Who is entitled to a qualification allowance?

The Qualification Opportunities Act, introduced by the Federal Employment Agency, aims to promote further vocational training in Germany. It offers benefits to both employees and employers. Employees can acquire new skills through the Act, while employers benefit from financial relief. This includes subsidies for wages during further training and up to 100% state funding. These measures make it easier to adapt to the demands of a constantly changing labor market. The Qualification Opportunities Act is therefore a valuable tool for professional development and supporting the digital transformation.

The requirements for the qualification allowance

In order to qualify for the qualification allowance, certain requirements must be met, which are set out in the Qualification Opportunities Act. Here is an overview of the most important criteria

• Employment relationship: You must be in an employment relationship subject to social insurance contributions.

• Need for qualification: A need for additional qualification must be proven in order to meet the current requirements on the labor market.

• Further vocational training: The measure must be recognized as eligible for funding and approved by the employment agency.

• External qualification: The measure must be carried out by an external training provider.

• Future opportunities: The further training should sustainably improve opportunities on the labor market.

The Qualification Opportunities Act of the Employment Agency therefore offers valuable support to successfully counter structural change and increase employability. With the right qualification, you can optimally prepare yourself for the challenges of the modern working world.

Advantages for employers

The Qualification Opportunities Act offers a range of benefits for employers. Thanks to the financial support provided by the Act, companies can invest in the further training of their employees without having to bear the entire cost alone. For example, a company operating in the IT sector can have its employees trained in a data science or web development boot camp and benefit from funding of up to 100 percent.

Another advantage is the wage subsidies , which enable employers to offset salary payments during training periods. This makes it easier for companies to offer their employees further training without placing a financial burden on the company. For example, a company could receive partial salary compensation while an employee is learning new skills in AWS Cloud Computing.

With these measures, the Qualification Opportunities Act helps to master structural change and secure jobs within the company in the long term.

Regional aspects: The law in Lower Saxony

In Lower Saxony, the Qualification Opportunities Act offers specific opportunities for further vocational training. Employees here have the right to educational leave, which grants them up to five days of paid leave per year. This leave is intended for professional training, which must be approved in advance. In addition, the law specifically promotes further training for employees through the qualification allowance in order to help them adapt to structural change and secure jobs. These measures not only help to meet the challenges of the digital transformation, but also to finance further training in the tech and data sectors.