A Bildungsgutschein can fund training in AI, cloud computing, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, e-commerce and data engineering in Germany. Below, we compare seven programmes by duration, teaching language and starting experience; funding depends on individual approval by the Agentur für Arbeit.
Your choice should reflect the experience you already have, the work you want to do next and the time you can commit to studying. Some programmes accept applicants without previous programming experience, while others require coding or IT administration skills.
Compare the seven programmes
| Programme | Provider | Full-time duration | Language | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI Engineering | Turing College | 3 months | English | People with at least one year of Python or JavaScript experience who want to build AI applications |
| Building with AI Agents | Turing College | 3 months | English | Professionals who want to turn problems in their field into AI tools |
| Fachinformatiker Systemintegration (IHK) | WBS Training | 24 months | German | People seeking a recognised vocational qualification in IT systems and networks |
| AWS Cloud Computing with AI | neue fische | 16 weeks | English | People starting in cloud computing who can commit to intensive full-time study |
| IT Security Expert | WBS Training | 41 training days | German | People with network or server administration experience who want to specialise in IT security |
| E-Commerce Specialist | ebam Akademie | 30 weeks38 weeks with both optional modules | German | Retail and marketing professionals who want to develop e-commerce skills |
| Data Engineering | Le Wagon | 5 weeks, onlineFunded timetable may differ | EnglishConfirm for the funded option | People with data experience or a technical background who want to build data infrastructure |
What is a Bildungsgutschein?
A Bildungsgutschein is a voucher issued by the Agentur für Arbeit that can cover approved vocational training costs. Funding depends on your circumstances and whether the training is necessary to end or prevent unemployment. Both the provider and the specific programme must be approved for funding.
Covered costs can include tuition, required learning materials and examination fees. Travel, childcare and accommodation costs may also be covered where relevant. Your adviser will explain which costs can be approved in your case.
Contact your Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter to discuss your training plans. Since January 2025, the Agentur für Arbeit has handled training funding for Jobcenter customers too. See the official Bildungsgutschein guidance.
The Bundesagentur für Arbeit’s 2026 budget allocates €4.12 billion to vocational training funding, around €690 million more than in 2025. Part of that increase reflects the transfer of funding responsibility for Jobcenter customers.
What changed in 2026
On 1 July 2026, Grundsicherungsgeld replaced Bürgergeld. The Bildungsgutschein remains available, and the Agentur für Arbeit assesses funding individually.
Under the reform, helping people enter work or vocational training takes priority. Further training can still be funded when it offers a more promising route to lasting employment than taking an available job immediately. See the Bundesagentur für Arbeit’s explanation of the reform.
For your consultation, explain which skills you need and how the programme supports your employment goal. Bring relevant job adverts and show how the programme teaches the skills those employers request.
Full-time programme durations
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Data Engineering Le Wagon5 weeks, online format*
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IT Security Expert WBS Training41 training days
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AI Engineering Turing College3 months
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Building with AI Agents Turing College3 months
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AWS Cloud Computing with AI neue fische16 weeks
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E-Commerce Specialist ebam Akademie30 weeks; 38 with both optional modules
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Fachinformatiker Systemintegration (IHK) WBS Training24 months
Bar lengths show approximate relative duration, using
52 weeks per year and five training days per week.
Holidays and breaks can extend calendar time.
The lighter extension shows ebam’s optional modules.
Durations compare study length, not qualification level
or employment outcomes.
*Le Wagon advertises five weeks for its online programme.
Its approved Bildungsgutschein timetable may differ.
What your adviser considers
Your adviser assesses whether the training is suitable for your circumstances and necessary to help you find work or prevent unemployment. They will consider your qualifications, skills, employment goal and the opportunities in the labour market. Funding is assessed individually.
Both the provider and the specific programme must be approved for funding. Ask the provider for the programme’s current approval details and check that they match the training you intend to take.
Explain what the training would help you do. Identify the skills you need for your target roles and show where the programme teaches them. Relevant job adverts can support your explanation, but a role does not generally have to appear on a shortage list to qualify for funding.
Show why the programme suits your starting point. Your previous experience may strengthen your case, but you can also discuss training for a different occupation. Explain why the change is realistic and how you meet the programme’s entry requirements.
