Funding check: which funding fits you?

Unemployed in the legal sense means you work less than 15 hours a week and are looking for a job (§ 138 SGB III). A mini job under 15 hours does not change that. You only receive unemployment benefit if you have also registered as unemployed.

Basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld) has been the name since 01.07.2026 for the benefit formerly called Bürgergeld. Choose this answer even if you work and receive top up payments from the Jobcenter.

No benefits: Even without a claim to money you can register as unemployed or as a jobseeker with the employment agency. After that, training can be funded in the same way.

The job is ending means: you have received notice, your fixed term contract is running out, you have signed a termination agreement or the company is closing. Then you count as threatened with unemployment.

Training courses: Our partners offer more than 40 online courses, from media and design to IT, data and AI, healthcare, childcare and project management. You learn live in virtual classes or in a supervised distance course and receive a certificate from the training provider at the end. The courses are taught in German.

Coachings take place one to one with a coach, usually twice a week for 90 minutes each, over several weeks. They help you find a career goal, prepare applications or plan a business. They are paid for with the activation and placement voucher (AVGS).

Not on offer are retraining programmes leading to a vocational qualification and degree programmes. This check is not designed for those.

The fields match our course finder. You will see exactly which courses are behind them in the result, with duration, course code and requirements.

Some courses require prior knowledge, for example the data courses a degree with mathematics or experience with data. This is shown in the result directly next to the course.

A course with 10 weeks full time takes about 20 weeks part time. The content and certificate are the same.

Part time suits you if you look after children, care for a relative or work alongside. Whether part time is funded for you, discuss with your adviser at the employment agency.

B1 means: you understand the main points when people speak clearly, can talk about work and everyday life and write simple texts. B2 means: you also understand longer specialist texts and can talk spontaneously and fluently.

Most courses require B1, some B2. The coachings are available in German or English.

If your German is not good enough yet, ask the employment agency or the Jobcenter about a job related German course (Berufssprachkurs). After that, the way into a training course is much easier.

The services of the employment agency and the Jobcenter generally require a place of residence or habitual stay in Germany.

If you live in a neighbouring country and work in Germany, in case of unemployment you are usually assigned to the employment services of your country of residence. Clarify this first before planning a course.

If your health is the reason for the change, vocational rehabilitation may come into question, officially benefits for participation in working life (§ 49 SGB IX). This can include a training course, and during the measure there is often a transitional allowance.

Usually the German pension insurance is responsible if you have been insured for 15 years (§ 11 SGB VI). Otherwise it is often the employment agency, after an accident at work the accident insurance.

You do not have to clarify this beforehand: an application made to the wrong body is forwarded (§ 14 SGB IX). A medical certificate helps.

The whole company counts, in a group of companies possibly the whole group. Part time staff count proportionally: up to 10 hours a week as 0.25, up to 20 hours as 0.5, up to 30 hours as 0.75 (§ 82 Abs. 6 SGB III).

Fewer than 50: your employer should not contribute to the course fees. 50 to 499: usually half. 500 or more: usually three quarters (§ 82 Abs. 2 SGB III).

In companies with fewer than 500 employees the employer should not contribute to the course fees if you are 45 or older or severely disabled when the course starts (§ 82 Abs. 2 SGB III). Then the employment agency usually pays the course fees in full.

For employees, the last qualification should generally be at least two years ago (§ 82 Abs. 1 SGB III). Exceptions are possible, the employment agency decides case by case.

Without a vocational qualification the funding for employees is particularly good: your employer can be reimbursed up to your full salary for the course hours (§ 82 Abs. 3 SGB III).

Anyone who has already received such funding in the last two years only qualifies again after that (§ 82 Abs. 1 SGB III). Funding during a period of unemployment does not count here.

The funding is intended for training within an ongoing employment relationship. Your employer releases you for the course hours, pays part of the course fees depending on company size and can receive a subsidy towards your salary.

If your company is going through major change, for example due to digitalisation, and many people need training, your employer can apply for qualification allowance instead.

Before the course starts, the employment agency must have advised you (§ 81 Abs. 1 SGB III). Your contact is your adviser or job placement officer.

Since 01.01.2025 the employment agency decides on the education voucher, even if you are supported by the Jobcenter. The Jobcenter remains responsible for your money and job placement. The AVGS is issued by the office that supports you.

A voucher is only valid for a limited time. If you already have one, check the date.