Skills analy­ses spe­cial fund (Son­der­fonds Qual­i­fika­tion­s­analy­sen)

The new application procedure for funding from the skills analyses special fund was launched on 15 June 2020. 

Those involved in a recognition procedure for a dual training occupation or master craftsperson qualification and who are seeking recognition via a skills analysis may, under certain circumstances, apply to the relevant competent authority for funding from the skills analyses special fund. The funding has been in place since 2014 and has proved to be a useful tool for recruiting and ensuring the supply of skilled workers. This option has enabled many applicants to achieve recognition via a skills analysis.

The BIBB pays out the funding to the competent authorities

The application—known as the funding requirement notice (Förderanzeige)—is completed by the competent authority responsible for the recognition. In its role as a competent authority, the IHK FOSA (Foreign Skills Approval) now also accepts funding notices itself. As before, all other competent authorities are able to obtain the necessary documents from the West German Chamber of Crafts and Trades’ Council (WHKT) and submit their funding notices there. The funding notices are then forwarded to the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). The documents are checked in advance by the project partners WHKT and IHK FOSA. The funding is then approved and paid out to the competent authorities by BIBB via the project NetQA – Skills Analysis Network.

Cost should not prevent a skills analysis

A skills analysis costs money—renting rooms and equipment, and carrying out the skills analysis, for example. The skills analysis special fund ensures that a skills analysis for the purpose of vocational recognition is not prevented due to costs.

Requirement for funding: The cost of the skills analysis cannot be met privately or via the Federal Employment Agency, the job centre, or one of the grant programmes in the federal states of Hamburg and Berlin. Funding via the skills analyses special fund therefore represents so-called secondary funding which only comes into consideration if the funding options mentioned above cannot be used.

Where is the funding notice submitted?

• As under previous regulations, the funding notices for craft trade occupations and from all other competent authorities are submitted to the WHKT.
• Under a new regulation, funding notices are submitted to IHK FOSA for IHK occupations.
• The BIBB has been responsible for administering the special fund since 15 July 2020 and does this through the project NetQA – Skills Analysis Network.

The funding notice forms for the skills analysis special fund can be found on WHKT website. IHK FOSA is in direct contact with the applicants and issues the forms to them if necessary.

Further information:

Webpage of WHKT relating to NetQA and the special fund

IHK FOSA