

Eligible group(s)

Age: 25 or older; employed: 15 hours or more employed per week; with income not above EUR 20 000 EUR per year per individual or EUR 40 000 per household

Group(s) with preferential treatment

None

Education and training eligible

Education and training corresponding to professional interests of the applicant, not necessarily related to the current job.

Source of financing and collection mechanism

Public funding: Federal budget (50% of public support) European Social Fund (50% of public support)
matching: individual

Financing formula and allocation mechanisms

Public funding: 50% of eligible costs up to a maximum amount of EUR 500 per voucher.

Allocation: Contributions to training providers who accept these vouchers are granted through project funding as a proportion of funding for further training or testing. Vouchers can be reimbursed only after completion of the training.

Eligible costs

Fees

Frequency of the use

Specific rules/conditions for reuse

Volumes of funding

In 2011, a budget of EUR 14 700 000 was available

Beneficiaries/take up

In 2014, 95 424 beneficiaries were funded by the scheme. In 2013, 63 340 training vouchers were distributed.

The following figures are available for the period from 2009 to 2011:

2011:
male: 26,7%, female: 73,3%
age: <25 11,9%, 25 to <35 31,8%, 35 to <45 29,3%, 45 to <55 22,5%, 55+ 4,5%
ISCED 1-2: 2.9%, ISCED 3-4: 65,9%, ISCED 5-6 31,2%
(technical) university degree: 27,6%, master: 3,6%, workplace/school: 66,5%

2010:
male: 50,7%, female: 49,3%
age: <25 13,1%, 25 to <35 21,6%, 35 to <45 26%, 45 to <55 23,1%, 55+ 16,3%
ISCED 1-2: 12,3%, ISCED 3-4: 69,1%, ISCED 5-6: 18,6%
(technical) university degree: 13,4%, master: 5,7%, workplace/school: 66,4%

2009
male: 49,8%, female: 50,2%
age: <25 16,5%, 25 to <35 21,9%, 35 to <45 23,3%, 45 to <55 20,9%, 55+ 17,3%
ISCED 1-2: 14,9%, ISCED 3-4: 68,3%, ISCED 5-6: 16,8%
(technical) university degree: 12,2%, master: 5,4%, workplace/school: 65,6%

Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation

Federal Ministry for Education and Research.

Monitoring/evaluation reports available

RWI (2012), Datenmonitoring und Evaluation des Programms „Bildungsprämie“ - Endbericht 2012. RWI Projektberichte download
2011
RWI (2011), Datenmonitoring und Evaluation des Programms „Bildungsprämie“ – Zwischenbericht 2011. RWI Projektberichte
2010
RWI (2010), Datenmonitoring und Evaluation des Programms „Bildungsprämie“ – Zwischenbericht 2010. RWI Projektberichte
Project: Data monitoring and evaluation of the program ""education premium""
Project duration 09/2009 - 12/2012 (completed)
Project Funding Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Project Team (RWI)
Dr. Marcus Tamm (Director), Dr. Katja Görlitz
Cooperation
GIB, insf a
Summary
The evaluation of the scheme covers four main areas of responsibility. (I) The achievement of the program (output) (II) The evaluation of the program design and implementation, attractiveness and accessibility of the program (III) The impact analysis aims to answer the question whether the program leads to a mobilization of workers to participate in professional development and what effect the program has on the professional and personal benefit of participants (IV) As part of the evaluation there are accompanying concrete recommendations for improving the conduct and implementation, as well as insights for the decision on the continuation of the program. Http://www.rwi-essen.de/forschung-und-beratung/arbeitsmaerkte-bildung-bevoelke…

Most relevant webpage - in English

Most relevant webpage - local language

http://bildungspraemie.info

Sources

http://bildungspraemie.info/ (08.04.2015)

Richtlinie zur Förderung von Prämiengutscheinen und Beratungsleistungen im Rahmen des Bundesprogramms „Bildungsprämie“ (Federal Ministry of Education and Research: Directive on the promotion of edcuation vouchers and advisory services under the federal program "education bonus"), 9 May 2014, Online: http://bildungspraemie.info/_medien/downloads/BiP_RL_3_Phase.pdf (08.04.2015)

RWI (2012), Datenmonitoring und Evaluation des Programms „Bildungsprämie“ - Endbericht 2012. RWI Projektberichte download

RWI (2011), Datenmonitoring und Evaluation des Programms „Bildungsprämie“ – Zwischenbericht 2011. RWI Projektberichte

RWI (2010), Datenmonitoring und Evaluation des Programms „Bildungsprämie“ – Zwischenbericht 2010. RWI Projektberichte