AZAV-certifiedEducation voucher
Business administration: commercial basics
Course code KB-6697
View detailsBusiness basics training with an education voucher
Learn commercial basics online: business studies, accounting, HR and law. Can be funded with an education voucher, and our advice is free of charge.
If you want to work in an office, in administration or in a small business, you need a basic understanding of how a company works. The training in this area is for people without a commercial apprenticeship, for career changers and for self-employed people who want to understand how a business calculates, plans and manages staff. It also suits you if you are returning to office work after a longer break and want to refresh your knowledge.
At the moment you will find the distance learning course “Business administration: commercial basics” here. It covers the basics of business studies, accounting and controlling, finance and investment, marketing and sales, human resources and employment law, and the legal and tax basics. You learn online at your own pace with support from tutors. The course takes about 10 weeks full time or 21 weeks part time. It is approved by the German Central Office for Distance Learning (ZFU), and at the end you receive a certificate from the training provider.
The course is AZAV certified and can be funded with an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein) under § 81 SGB III. Whether you get a voucher is decided case by case by your employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit), since 2025 also if you are supported by a Jobcenter. If you are employed, funding under the Qualifizierungschancengesetz may be an option. Our advice is free: we check with you whether the course fits your goal and help you prepare for the meeting with your adviser.
What to look for when choosing a course
- Check your German: the course requires at least level B1, because it uses many technical terms from law and accounting.
- Plan for self-study: in a distance learning course you mostly learn on your own with tutor support, not in fixed live sessions. Fixed study times in your week help.
- Choose the right schedule: full time takes about 10 weeks, part time about 21 weeks. Decide in advance what fits your situation.
- Know what the certificate is: you receive a certificate from the training provider. It does not replace a commercial apprenticeship with a chamber exam.
Frequently asked questions about this area
Do I need prior knowledge for the commercial basics course?
No, you do not need a commercial apprenticeship. The course is explicitly aimed at working people without a business background, self-employed people and career changers. You need to be at least 18, speak good German at level B1 or higher and have a computer with internet access. An interest in business and analytical thinking make it easier, for example in accounting and controlling.
What does the ZFU approval mean?
Distance learning courses in Germany need approval from the Central Office for Distance Learning (ZFU). The ZFU checks, among other things, the content, structure and contract terms of the course. So the approval tells you something about the quality of the course. What you receive at the end is a certificate from the training provider, not a state vocational qualification.
Is the course also suitable for self-employed people or founders?
Yes, self-employed people are part of the target group, because finance, tax and staff matter in your own business too. You are typically eligible for an education voucher if you are registered as unemployed or looking for work. If you want to start a business after unemployment, a start-up coaching funded by AVGS can be a useful addition. We are happy to talk this through with you.