Group of colleagues qualified in the most in-demand jobs in Germany work together in an office.

Unemployed in Germany? We’ll Get You a Job in Tech

by Ed Wood, UPDATED ON APRIL 15, 2024 10 mins read

Are you unemployed in Germany and thinking it’s an ideal time to make a career change? If you’re at a crossroads and are wondering what the next step should be, have you considered a career in the exciting world of tech?

With a training voucher (Bildungsgutschein) provided by the German Jobcenter, you could train for a career in tech completely free of charge. CareerFoundry offers Bildungsgutchsein courses in English, helping you learn valuable tech skills and get back into work in a matter of months.

The course tuition is completely covered by the German Jobcenter, the Agentur für Arbeit. As an approved partner, we work with the Jobcenter to train people in some of the most in-demand tech jobs in Germany right now: UX and UI design, web development, product management, data analytics, and digital marketing.

So, you could retrain for a career as a UX or UI designer, web developer, product manager, data analyst, or digital marketer for free! We even offer personalized mentorship and career coaching to help you land your first job in the industry. Sound good?

If you’re unemployed in Germany, read on to find out how it works!

The ideal way to learn a new skill if you’re unemployed in Germany
Common career-change questions
What’s the next step to take if you’re currently unemployed in Germany?
Tips on getting a Bildungsgutschein

The ideal way to learn a new skill if you’re unemployed in Germany

If you’re out of work, or soon to be out of work, you could be eligible for a Bildungsgutschein (training voucher) from the Agentur für Arbeit. That means you can take one of our career-change programs and have your tuition paid for entirely by the Jobcenter.

Here’s why thousands of people across Germany are choosing to study with CareerFoundry:

Course language: If you’re new in Germany and perhaps haven’t mastered the German language yet, you’ll be pleased to hear that the CareerFoundry curriculum is delivered entirely in English. So if you’re looking for Bildungsgutschein courses in English, CareerFoundry courses are a great option to prepare you for a career in tech. Tech jobs are valuable all around the globe, meaning that studying in English prepares you for the world of work in the English language too.

As of 2024 we’ve also started offering our programs in German through the Agentur für Arbeit starting with our UX Design Program, ideal for native speakers and those fluent in the language. For those learning, we also offer Data Analytics with Business German for those who are unemployed, in partnership with online language school Lingoda.

Program length: Our tech programs last as little as 4 months full-time or 12 months part-time (program lengths can vary depending on your chosen program) making it a more feasible solution than going back to school or university to study.

Remote study: On top of that, CareerFoundry programs are carried out remotely, which means it doesn’t matter whether you’re in the heart of Berlin or the outer realms of Buxtehude.

Years of success: We boast an excellent success rate for getting our students into careers they love. Our students graduate qualified to start working in the most in-demand tech jobs in Germany. And they aren’t just any old tech jobs: our graduates have gone on to work in companies like Deutsche Bank, Visa, Mercedes Benz, and Google. Find out more on our Graduate Outcomes page.

Where to learn more: To find out more information about each of the programs we offer in conjunction with the Jobcenter, check out these links:

Common career-change questions

Obviously, you’ll think that all sounds great, but you’ve probably got more than a few questions first. Here, we’ll take you through a few of the queries you might have if you’re unemployed in Germany and want to take advantage of Bildungsgutchein courses in English.

I don’t have any previous experience. Am I suitable to work in tech?

This is the most frequent question we’re asked by prospective students. And our response? Absolutely! We’ll take you from beginner to job-ready tech professional throughout the course of your studies.

We’ve trained people from all walks of life, like Mark who swapped youth work for web development, and Kylie who went from hotel manager to UI designer.

The programs are structured to facilitate adult learning and require no previous experience—just a laptop, an internet connection, and between 15 and 40 hours/week, depending on whether you’re doing the program part-time or full-time.

Do you offer Bildungsgutschein courses in English?

Yes. If you receive a training voucher from the Jobcenter and are wondering what courses are available that allow you to study in English, look no further than CareerFoundry.

All our courses are delivered in English, making them perfect for expats, immigrants, and multilingual people living in Germany who want to break into the exciting world of tech. You’ll need written and spoken English skills at a level B1.2 or higher.

