Qualifications Opportunities Act

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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.

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
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…
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