Check that you can complete the training. Consider the teaching language, timetable, workload and any responsibilities that could affect your attendance. Bring questions about the learning format and support available.
Before your appointment, prepare your CV, relevant job adverts and the programme’s curriculum, entry requirements, duration and funding details. These help you explain your choice, but they do not guarantee approval.
See the official Bildungsgutschein guidance and funding requirements under §81 SGB III.
Explore the seven programmes
The programmes below serve different goals, from gaining an IT vocational qualification to adding AI or security skills to existing experience. Compare their entry requirements, curriculum and study format to decide which fits your next step.
Which programme fits your starting point?
Start with the work you want to do, then check the programme’s entry requirements.
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Turn a problem in your field into an AI tool
For professionals who want to define what a tool should do, guide AI agents and check the result. No previous programming experience required.
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Add AI application development to your coding skills
For people with at least one year of Python or JavaScript experience.
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Build data pipelines and infrastructure
For people with professional data experience or a technical background.
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Develop skills in cloud computing or IT systems
Choose cloud-focused training or a longer programme leading to an IHK vocational qualification. Check the entry requirements for each option.
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Add security skills to your IT administration experience
For people with experience in network or server administration, or comparable work.
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Develop e-commerce skills for retail or marketing
Explore training in online shops, content, digital marketing and user experience.
Funding depends on individual approval for the selected programme. Confirm its current funded format and entry requirements before applying. The Turing College links lead to German-language funding pages; both programmes are taught in English.
Turing College: AI Engineering
Who it suits: People with at least one year of Python or JavaScript experience who want to build AI applications
Duration: Three months, 30 hours per week
Format: Online, with a fixed weekday schedule
Teaching language: English
AI Engineering builds on your programming experience. You learn to develop applications using large language models, connect them to external information through retrieval-augmented generation, and build agents that interact with tools and services.
The programme includes four applications, ending with a project based on your own idea. Individual project reviews give you opportunities to explain your technical decisions, identify weaknesses and improve your work. Funded learners also receive career support, including CV and LinkedIn guidance and interview preparation.
When comparing programmes, look beyond whether you will produce a working demo. In our article on what a tech lead looks for in junior AI engineers, Tahreem Rasul explains why understanding design decisions, evaluating results and investigating failures matter in hiring.
Explore AI Engineering with a Bildungsgutschein.
Turing College: Building with AI Agents
Who it suits: Professionals who want to turn problems in their field into AI tools
Duration: Three months, 30 hours per week
Format: Online, with a fixed weekday schedule
Teaching language: English
Building with AI Agents starts with a problem you understand from your professional experience. You learn to define what a tool should do, give AI agents the context they need, test their work and improve the result. No previous programming experience is required.
Projects introduce web applications, databases, user accounts and AI assistants that answer questions using your documents. Your final project addresses a problem you choose. You receive individual project feedback and, on the funded programme, career support.
You will encounter code and learn technical foundations as you work. Your responsibility is to understand the requirements, check what the agent produces and decide whether the tool works as intended.
To connect the programme to your next role, use our guide to reading AI job adverts and checking the skills they require.
Explore Building with AI Agents with a Bildungsgutschein.
WBS Training: Fachinformatiker Systemintegration (IHK)
Who it suits: People seeking a recognised vocational qualification in IT systems and networks
Duration: 24 months, full-time, including an internship
Format: Live online; attendance arrangements depend on the location and funding agreement
Teaching language: German
WBS Training’s retraining programme prepares you for the IHK examination in systems integration. It covers the infrastructure organisations depend on, including computers, networks and servers, and includes workplace experience through an internship.
This is a different qualification from the shorter certificate programmes in this comparison. It requires a much longer commitment and leads to a recognised vocational qualification after you pass the IHK examination.
Ask WBS about admission requirements, internship arrangements and whether you can attend from home or need to use a training centre. Requirements can depend on the regional IHK and your location.
Eligible participants in qualification-focused training may receive Weiterbildungsgeld and examination bonuses. Ask your adviser whether these apply to your circumstances and programme.
