Qualified for the job, but your professional German falls short in interviews and team meetings? That is what the Berufssprachkurse – vocational language courses run by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) – are for. They have existed since 1 July 2016. The key questions, answered.
What are they? The courses follow on from the integration course and teach job-related German. Basic courses lead to B2 or C1; special courses to A2 or B1, mainly for integration-course graduates without a B1 certificate. There are tracks for medical and healthcare professions, technical and commercial fields, and for people having a foreign qualification recognised.
Who can take part? The regulation covers foreign nationals under the Residence Act, EU citizens and Germans whose first language is not German. You need an entitlement certificate from the competent authority, for example if you are registered as a jobseeker or unemployed with the employment agency, or already employed or holding a job contract. Whether your specific permit, such as one under Section 24, qualifies is not spelled out in the regulation; the Jobcenter or employment agency decides case by case. The certificate lapses after three months if you do not enrol with an approved provider (nine months for some groups).
What does it cost? Under the regulation, nothing for jobseekers. Employed participants pay 50 per cent of the standard cost rate, and can apply to get half of that back after passing the final exam. Exempt are, among others, trainees and employees earning no more than 33 per cent of the pension-insurance contribution ceiling.
How long does it take? Basic B2 and C1 courses usually run to 400 teaching units of 45 minutes, and full-time courses to no more than 25 units a week – roughly four months full-time, much longer alongside a child or a job.
Does it work? An evaluation commissioned by the labour ministry (IAW Tübingen, f-bb, IZA and others) counted about 775,000 course starts by the end of 2022. Participants’ German was clearly better than that of comparable non-participants. On employment, no advantage showed up in the period studied: courses are mostly full-time and hard to combine with work. The researchers recommend more part-time and online options and better childcare. Our view: a part-time or hybrid course usually beats a long break from the labour market.
Where to start? Ask your adviser at the Jobcenter or employment agency about an entitlement certificate and about part-time courses, then enrol with an approved provider near you.
Sources: BAMF, DeuFöV, f-bb/IAW evaluation
