Training Support Programme - Federal Republic of Germany

The purpose of training support programmes is to ensure the success of vocational training within industry by means of supporting tuition and social educational supervision.

This support is aimed at disadvantaged trainees in cases where placements cannot be made without appropriate assistance or where failure to complete training is threatened.

Training support programmes can be considered for disabled trainees who – due to unfavourable educational or social conditions – can only complete vocational training within industry if they are given appropriate support, but who do not, however, require more extensive support such as is provided by a rehabilitation centre.

This support is also available to trainees whose vocational training within industry would come under threat without the training support programme due to the course their training has taken so far as a result of social difficulties.

Instruction is given in small groups using motivating and pro-active methods and lasts for a minimum of three and a maximum of eight hours a week. It usually takes place out of working hours on the premises of a training support programme provider but can, in certain circumstances, be held at the company or organization where training is being given.

It has proven advantageous for the training organization to allow trainees to receive at least some of the training support during working hours. Working in close collaboration, the teachers and social education workers devise individual programmes of support together with the trainees and discuss problems and results. They maintain contact with the training organizations, training colleges, advice centres and parents.

This support can be taken up right from the beginning through to the end of the training programme (usually approved for one year at a time). If, in addition to the trainee's social problems and difficulties, the trainee experiences practical problems with the theoretical content of the training, the support programme can be supplemented by external vocational training sessions (for up to a maximum of 3 months for each year of training).

The provider of a training support programme must be able to meet the requirements of a social educationally oriented vocational training course and have access to appropriately trained staff and suitably equipped premises. The provider can also be the training organization or company itself. The success of the training support programme depends greatly on the close collaboration between the provider of the programme, the training organization and the training college. It has also proved useful for specific support courses to be offered in the vocational school in addition to normal lessons.

The Careers Advice Service decides who can participate in the programmes. It is not sufficient to belong in theory to the group of people normally eligible for support; the determining factor is whether the trainee requires this assistance due to his/her individual circumstances. An application for participation in the training support programme is made by the training organization or the provider of the assistance to the relevant Office of Employment (Arbeitsamt). The trainee and provider sign a written agreement regarding the training support programme, and the training organization must state that it is willing to work closely with the support provider. Details about the scope of the support and conditions for participating in a training support programme (times, groups, obligations, etc.) are agreed in initial talks with the trainee.

Financial support is regulated by §§ 235, 240-246 of the Third Volume of the German Social Welfare Code The programme is financed by the Office of Employment. The trainee receives a mileage allowance if costs are incurred when travelling to the training support programme provider. If the trainee is allowed to participate in a programme during working hours, the training organization can recover some of the costs of the training.

EMP/SKILLS - Skills and Employability Department