Explore WBS Training’s systems integration programme.
neue fische: AWS Cloud Computing with AI
Who it suits: People starting in cloud computing who can commit to intensive full-time study
Duration: 16 weeks, full-time
Format: Live online
Teaching language: English
This bootcamp introduces cloud infrastructure through Amazon Web Services. The provider states that no previous knowledge is required. Its curriculum starts with cloud concepts, Linux and networking before progressing to Python, automation, AWS architecture and databases.
Later topics include containers, serverless services, infrastructure as code with Terraform, and generative AI services such as Amazon Bedrock. You apply the material in a final cloud project.
The programme includes AWS-related certificates and an examination voucher for AWS Cloud Practitioner. Check which certificates are awarded for completing the programme and which require a separate examination.
The advertised teaching schedule is Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:30. Compare that commitment with your availability, and ask about breaks, project work and career support before applying.
Explore neue fische’s AWS Cloud Computing with AI bootcamp.
WBS Training: IT Security Expert
Who it suits: People with network or server administration experience who want to specialise in IT security
Duration: 41 training days, full-time
Format: Live online, at a WBS location or from home where agreed
Teaching language: German
This programme adds security knowledge to an existing IT foundation. WBS specifies previous experience or knowledge in network or server administration, or comparable work, alongside its educational entry requirements.
The curriculum covers security management, legal requirements, risk analysis, encryption, network protection, monitoring and system security. It also introduces penetration testing and forensics.
Its shorter duration reflects that starting point. It should not be treated as an equivalent alternative to a two-year IT vocational qualification or as a complete introduction to IT.
Compare the curriculum with security responsibilities in the roles you are considering. Ask WBS which topics involve exercises, what assessments you complete and what the WBS certificate demonstrates.
Explore WBS Training’s IT Security Expert programme.
ebam Akademie: E-Commerce Specialist
Who it suits: Retail and marketing professionals who want to develop e-commerce skills
Duration: 30 weeks; 38 weeks with both optional modules
Format: Live online, with full-time and part-time options
Teaching language: German
ebam’s programme combines seven modules covering web content management, user experience, e-commerce management, content marketing, AI, digital marketing and social media management.
The curriculum brings together several parts of running an online shop: presenting products, managing content, planning campaigns and assessing the customer experience. Two optional modules cover sustainability and digital transformation, and new work management.
Both study formats are advertised over 30 weeks, but their daily timetables and teaching hours differ. The part-time option also requires independent learning and project work, so check the total commitment rather than comparing live classroom hours alone.
Ask ebam which module combination and timetable your funding would cover, including whether either optional module is included.
Explore ebam Akademie’s E-Commerce Specialist programme.
Le Wagon: Data Engineering
Who it suits: People with professional data experience or a technical background who want to build data infrastructure
Duration: Five weeks for the advertised full-time online programme; the approved funded timetable may differ
Format: Live online for the five-week option
Teaching language: English
Le Wagon’s Data Engineering programme focuses on the systems that collect, transform and make data available for analysis. Its advertised online curriculum includes Python, SQL, dbt, Airflow and Spark, with work on data pipelines, warehouses and cloud platforms.
This is an intermediate programme rather than an introduction to data work. Le Wagon describes it as suitable for people with professional data experience or a technical background. The online programme includes a final data-platform project.
Le Wagon lists Data Engineering on its German Bildungsgutschein funding page. However, that page does not establish that the advertised five-week online timetable is the approved funded version. Before applying, ask for the current programme approval details, funded duration and available start dates.
Explore Le Wagon’s Data Engineering programme and its Bildungsgutschein funding information.
How you actually get the voucher
The steps themselves are simple. The meeting is harder than it used to be, at least this year.
Register with the Agentur für Arbeit as unemployed, or about to be, either online or at the office. Without this you are not in the system, and there is no voucher.
Pick a program you can defend. Use the tests above. The course has to draw a straight line from your background to a job the agency already wants filled.
Go to the consultation with that line written down. This is the step the reform changed. You need to say which role you're aiming at, why that role is scarce, and why training gets you there faster than taking whatever job is open this month. We wrote a 5-step playbook for that meeting, and if they say no, you can appeal.
Use the voucher before it expires. Enroll with the school inside the validity window. If you miss it, you start over.
Start the course. Tuition and materials are paid, and travel and childcare subsidies are sometimes paid too. If the course leads to a recognized qualification (the IHK Umschulung above is the example on this list) and you receive ALG I or Grundsicherungsgeld, you may also get €150 a month Weiterbildungsgeld, plus exam bonuses of up to €2,500.
