Fund your training through your employer
Already employed? Your company might cover your training through the Qualification Opportunities Act or Qualification Allowance. Book an appointment with us and let's explore your options together.
What is the QCG?
The Qualification Opportunities Act
What is the QCG?
The Qualification Opportunities Act (QCG) was introduced in 2019 to support employers in developing their staff and to provide financial assistance for further training. This law to strengthen vocational training support was further expanded on 1 April 2024. As a new measure for employee qualification, the Qualification Allowance is now available.
Who is this support really for?
It is aimed particularly at employees whose jobs are strongly affected by the accelerated transformation of the working world. Employees can apply for this support if a significant share of their workforce (20% in companies with at least 250 employees, or 10% in smaller companies) has a qualification need due to structural change.
What does it mean in practice?
Depending on company size, the Federal Employment Agency can cover up to 100% of training costs and also subsidize employees’ salaries. Alternatively, through the Qualification Allowance, it is possible to receive a wage replacement benefit of up to 67% of net salary for the duration of the training.
Download our guide
Do you want to gain new skills alongside your job, but are unsure how to convince your managers to support you in this endeavour?
We have put together a clear and practical guide with helpful tips and key arguments to guide you through the conversation.
Requirements for eligible trainings
Acquired skills
The training must provide skills, knowledge and abilities beyond short-term, job-specific adjustment training.
Approved training provider
The training must be delivered by a provider officially approved for public funding.
Minimum workload
To be eligible, the training must be provided by an external institution and include at least 120 hours of content.
Our trainings👇
✅ Job-market fit
We prepare you for the jobs of the future with hands-on, market-ready skills for the digital world.
✅ AZAV-certified
Liora and all our programmes are AZAV-certified and therefore eligible for funding under the Qualification Opportunities Act.
✅ Workload
Each program includes between 300 and 550 hours of training, designed to help you master every aspect of your future role.
Who can apply?
To be eligible, the participant must have completed their initial vocational training at least two years ago and must not have taken part in a training programme funded by the Qualification Opportunities Act within the past two to four years.
However, these requirements do not apply to companies with fewer than 250 employees, employees over the age of 45, or individuals with severe disabilities.
Elibile courses
Which courses are eligible?
Data Analyst
Learn to collect, clean, analyze, and visualize data, and build predictive models using tools like Python, SQL, Power BI, and Scikit-learn.
Data Scientist
Master the entire data science pipeline, from data preparation and machine learning to deep learning and AI, using tools like Python, Pandas, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, and PySpark.
Data Engineer
Learn to build robust data pipelines and manage large-scale infrastructures using Python, SQL, PySpark, Kafka, Airflow, and Kubernetes.
Analytics Engineer
Learn the basics of building scalable data pipelines, transforming and analyzing data, and delivering insights with tools like Python, SQL, Airflow, Power BI, and dbt.
Machine Learning Engineer
Learn to build, deploy, and scale AI solutions using Python, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PySpark, MLflow, Docker, and Kubernetes.
Data Marketing & AI
Master data-driven marketing, automation, and AI tools, combining analytics, tracking, content generation, and campaign optimization with Python, GA4, SQL, Looker Studio, and Make.
MLOps
Master containerizing models to orchestrating workflows and deploying Machine Learning pipelines in production using Docker, MLFlow, Airflow, DVC, Jenkins, Prometheus, Grafana, BentoML, Kubernetes, ZenML, Weights & Biases and AWS.
ETL Developer
Master Python scripting, data integration, and cloud data warehousing with tools like Snowflake, BigQuery, SQL, and APIs.
DataOps Engineer
Master CI/CD, infrastructure automation, and cloud-native monitoring with tools like Linux, Snowflake, BigQuery, Prometheus, Grafana, and AWS.
Cloud Engineer
Master infrastructure deployment, automation, and monitoring with tools like AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Jenkins, and GitLab.
DevOps Engineer
Master automation, CI/CD, infrastructure as code, and cloud operations with tools like Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Jenkins, GitLab, and AWS.
Application process
What is the application process?
1
Book an appointment
Schedule a call with our team and discover how the Qualification Opportunities Act can help fund your training.
2
Talk to an advisor
Use this opportunity to ask any questions! Our team will have the answers and can assist in just a few minutes.
3
Employment Agency steps
Fill out the form, book an appointment, and get your voucher once all documents are submitted.
4
Need help?
Lost in the paperwork? We’re here Monday to Friday to support and guide you.
Funding Amounts
What are the funding amounts?
| < 50 employees | 50 – 499 employees | ≥ 500 employees | |
| Contribution to training costs | 100% | 50%1,2 | 25%2 |
| Wage subsidy | 75%2 | 50%2 | 25%2 |
1 Up to 100% for employees over 45 years old or with severe disabilities.
2 5% additional funding if a company agreement or collective agreement on professional training exists (Source: Federal Employment Agency, as of 1 April 2024)
Get our flyer
Would you like a compact overview of the Qualification Opportunities Act to share with your manager? Simply download our free flyer and get a brief and concise overview!
Got questions?
Find the answers here
No, there is no age limit. The Qualification Opportunities Act applies to all age groups. Employees over the age of 45 even benefit from an advantage: if they work in a company with fewer than 250 employees, training costs can be reimbursed up to 100%. In this case, it is also not mandatory that their last vocational qualification was more than four years ago.
Yes, that is generally possible. A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, as well as vocational training, fall into the category of a professional qualification. The only requirement is that the professional qualification must have been obtained at least four years ago.
In general, the Federal Employment Agency can reimburse additional costs such as travel expenses. For our courses, however, this does not apply as they are offered entirely online. This provides maximum flexibility for participants to organise their learning schedule.
If the training is part-time and takes place, for example, in the evenings or on weekends, it is essential to define clear terms with the employer before starting. If a course requires, say, 10 hours per week, it should be agreed whether the time spent counts as working time. If so, and the employee works two hours in the evening, they could leave work two hours earlier. This ensures no overtime is added to the normal working hours.
However, it is also possible to agree with the employer to conduct a certain portion of the training during working hours and the rest during leisure time. Such an agreement should be individually arranged between the employer and the employee and communicated accordingly with the Employment Agency.
In certain cases, yes. Exceptions apply to companies with fewer than 250 employees, employees over the age of 45, and employees with severe disabilities.
As always, the earlier the better. Based on our experience and discussions with the Employment Agency, we recommend starting the process at least one month before the course begins. If that is not possible, get in touch anyway and we will work with you to find an individual solution.
Processing time depends heavily on the workload of the Employment Agency. It is possible to receive an initial assessment within a week. The speed then depends on how quickly and completely the required forms are submitted. If no additional questions arise, the process is faster.
For the initial assessment, this is not strictly necessary. The focus is first on the company and the employee to be trained. However, providing the course ID number and the training provider in advance can speed up the process by giving the Employment Agency a complete overview from the start.
