Educational leave in NRW is regulated by the Educational Leave Act, which grants employees the right to paid leave for further training measures. This means that you continue to receive your salary during your educational leave and can therefore concentrate fully on your further training.

The opportunities for educational leave in NRW are diverse and range from language courses and personal development to specialist further training programmes. Especially for those who are looking for a career in the IT and tech sector, there are numerous further training opportunities to develop further in this fast-moving and innovative field.

Fancy discovering something new for 5 days?

Employees can apply for educational leave for professional training courses lasting at least 3 days at a time or 5 days at weekly intervals. The courses must comprise at least 6 teaching hours per day in order to fulfil the requirements for educational leave.
An important restriction is that the location of the training course must not be more than 500 kilometres from the state border of NRW.

However, employees should note that the specific regulations on educational leave may vary depending on the federal state. It is therefore advisable to find out in advance about the specific legal provisions and requirements in NRW and, if necessary, to communicate with the employer in good time about planning and applying for educational leave.

Everything important at a glance

• Apply in good time: The application must be submitted to the employer at least 6 weeks before the start of the course

• Legal requirements: It is important to know and comply with the legal requirements for educational leave in your federal state. The regulations can vary depending on the federal state, so employees should find out about the specific regulations in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

• Suitable further training measures: Employees should carefully check whether the further training measure they have chosen fulfils the requirements for educational leave. This includes criteria such as the duration of the event, the number of teaching hours per day and the focus of the content on vocational or political education.

• Choice of training provider: It is advisable to choose a reputable and qualified training provider that offers recognised courses and seminars that meet the requirements for educational leave.

• Costs and financing: Employees should be aware of the costs of the training programme and, if necessary, clarify whether their employer is prepared to cover the costs or finance part of them.

• Documentation: It is advisable to keep all relevant documents and evidence relating to educational leave in a safe place so that you can provide evidence to your employer if required.

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