How to apply for a Bildungsgutschein in 2026
Arrange your consultation before training starts. Funding depends on individual approval, and processing times vary.
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Contact your Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter
Discuss your training plans and request a consultation. The Agentur für Arbeit decides on and funds training for Jobcenter customers too.
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Find a suitable approved programme
Compare the curriculum, entry requirements, teaching language and timetable. Both the provider and the specific programme must be approved for funding.
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Explain your training goal at the consultation
Bring your CV, relevant job adverts and programme details. Explain which skills you need and why the training would help you find lasting work or prevent unemployment. Your adviser assesses your circumstances.
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If approved, check and redeem your voucher
Check its validity period, educational objective and other conditions with your provider. The provider must submit the voucher to the Agentur für Arbeit before the programme starts.
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Confirm the funding and start your programme
Confirm that funding is in place for your chosen programme and start date. Check which costs are covered, including any approved support for travel, childcare or accommodation.
Sources: Bundesagentur für Arbeit’s Bildungsgutschein guidance and §81 SGB III . For preparation advice, read our guide to applying for AI training funding .
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Bildungsgutschein still available after the 2026 benefits reform?
Yes. Grundsicherungsgeld replaced Bürgergeld on 1 July 2026, but the Bildungsgutschein remains available. The Agentur für Arbeit assesses funding individually. Under the reform, training can still be supported where it offers a more promising route to lasting employment than immediate job placement. See the official reform explanation.
How much does a Bildungsgutschein cover?
An approved Bildungsgutschein can cover the full programme fee, required learning materials and examination fees. Travel, childcare and accommodation support may also be available where relevant. Ask your adviser which costs are approved in your case.
Will I still receive benefits while studying?
If you receive Arbeitslosengeld I when you start approved training, it is generally continued during the programme. Grundsicherungsgeld can also continue while you remain eligible. Confirm your benefit arrangements with the responsible agency before starting.
Can I use a Bildungsgutschein for an English-language online programme?
Yes. English tuition and online study do not automatically exclude a programme from funding. Both the provider and the specific programme must be approved, and your adviser must approve the training for your circumstances.
Turing College’s AI Engineering and Building with AI Agents programmes are online and taught in English. neue fische also advertises its AWS Cloud Computing with AI bootcamp in English. For Le Wagon’s Data Engineering programme, confirm the timetable and language of the specific funded option before applying.
What happened to CareerFoundry?
CareerFoundry ceased operations on 28 February 2026 during insolvency proceedings. Its closure notice states that it no longer offers new courses or continues its previous programmes.
Selected assets were sold to CF Training GmbH, a separate company that says it will not continue CareerFoundry’s business operations. Older recommendations for CareerFoundry should therefore be checked against this notice.
Can I receive extra financial support while training?
Eligible qualification-focused training, such as an approved vocational retraining programme, can qualify for €150 a month in Weiterbildungsgeld. Eligible examinations can also attract bonuses of €1,000 for an intermediate examination and €1,500 for the final examination.
These payments do not apply to every certificate programme. Ask your adviser whether your training and examinations meet the conditions. See the official guidance on training costs and additional payments.
How long does approval take?
Often around three weeks from receiving your educational offer to receiving the voucher, according to Monika Simaškaitė, Senior Admissions Manager at Turing College, in our Bildungsgutschein application guide.
This is an estimate from admissions experience, not a guaranteed processing time. Timing depends on your local Agentur für Arbeit and adviser. Allow additional time to choose a programme, complete admissions and obtain the educational offer.
Once issued, check the validity period printed on your voucher and arrange a programme start date within it.
Explore Turing College’s funded AI programmes
Choose AI Engineering if you have at least one year of Python or JavaScript experience and want to build AI applications.
Choose Building with AI Agents if you want to turn problems in your professional field into AI tools. No previous programming experience is required.
Both funded programmes run online in English for three months, with 30 hours of study per week and a fixed weekday schedule. An approved Bildungsgutschein can cover the full programme fee.
Speak with admissions about the programme requirements and current start dates. For help preparing your funding appointment, read our Bildungsgutschein application guide.