- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
Some training companies are too specialised or too small to be able to cover all relevant training content and to ensure the material and personnel training requirements. They can supplement their own training with training measures from outside their own company, such as the inter-company apprenticeship training (Überbetriebliche Lehrlingsunterweisung, ÜLU) in crafts. The Federal Government has been promoting the implementation of ÜLU since the early 1950s.
Objectives
Some companies refrain from creating an apprenticeship place. Other companies lack the time in their daily work to deal intensively with their apprentices. The number of training place and quality of the vocational education and training (VET) suffers as a result. Inter-company apprenticeship training (ÜLU) is one solution. The offer complements and supports the training provided by the companies. In this way, the motivation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to offer training places is strengthened and the quality of training is optimised.
Description
The Federal Government provides subsidies of around EUR 50 million annually for the inter-company apprenticeship training (ÜLU), making a contribution to the course and accommodation costs for apprentices from the second year of training onwards. The current funding guidelines allow a subsidy of up to one third of the course costs and up to half of the accommodation costs. The assessment basis for the federal funding lump sums is based on the determined average cost rates of the courses. The Federal States and the skilled crafts sector also contribute to the financing of ÜLU. As a rule, the Federal States are guided by the Federal Government's funding.
In a position paper of the ZDH from 2020, the current funding guidelines are noted as insufficient. The share of funding by the Federal Government and the Federal States is considered to be far below the possible limit. As a result, the training companies have borne 60% of the costs for the ÜLU courses in the training centres of the craft organisations.
In 2021, the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) was able to extend funding for another 4 years until 2024. Similarly, the funding for ÜLU was increased from a total of around EUR 50 million to around EUR 60 million. This made it possible to increase the flat rate funding for ÜLU in 2021 to take account of cost increases. In 2021, the Federal Government raised the flat rate subsidies for ÜLU to take account of cost increases and extended the funding until the end of 2024. This additional relief for training companies from the costs of ÜLU is a particularly important signal during the COVID-19 crisis to maintain and strengthen the willingness to provide training. This applies all the more as the economy will be permanently dependent on more apprentices and skilled workers after the COVID-19 pandemic and in view of challenges such as digitalisation and climate protection.
In 2022, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is increasing its funding for ÜLU by around EUR 7 million as part of the North Rhine-Westphalia Skilled Workers Offensive.
In 2023, the ÜLU remained an important part of VET in the craft sector. In 2023, 52 350 training programmes with 445 387 participants were funded.
In 2024, the ÜLU remained an important part of VET in the craft sector, taking place in approximately 600 inter-company vocational training centres. The current funding guidelines apply to training courses that are completed by 31 December 2024.
Bodies responsible
- Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
- Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) (until December 2021)
- German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH)
- Federal States (Länder)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
Entities providing VET
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
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 ways VET is funded at the system level. Policies include optimisation of VET provider funding that allows them to adapt their offer to changing skill needs, green and digital transitions, the social agenda and economic cycles, e.g. increasing the funding for VET or for specific programmes. They can also concern changing the mechanism of how the funding is allocated to VET schools (per capita vs based on achievement or other criteria). Using EU funds and financial instruments for development of VET and skills also falls into this sub-category.
Modernising VET infrastructure
This thematic category looks at how VET schools and companies providing VET are supported to update and upgrade their physical infrastructure for teaching and learning, including digital and green technologies, so that learners in all VET programmes and specialities have access to state-of-the-art equipment and are able to acquire relevant and up-to-date vocational and technical skills and competences. Modernising infrastructure in remote and rural areas increases the inclusiveness of VET and LLL.
This thematic sub-category refers to measures for modernising physical infrastructure, equipment and technology needed to acquire vocational skills in VET schools and institutions that provide CVET or adult learning, including VET school workshops and labs.
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category covers all developments related to work-based learning (WBL) elements in VET programmes and apprenticeships which continue to be important in the policy agenda. It includes measures to stabilise the offer of apprenticeships, the implementation of the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships, and using the EU on-demand support services and policy learning initiatives among the Member States. It also covers further expansion of apprenticeships and WBL to continuing VET (CVET), for transition to work and inclusion of vulnerable groups, and for improving citizens’ qualification levels.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Support for inter-company apprenticeship training (ÜLU): 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/41830