Bildungsgutschein-ready
Pipeline Academy has received the coveted AZAV-certification, so from now on you can join our bootcamp with a Bildungsgutschein issued by the Agentur für Arbeit (AfA)! This means basically that in case you are between jobs, have been put on Kurzarbeit or are at risk of losing your current employment, you are very likely to be eligible for a voucher (the Bildungsgutschein) from the German AfA, so you can join our bootcamp free of charge.
Since the launch of Pipeline Academy, our mantra was making data engineering more accessible. This is indeed a huge step both for us towards that direction, just as for the people who would make a great fit for our course but could not afford taking part until now. This is our guide to help you leverage this life-changing opportunity and putting yourself on a sustainable career path.
The Bildungsgutschein can cover your full tuition fee if:
You are unemployed receiving ALG I.
You are on Kurzarbeit
You are employed and are eligible for QCG (Qualifizierungschancengesetz)
Getting a Bildungsgutschein when unemployed
The Bildungsgutschein is a form of direct financial support provided by the German federal state for those individuals who seek support for acquiring new skills at certified educational institution. The goal of this instrument is to help people avoid unemployment or to enable individuals to (re-)enter to the job market successfully and in a sustainable way. It's used either for broadening an existing skillset or for switching careers and starting a journey in a new profession.
The process of receiving a Bildungsgutschein is fairly straightforward: check if you are eligible, select a training program matching your goals, present your case and enroll with your voucher. This is a so called "Soll-Leistung", which translates into an optional offering: based on an evaluation of your individual situation by your designated clerk at the AfA, it will be determined whether you can receive a Bildungsgutschein for the course of your choice. However, the current economic situation forces a lot of people to find a new occupation and the Jobcenter recognizes that by supporting them accordingly.
The process looks something like this:
Schedule a call with us to discuss your plan of joining Pipeline Academy, we're happy to give you advice on how to obtain a Bildungsgutschein.
Register with the Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter (if you haven't done so yet) and schedule a consulting session with your contact person to discuss your eligibility and your plan.
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Prepare your case for choosing data engineering as your desired future career path and Pipeline Academy, and be ready to answer questions like:
What does a data engineer do?
What convinced you to become a data engineer?
Why is Pipeline Academy the best school to learn data engineering?
What kind of positions are you going to apply for after the bootcamp (e.g. data engineer, BI engineer, machine learning engineer, data platform manager)?
The market demand for data engineering skills and the number of open positions are very convincing arguments for AfA advisors, as they want to see their clients succeed by getting a great a job.
Once you've received the green light from the AfA, let us know so we can secure your spot in one of our upcoming cohorts and we'll also take care of the necessary paperwork.
Clear your schedule for the 12 weeks of the bootcamp and prepare for learning something that is definitely going to expand your professional horizons!
A couple of relevant points to keep in mind
Do your research: take the time to understand the role of a data engineer, look at the profiles of companies hiring and the trends behind the growing demand for data engineering competences. If you have other training options you are considering, make sure to talk to them to have a better overview and get a feeling for how it feels to be enrolled in their classes.
Prepare for the interview with the AfA: the goal of the AfA is to secure your employment for the upcoming years. If you have figured what path fits to you and what you would like to do in the future professionally, make sure to be able to explain your plan in a simple and clear manner.
Commit: the opportunity that is presented to you via a free Bildungsgutschein is something that you should not take lightheartedly. We're here to do everything in our power to help you get started in data engineering, but we expect you to show up and put in the work: this is how you can set yourself up for a new career.
If you are on Kurzarbeit
During the COVID-19 lockdown a lot of businesses were forced to make difficult decisions in order to secure their existence. One of the measures that has proven very effective was the introduction of Kurzarbeit: employers who suffered a hit during the economic crisis have the opportunity to secure financial compensation for their employees from the federal state in exchange for limiting their working hours. It means practically that employees get to keep their jobs, work less hours, but get reimbursed similarly to as if they would work full-time - this is how massive short-term layoffs are avoided. If you find yourself in such a situation, you might have the time and the chance to learn something new with the support of the Agentur für Arbeit in form of a Bildungsgutschein. Make sure to check-in with your employer's HR, they will support you in the process, but the steps to get there are pretty much the same as outlined above.
QCG aka Qualifizierungschancengesetz
This measure creates a unique win-win-win situation. It's aimed to help employees at risk of losing their jobs: in cooperation with their employers they can participate in a bootcamp that makes it possible for them to avoid unemployment on the long run. On top of funding the training for the employee, the employer receives financial support as well to cover the salary of the employee and social security for during the training. For this, we encourage employees to approach the responsible departments in their organisations to start the application process with the AfA. We also support employers looking for meaningful upskilling for their staff.
Make sure to look into all of the available financing options we provide so you can make an educated decision about this realm. Depending on your eligibility, your current financial situation and future plans you should pick the financing method that fits best to your needs. If you'd like to learn more or have a chat about the pros and cons, feel free to contact us or schedule a call.