Why should I study with CareerFoundry?

CareerFoundry excels in a number of key areas. Let’s go through some of them:

Learn wherever and wherever you want

With our flexible programs, you can fit your studies around other commitments. This is the big advantage of online learning, and of how CareerFoundry’s programs are arranged.

A professional support system

We pride ourselves on our service: every student who signs up for a program is assigned a dedicated mentor (who has 5+ years of experience in the industry), a tutor, and a career specialist.

They’ll keep you on the straight and narrow, ensure you’re motivated and making good progress, and assist heavily in preparing you for your new job.

A cutting-edge curriculum

Our expert team of instructional designers works closely with mentors and industry professionals to ensure our programs are completely up-to-date with current trends and technologies.

The programs are constructed around the project-based learning format, which means you work on real-world tasks and receive regular feedback from your mentor and tutor.

A learning infrastructure designed to get you job-ready

The project-based learning format, experienced student and career advisor teams, and our extensive network of mentors and alumni give you the best possible chance of getting a job you love on completion of your program.

Once you’re 50% through the program, our career specialists will help you add some shine to your portfolio and prepare your resumé and job applications. We’ll match your commitment to getting a job every step of the way.

How do I know which tech job is right for me?

In order to apply for the Bildungsgutschein to study with CareerFoundry, you’ll need to know which specific tech path you’d like to train for. It’s understandable that you might not know what that is yet, so don’t worry!

Take our free tech career quiz to get a personalized recommendation on which role is most suited to you, based on your qualities, interests, skills, and goals.

The quiz is designed to help you explore the career path that fits you best, offer greater clarity, and feel secure in your new direction.

What’s the next step to take if you’re currently unemployed in Germany?

Once you know which program you would like to take with CareerFoundry, you will need to make an appointment with your local Agentur für Arbeit (Jobcenter) in order to apply for a Bildungsgutschein. You’ll need to schedule an appointment at your local Jobcenter in Germany and prepare for the appointment.

If you’re eligible for the voucher, the program fee will be completely covered by the Jobcenter. You can find all the information you need about applying for a Bildungsgutschein in this article.

Plus, you can find further information about the process in these application guides for each program. Each guide covers the documents you need for the appointment and lots of tips to convince your advisor to approve your participation in the course:

You can also book a free call with an expert program advisor at CareerFoundry. They’ll help you figure out if a career in tech is a good fit for you, and answer any questions you may have about the course before signing up.

Tips on getting a Bildungsgutschein

To be eligible for a Bildungsgutschein, you’ll need to fulfil certain requirements. Ultimately, the decision lies with the Agentur für Arbeit, and it’s important to bear in mind that they’re not obligated to offer a training voucher to everyone. When assessing your eligibility, they will be looking to see whether further training will significantly improve your employability.

It’s important that you’re able to demonstrate to your advisor at the Jobcenter how a Bildungsgutschein and further training will improve your chances of finding a job. If you have a program and a new career path in mind (for example, UX design), it can be helpful to demonstrate:

Job growth and demand within your desired field
A link or some kind of continuity between your background and your desired field. UX and UI designers, data analysts, coders, digital marketers, and product managers rely on a whole host of transferable skills, so be sure to highlight this!
The benefits of your chosen program and how it will help you land a job (for example, you might mention that the CareerFoundry programs come with a Job Preparation Course and expert career coaching)

Or, as CareerFoundry graduate Ophélie advises:

“Prepare yourself and make sure you know why you’re doing it. To convince the Agentur für Arbeit about your career change you need to be sure what you’re doing for yourself and why you want to do it. And then go for it!”

Ophélie completed the UX Design Program with a Bildungsgutschein and is now thriving as a product designer at Engel & Völkers Technology, a real estate company in Germany. To find out more about her career change journey, read her success story or check out this video:

Once you’ve secured your Bildungsgutschein, simply get in touch with us to apply for your chosen program under the following links:

We look forward to welcoming you onto a CareerFoundry program soon!

If you’re curious to hear how other CareerFoundry students and alumni have tackled the Bildungsgutschein process, and gone from being unemployed in Germany to hired tech professionals, check out these success stories: