Some of inlingua Leipzig's favorite books for ESL teachers. (Photo: maeshelle west-davies)
Some of inlingua Leipzig's favorite textbooks. (Photo: maeshelle west-davies)

Tips to get subsidized courses to boost job prospects

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Do you want to learn enough German to be able to get a job, or communicate effectively at your current job, but don’t have the money for courses? Or maybe you can afford a course but are afraid it won’t cover all the bases for your professional field? In this post, the well-established language school inlingua Leipzig gives you some pointers on how to make sure your German course is a) fully or partly paid for and b) directed towards your next career step. The tips also apply to other career advancement courses you might be interested in.

Andréanne Roy, former freelance teacher, now Director of Studies at inlingua. (Photo: maeshelle west-davies)
Andréanne Roy, former freelance teacher, now the director at inlingua. (Photo: maeshelle west-davies)

1. Know whom to turn to with your specific situation.

Those unemployed or coming out of an Ausbildung, and who already have basic German knowledge, should seek out the local offices of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit. If you are entitled to social benefits in Germany and can convince the employment agency that it’s relevant education, they will cover courses to further your skills towards landing a job. German courses would definitely fall under this category.

If you are employed, you can approach your company and ask if they’d be willing to participate in the WEITER.BILDUNG program. In it, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit covers between 15 and 100 percent of the costs of a group course, depending on the size of the company. The employer is then responsible for covering the rest.

The aim of WEITER.BILDUNG is to boost your qualifications to better perform and grow at your job. Learning languages can be included in this, and inlingua Leipzig is ready to tailor the courses to the employees’ needs.

Alternatively, the Development Bank of Saxony (SAB) also covers part of the tuition for language courses for private people or companies.

2. Find the right programs for you before approaching those who can cover them.

There are different career advancement programs in Leipzig that accept coverage from the employment agency. If you don’t want the agency to suggest programs you may not like, however, do your research first and find a particularly relevant one you’d like them to cover. This knowledge will also help you make your case to them.

Have a look at the language courses at inlingua Leipzig.

If you can prove that you need German or another language for the fields you are seeking a job in, the employment agency will generally cover all your course tuition fees. It can be in a one-to-one or group training, depending on your situation and needs. inlingua will tailor the course for each profession, so that you learn the specific vocabulary you need in order to succeed in your job. At the end of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to take an internationally-recognized exam and receive a certificate.

The German group courses tailored for work (Deuföv) start at the B level, so you need to have at least a beginner’s knowledge of the language to keep up. Thankfully, general lower-level courses can also be subsidized through BAMF (the so-called Integrationskurs). You are welcome to contact inlingua Leipzig to verify if you are eligible for partial or full coverage for those courses.

inlingua goodies. (Photo: maeshelle west-davies)
inlingua goodies. (Photo: maeshelle west-davies)

3. Consider looking for jobs in fields where there are employment shortages or high demand, as well as the corresponding courses to help you get them.

Logic dictates that your chances are higher to get the employment agency to cover career advancement courses, and to ultimately get a job, if you can be flexible with your search and inform yourself on fields that are hiring a lot in the local market.

So here are two facts of life to start with: People are living longer and technology is becoming ever more indispensable. They are also not having as many children as before, especially in the northern countries; so there is a need for working-age people from abroad to fill positions in fields trying to keep up with these realities.

This brings us to the areas of computer programming and medical services, where professionals are highly sought-after at the moment. There are coding courses subsidized by public money, and also German courses to get people ready to work in the medical field locally. inlingua Leipzig offers group courses for nurses, doctors, instructors, those specializing in caring for the elderly, among others.

Young Vietnamese students finishing their five-month course at inlingua, August 2018. (Photo by Sarah Alai / LeipGlo)
Young Vietnamese students finishing their five-month course at inlingua in preparation for their Ausbildung in elderly care, August 2018. (Photo by Sarah Alai / LeipGlo)

4. Be committed.

Do well in your course, master the craft being offered, and gradually you’ll be able to take control of your career in Germany. Those skills can also be transferred to another profession if you later find the need for a change. That is especially true, perhaps, for learning German business and technical terms.

Keep in mind that career advancement programs are often quite intensive, so you should probably focus on one at a time. Skipping classes is not an option, as this can jeopardize the tuition coverage you get.

5. Reach out personally to course providers.

If in doubt or interested in courses at inlingua Leipzig, drop them an e-mail at info@inlingua-leipzig.de. Also, the language school, along with other course and service providers, is one of the exhibitors at the LeipGlo Job Fair on Tuesday, 26 November, at WERK 2. So you can ask questions about these courses in person or inquire about applying for a job as a freelance language teacher.


More tips for internationals

We are your competent partner for all services related to foreign languages. 50 years of inlingua experience and a well-coordinated international team guarantee our customers efficient, needs-oriented training. Well-known companies from our region rely on us as a partner in foreign language training. We also offer tailor-made solutions for private parties. From German and English to Arabic to Chinese to Zulu - we are there for you in every language. (http://www.inlingua-leipzig.com/)

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