- 2015Implementation
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- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
Disadvantaged young people, school leavers without a graduation certificate and young people from difficult social backgrounds usually have great difficulties in entering training and employment. They often lack not only the necessary knowledge, skills and motivation, but also the social skills needed to meet the requirements of an apprenticeship or job. For their social and vocational integration, they therefore usually require intensive educational and vocational counselling as well as socio-pedagogical support.
A number of federal, state and municipal programmes, as well as numerous initiatives and projects, address these special needs. The standard support instruments are anchored in the Social Code (SGB). Despite a broad and increasingly differentiated range of instruments of employment promotion (SGB III), integration services (SGB II) and socio-educational aids for socially disadvantaged and individually disabled young people (SGB VIII), the NEET rate shows that a significant group of young people are not always reached by the offers of the social benefits system.
Objectives
In view of the diversity of potential issues arising at the transition from school to work, it is all the more important that the various service providers (e.g. youth social work; VET guidance) coordinate their services with each other and provide joint support to the individual young person. This can prevent young people from being overwhelmed in dealing with the separate services or even getting lost on the way from one contact person to another. The two following initiatives are based on the cooperation between youth social work and VET and labour market integration services:
- the aim of the Youth employment agencies (Jugendberufsagentur, JBA) is to provide a local one-stop-shop for young people, bundling all youth support services at the transition between school and work, including vocational guidance and individual social support, also during training.
- for those not reached by these measures, the aim of the project RESPEKT is to reach out and provide services that build personal, long-term relationships with the young, creating trust and security and paving the way for a continuous and sustainable path to education and work. Support may also be needed for housing, homelessness, the family situation and care, the financial situation and regional mobility.
Description
To provide young people with the best possible one-stop support in the transition from school to work, local alliances known as JBA have been established in many places since 2011 (first in Hamburg but ten years later widespread in Germany with more than 350 agencies). This is where the various players responsible for vocational guidance and social support coordinate their efforts at the regional and local level. The alliances that have been established vary greatly. It takes time to work out the best approach for one's own alliance and to coordinate the various players (including for example schools, chambers, youth migration services, employer organisations).
Although the legal responsibilities remain with the individual legal entities (employment agency, job centre and youth welfare office), they can coordinate with each other more easily and jointly find the best support options for the young people. The question of responsibility no longer has to be clarified by the young people themselves. The key actors of the Youth employment agencies are the Federal ministry of labour and social affairs (BMAS), the Federal youth ministry (BMFSFJ), the Federal employment agency (BA), the German county association, the Association of German cities, and the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), which hosts the JBA service point since 2019.
For those not reached by these measures, the RESPEKT pilot programme...
To provide young people with the best possible one-stop support in the transition from school to work, local alliances known as JBA have been established in many places since 2011 (first in Hamburg but ten years later widespread in Germany with more than 350 agencies). This is where the various players responsible for vocational guidance and social support coordinate their efforts at the regional and local level. The alliances that have been established vary greatly. It takes time to work out the best approach for one's own alliance and to coordinate the various players (including for example schools, chambers, youth migration services, employer organisations).
Although the legal responsibilities remain with the individual legal entities (employment agency, job centre and youth welfare office), they can coordinate with each other more easily and jointly find the best support options for the young people. The question of responsibility no longer has to be clarified by the young people themselves. The key actors of the Youth employment agencies are the Federal ministry of labour and social affairs (BMAS), the Federal youth ministry (BMFSFJ), the Federal employment agency (BA), the German county association, the Association of German cities, and the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), which hosts the JBA service point since 2019.
For those not reached by these measures, the RESPEKT pilot programme (2015-18) and the anchoring of such an approach in the Social Code in 2019 (§ 16h SGB II) has expanded the range of services provided by the Social Code SGB II with additional service components and methods. The Cooperation association for youth social work, the Welfare umbrella organisation, the Association of German Cities and the German County Association are partner organisations in these projects. The pilot programme RESPEKT focused on disadvantaged young people (aged 15-25) who needed low-threshold social support to manage reintegration into school or VET, particularly young people who were not or no longer reached by regular education/social/employment services. The project funded 18 projects from November 2015 to December 2017. The BMAS extended the funding of the projects until 31 December 2018.
Under the leadership of the BMFSFJ, the Federal Government has developed a youth strategy together with all ministries in 2019. This explicitly mentions the further development of youth employment agencies as an important measure to be able to support young people at the transition from school to work in a more targeted and holistic way.
In 2019, about 6 000 young people took part in a measure pursuant to § 16h of the Social Code II (SGB II; support to disconnected youth, based on the pilot programme RESPEKT) according to statistics of the Federal Employment Agency.
From 2020, the formation and work of youth employment agencies is to be supported by a national service point, which has been set up by the BMAS and is based at the BIBB. Its central task is to establish a nationwide support structure for cross-jurisdictional cooperation in the transition from school to work. In this way, it shall promote the formation of youth employment agencies as well as support their qualitative development.
The article Regional transition management: establishing youth employment agencies in rural and urban districts - experiences in Saxony-Anhalt illustrates how this type of cooperation across legal entities can also be effectively established across an entire federal state and not only in major cities. It presents the latest status of implementation and the conditions necessary for success. Local institutions must be integrated and due consideration must be accorded to specific regional circumstances (BIBB journal BWP 04/2020).
