Applying for an AVGS: how to get it and how long it is valid

You have heard about a coaching paid for with an AVGS and wonder how to get the voucher? The good news: there is no complicated form. The less good news: one click in the online portal is not enough either. You apply for an AVGS in a meeting with your adviser. In this article we show who gets the voucher, how to prepare for the meeting, how long the voucher is valid and what it is worth.

First: this article is not legal advice. Whether you receive an AVGS is decided solely by the office that looks after you.

The short answer

• Responsible is the employment agency or, if you receive basic income support, the job centre.
• You apply in the advisory meeting. You name a specific coaching and explain how it helps you find work.
• Valid for as long as printed on the voucher. It can be limited in time and to a region.
• Paid directly between the office and the provider. You pay nothing.

What the AVGS is and how it differs from the education voucher is explained on our page on AVGS coaching and in the article AVGS or education voucher.

Who gets an AVGS?

The legal basis is § 45 SGB III. Support can be given to people seeking training, jobseekers at risk of unemployment and unemployed people. The coaching must support your return to work, for example by bringing you closer to the labour market, reducing obstacles to placement, preparing you for self-employment or stabilising a new job.

"Can" means the office decides at its discretion. Under § 45 (5) it should consider your suitability, your personal circumstances and what is available locally. Unemployment benefit is not a requirement. If you receive basic income support, the same rules apply via § 16 SGB II, and the job centre issues the voucher. Which office is responsible for you is explained in the article Job centre or employment agency.

The one case with an entitlement

The law names a real legal entitlement in one place only. Under § 45 (7) SGB III you are entitled to an AVGS for private job placement if

• you are entitled to unemployment benefit and
• after six weeks of unemployment within three months you have not yet been placed.

Time spent in an activation measure or in further training does not count towards this period. The entitlement does not apply to a coaching with a provider; there it remains a discretionary decision.

How to apply for an AVGS in five steps

1. Choose a suitable coaching

Bring a specific offer to the meeting, not just the wish for "a coaching". It must be approved under § 179 SGB III, that is, hold an AZAV approval. Note the title, provider, content, duration and, if available, the programme number. We are happy to help you find a suitable, approved offer.

2. Arrange an appointment with your adviser

If you have an appointment coming up anyway, use it. Otherwise ask for a meeting in writing, through the online mailbox or a message to your adviser. State the reason in the message so your adviser can prepare.

3. Explain why the coaching helps you

This is the most important part. The office asks itself: will this coaching get you into work faster? Good reasons are specific:

• A clear goal. Which job or field are you aiming for?
• A visible gap. What has been missing so far: application documents that do not convince, nerves in interviews, a return after a long break, a plan for self-employment?
• The link to the offer. Why exactly this coaching closes the gap.

If you can document rejections or feedback from employers, bring them.

4. Check the voucher

If the AVGS is approved, the office sets the goal and content of the measure under § 45 (4). Check on the voucher whether the goal matches your coaching, which region is entered and until when it is valid. For coachings with a provider, the so-called AVGS-MAT is the usual type.

5. Hand the AVGS to the provider before the start

The provider must present the voucher to the office before the measure begins (§ 45 (4)). So hand it in before the coaching starts, not at the first session. Billing then runs directly between provider and office.

How long is an AVGS valid?

There is no uniform legal deadline. § 45 (4) SGB III allows the office to limit the voucher in time and restrict it to a region. The actual deadline and region are on your voucher.

Three things to know:

• The start date counts. Hand the voucher to the provider within the deadline so the coaching can start on time.
• Expired does not mean lost. You can ask your adviser for a new voucher. Explain why it has not worked so far, for example because no suitable date was available.
• If you move, the region entered may no longer fit. Talk to the newly responsible office.

How much is an AVGS worth?

For a coaching with a provider, the AVGS has no fixed cash value. Under § 45 (1) the office covers the reasonable costs of taking part. What is reasonable is set by § 179 (2) SGB III: costs are based on average cost rates determined by the Federal Employment Agency. The approval body checks this before a coaching is approved at all.

For you this means: you pay nothing, and no money is paid out to you. The voucher is a cost commitment to the provider.

The law names fixed amounts only for private job placement: for a successful placement into a job subject to social insurance, the placement agency receives 2,500 euros, or up to 3,000 euros for long-term unemployed people and people with disabilities (§ 45 (6)). It is paid in two instalments, after six weeks and after six months of employment.

Rejected: what you can do

If the office rejects the AVGS, first ask for the reason. Often the explanation can be sharpened, or another coaching fits the goal better.

If you receive a written decision, you can file an objection within one month (§ 84 SGG), in writing or recorded in person at the office that decided. Because the AVGS is a discretionary benefit, an objection has the best chance if the office did not fully consider your situation. How such an objection is structured is shown, using the education voucher as an example, in the article Education voucher rejected. The steps can be applied to the AVGS.

What you can do now

First choose an approved coaching that fits your goal. Write down in two or three sentences why it helps you. Take both to the meeting with your adviser.

We help you choose and prepare for the meeting. Our short funding check also shows whether an AVGS could be an option for you. You can request an appointment here.