What is the Bildungsgutschein?
The Bildungsgutschein (education voucher, § 81 SGB III) is Germany's main instrument for funding a career change. If your advisor at the Agentur für Arbeit considers further training necessary to get you (back) into work, they issue a voucher that covers 100% of the course fee at an AZAV-certified provider (plus travel and childcare costs) while your unemployment benefit continues as normal. Code Labs Academy holds AZAV Träger- und Maßnahmenzulassung and already teaches learners funded this way: we redeem the voucher, invoice the Agentur für Arbeit directly, and you pay EUR 0. One thing to be clear about from the start: the voucher is a discretionary decision (Ermessensleistung), not a legal entitlement. Nobody (not us, not any provider) can promise you one. What we can do is give you the documents and the argument that make your case as strong as possible.
You are registered as unemployed or as a jobseeker with the Agentur für Arbeit, with or without benefits. Registering as arbeitsuchend is the entry ticket; receiving ALG I is not a requirement.
You are employed but your job is at risk (typically expected to end within about the next three months), or you need a new qualification to stay in the labour market.
Your advisor must be convinced of Notwendigkeit: that the training is necessary for your integration into work, that the target job actually exists in the labour market, and that you are personally suited to complete it.
Nationality is not a criterion. You need to be living in Germany, registered with the Agentur für Arbeit, and free to take up employment here. Our courses are taught in English, so C1 German is not needed for the training itself.
There is no legal entitlement. Two people with similar profiles can get different answers depending on the advisor, the local labour market and the training goal, which is exactly why the preparation in step 2 below matters.
Frequently asked questions
What if my application is refused?
It happens, and it is not the end of the road. Because the voucher is discretionary, ask for the reasons in writing and ask the Agentur für Arbeit to review the decision. Often the objection is about the training goal, the timing or a missing labour-market argument rather than about you. Come back with sharper evidence: current vacancies for the target role, our written rationale, and a clear plan for what you will do after the course. If funding still does not come through, you can self-fund with interest-free monthly instalments paid directly to Code Labs Academy, take our discount for paying upfront, or ask an employer to fund the course.
Does a live online bootcamp count, or do I have to sit in a classroom?
Online delivery is explicitly permitted for AZAV-approved measures, and CLA's courses are live and instructor-led at fixed times, not self-paced videos. That is what makes them fundable. You attend from anywhere in Germany, which also removes the 'no suitable provider in my region' problem that blocks many local applications.
Do I get the EUR 150 Weiterbildungsgeld on top?
No. Weiterbildungsgeld and the exam success premiums are reserved for berufsabschlussbezogene Weiterbildung: training that leads to a recognised vocational qualification (Berufsabschluss). A bootcamp is not that, so these payments do not apply to our courses. Your ALG I or Grundsicherung continues as usual, and the course itself is fully paid.
Can I choose Code Labs Academy, or does the agency choose the provider?
You choose. The voucher names a training goal, a duration and a region, not a school. You can redeem it with any AZAV-certified provider whose approved measure fits those parameters, and CLA is one of them. Bring our course details to the appointment so the goal written on your voucher matches the bootcamp you actually want to take.
I am an expat and my German is not fluent. Can I still get a voucher?
Yes. Nationality and German level are not eligibility criteria. What matters is that you live in Germany, are registered with the Agentur für Arbeit, and are allowed to work here. Our teaching is entirely in English, which is a genuine advantage for the international tech job market in Berlin, Munich and Hamburg. Be aware that the counselling appointment itself is usually held in German: bring someone who can interpret if you are not comfortable, and we will provide the course documents you need to hand over.
Do I keep my unemployment benefit while I study?
Yes. ALG I or Grundsicherung continues to be paid during an approved training measure under the normal rules. You are not treated as unavailable to the labour market while attending. The Bildungsgutschein covers the course fee and ancillary costs such as travel and childcare; it does not replace, reduce or increase your monthly benefit.
Get personalized advice
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