The Rehadat database offers a list of addresses and websites of youth employment agencies, sorted by federal states. The database is an information service of the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW Köln).
In 2020, according to the statistics of the BA, about 7 100 young people took part in a measure pursuant to § 16h of the Social Code II (SGB II; support to disconnected youth, based on the pilot programme RESPEKT) according to statistics of the BA.
In October 2020, the research institute of the Federal Employment Agency (IAB) published a study on Integrating hard-to-reach young people in basic benefits - a success story? (German only). The authors conclude that the measures pursuant to § 16h of the Social Code II (SGB II), which offer low-threshold social work via direct contacts to reach young people, who previously slipped through the welfare State cracks, are a viable approach. It is thus an important addition to the traditional range of measures in the area of basic welfare. With the waning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the corresponding measures should be promoted again.
In 2021, the national service point at BIBB expanded its online offer: an information portal, a communication platform, publications and a calendar of events with a selection of dates related to the topics of the youth employment agencies.
Joint working within youth employment agencies also requires a joint IT system. Such a system was developed by the Federal Employment Agency in close coordination with the BMAS, the Association of German cities and the German county association. YouConnect can now support the exchange of information with the consent of young people.
Further, in 2021 a self-assessment procedure was developed for the youth employment agencies. Through self-assessment, the cooperation partners of a youth employment agency can determine where they are already well positioned and where they see development prospects. In addition to the Employment Agency, the Job Centre and the local public youth welfare agency, other stakeholders, such as general and vocational schools, can participate in the self-assessment if they are involved as cooperation partners in the youth employment agency.
Regarding the support for disconnected youth, the article The support of hard-to-reach young people according to the §16h of the Social Code II (SGB II) - First experiences from Saxony-Anhalt was published (f-bb-Working Paper 01/21). Further, the Cooperation association for youth social work published a position paper: Reaching (almost) 'lost' youth! What the new federal government can do! Necessary offers for young people to overcome the consequences of the Corona pandemic at the transition from school to work (11/2021).
In 2022, with the results of the Survey on cross-jurisdictional cooperation alliances in the transition from school to work, the national service point at BIBB for youth employment agencies presents an overview of the state of development regarding the introduction of youth employment agencies in a total of 400 counties and cities nationwide. The survey was conducted in summer 2021 and its results were published in 2022.
In 2022, the cooperation association for youth social work published its specialised journal DREIZEHN in May and November. The journal provides a forum for the concerns of young people with difficult framework conditions in society. The focus is on increasing public awareness and improving social and vocational integration. Current topics of youth social work and youth welfare are taken up in the journal and their social, political as well as pedagogical relevance for practice is shown. The aim is to promote discourse with political decision-makers and to present successful examples of a coordinated support system.
In 2023, the service point at BIBB continued to support JBA by organising events and networking, sharing information and publishing articles on its website, e.g. an article on the role the JBA could play to design and implement the new training guarantee (coming into force in April 2024) on a regional basis (see Enggruber / Neises, BIBBreport, November 2023).
According to the BA statistics, around 10 000 participants entered a measure under Section 16h of the Social Code II (SGB II) in 2023.
In 2024, the service point at BIBB continued to support JBA by organising events and networking, sharing information and publishing articles on its website. For example, the JBA team in BIBB published in July 2024 an online article on the fundamental aspects of cross-jurisdictional and interdisciplinary cooperation of JBAs. Another example of publication in April 2024 is the final evaluation report of the Berlin JBA which summarises the results of the evaluation period from March 2021 to December 2023 and provides an overview of the aspects for which there is a need for action. For example, the feedback surveys among JBA users and staff need to be implemented as evaluation tools throughout Berlin. Further, an agreement on standardised quality criteria for joint case consultations is necessary from the perspective of the stakeholders and the external evaluation.
The service point organised in Berlin on 26-27 November 2024 a nationwide symposium (around 350 participants) with the aim of providing a forum for stakeholders in and around youth employment agencies to exchange ideas and meet in person. Lectures, interviews, themed forums and practical reports will shed light on various aspects of cross-jurisdictional and interdisciplinary cooperation. Federal Labour Minister Hubertus Heil will open the event.
The new BMBF Startchancen programme provides targeted support to schools with a high proportion of socially disadvantaged learners, including vocational schools - especially those providing pre-VET programmes. The federal and state governments are jointly investing around EUR 20 billion over ten years in this programme. With the Startchancen programme, the federal and state governments want to decouple educational success from social background and ensure greater equality of opportunity. It is not just about financial support, but also about systemic changes and strengthening the performance of the education system. The first Startchancen schools have been selected in all 16 federal states. A total of 2 125 schools have started on 1 August 2024, which is more than twice as many as originally planned. By the 2026/27 school year, it is foreseen to have around 4 000 Startchancen schools throughout Germany.
Bodies responsible
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
- Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB)
- Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)
- Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)
- Federal Employment Agency (BA)
- Association of German Cities (Deutscher Städtetag)
- German County Association (Deutscher Landkreistag, DLT)
- Cooperation association for youth social work
- Welfare umbrella organisation
Target groups
Learners
- Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
- Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)
Entities providing VET
- Companies
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET promoting equality of opportunities
Osnabrück Declaration
- Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Cooperation among stakeholders to facilitate transition from school to work: Germany. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28131