Funding Programs for Vocational Training and Education
There is now a well-developed network of counseling services and a wide range of support programs for the training and vocational qualification of immigrants, which assist both immigrants and businesses alike. Below is an initial overview of the support programs for vocational qualification and training:
Welcome Advisors – Matching Apprenticeship Positions with the Right Candidates
Across Germany, Welcome Advisors primarily assist small and medium-sized enterprises in finding, hiring, and retaining young skilled workers. In filling apprenticeship positions, they focus, among others, on young people with refugee backgrounds. The Welcome Guides visit local businesses, provide advice on the legal framework, and create job profiles tailored to the specific needs of each business. Through their extensive network of schools and many other regional and national stakeholders, the Welcome Guides can recommend suitable candidates to interested companies. They then provide companies with individualized support on bureaucratic and practical matters. In addition, they provide information on regional and national funding and support programs and assist in developing a welcoming workplace culture to ensure the long-term successful integration of refugees into the company.
The program is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
Locations of the Welcome Guides in Saxony-Anhalt as a list and as an interactive map
REGIO AKTIV Saxony-Anhalt
Regio Aktiv is a program initiated by the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health, and Equality and is implemented with funding from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). The program aims to support the labor market integration of disadvantaged individuals and to facilitate young people’s access to vocational training. The goal is to align regional labor market projects more closely with local needs. The counties and independent cities are given greater flexibility to shape these initiatives. The program comprises ten funding areas, which are implemented with varying focuses across the regions, including the following:
- Vocational integration of individuals facing particular barriers to employment: “Active Inclusion” (AE)
- Support for single parents and families living together to help with social and labor market integration “Strengthening Families – Opening Up Prospects” (FAMICO)
- Ensuring the educational and employability of young people in need of support: “STABIL – Self-Discovery – Training – Guidance – Support – Initiative – Learning” (STABIL)
- Enhancing in-school and out-of-school career guidance through supervised workplace internships (PRAXIS BO)
- Competency Agencies (KA)
Information on REGIO AKTIV and other funding areas
REGIO AKTIV is the successor program to RÜMSA—Regional Transition Management Saxony-Anhalt—of the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health, and Equality.
The following government measures and tools are designed to support young immigrants in successfully completing their vocational training:
Flexible Assisted Vocational Training (AsA flex)
The Assisted Vocational Training Flexible (AsA flex) project combines and consolidates the now-discontinued programs “Future Opportunity: Assisted Vocational Training (ZaA)” and “Training-Accompanying Support (abH).”
As part of the assisted vocational training program, young people facing difficult starting conditions and with significant support needs are assisted through appropriate preparation and intensive socio-educational support to successfully complete a standard vocational training program. The legal basis for this is Section 130 of Book III of the Social Code.
Support is provided in a holistic and individualized manner by an educational provider, which serves as the central point of contact and resource for both the young person and the training company.
The project is funded by the European Social Fund and the State of Saxony-Anhalt and is implemented in cooperation with the Federal Employment Agency.
Further information on the “Flexible Assisted Vocational Training (AsA flex)” program
Vocational Training in Non-Company-Based Facilities (BaE)
The “Vocational Training in Non-Company-Based Facilities (BaE)” program offers young people selected by the Federal Employment Agency an alternative to company-based vocational training. The target group consists of school leavers without vocational training (after completing compulsory education) as well as those who have dropped out of vocational training but wish to continue their training. The program is also open to individuals who have neither started nor successfully completed a vocational preparatory program (BvB) or an entry-level qualification (EQ).
The training contract is concluded with an educational provider, not with a company. There is no age limit for participants. Vocational training lasts a maximum of three and a half years.
There are two BaE models:
In the cooperative model, theoretical instruction takes place at the educational institution and practical training at the company. The educational institution’s teachers, trainers, and social educators support the participants throughout the entire training period. The content of the training is based on the current framework curricula for the respective occupations. The training at the educational institution is supplemented by communication training, job application coaching, social skills development, remedial and support instruction, and social-educational support.
The BaE’s integrative model is designed for people with learning disabilities or those from disadvantaged backgrounds who, due to cognitive or social deficits, require special support to successfully complete a vocational training program. The training takes place at the educational provider and is supplemented by internships at companies. Additional language courses are also provided for immigrants.
The costs of participating in the training program are covered by the referring agency (BA or Jobcenter). Participants are entitled to a training stipend and are covered by social insurance.
Since August 1, 2019, both individuals with a residence permit and those with a temporary stay permit have been excluded from this program without exception (see “Vocational Training Support for Refugees” from the IQ Immigration Resource Center).
However, third-country nationals with a residence permit, a settlement permit, an EU Blue Card, or a permit for permanent residence in the EU may participate in the BaE without restrictions or a waiting period.
You can find more information about secondary school education opportunities and higher education in the “Career Orientation” sectionCareer Guidance.
Additional Information on Vocational Education and Training for Immigrants
The following resources provide an overview of potential support projects and programs aimed at integrating immigrants into vocational training. However, they are not intended to—and cannot—replace individualized, in-depth counseling. This is especially true when it comes to finding out which funding opportunities the target group is eligible for. To do so, it is best to contact the specialist at the Federal Employment Agency or the Job Center who is responsible for your case.
The table from the IQ Immigration Resource Center shows which vocational training support programs refugees have access to, depending on their residency status.
The IQ Network Lower Saxony explains in its guide “Vocational Training Support for Refugees” what options for vocational training support are available to refugees, depending on their residency status.
In a fact sheet titled “Migration Package: Improvements for Persons Granted Temporary Residence and Tolerated Persons,” the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs summarizes which provisions of the migration package have a positive impact on the situation of persons granted temporary residence and tolerated persons.
The fact sheet “Revised Access for Foreign Nationals to Vocational Training and Training Preparation Support” —also published by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs—presents the newly structured access to vocational training support for foreign nationals under the Act on the Promotion of Employment of Foreign Nationals.
The Immigration Unit within the “Integration through Qualification (IQ)” support program provides a detailed and clear summary of all changes resulting from the migration package in its guide, “Overview of Currently Planned Changes in the So-Called ‘Migration Package’ and Other Draft Legislation.”
The “Businesses Integrate Refugees” network also presents an overview of the new regulations and laws under the Migration Package in its publication “Brief Overview of the Migration Package.” It focuses specifically on information relevant to businesses regarding the training and employment of refugees and foreign skilled workers.
In its guide “Overview of Training Support for Migrants with Temporary Residence Permits and Tolerated Status as of August 1, 2019,” the IQ Network Lower Saxony explains in detail the conditions under which people with tolerated status or temporary residence permits have access to certain forms of training support.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building, and Community provides information in its guide “Application Guidelines for the Skilled Workers Immigration Act” regarding the amendments to the Residence Act that were enacted as part of the Skilled Workers Immigration Act.
The city of Halle has published an overview of labor market policy programs and idea competitions on its website, listing the labor market projects available in Halle and the target groups for which they are intended. This includes the project “Active Integration for People with a Migration Background.”
In its guide “Access to Vocational Training and Training Support Benefits for Young Refugees and New Immigrants,” the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband provides an overview of existing support instruments and training support benefits for refugees and EU citizens. Among other things, the guide addresses the immigration law requirements for training support depending on residence status.