Saturday, December 11th, 2021
The state pays in the amount of ALG 1
Heil announces one-year training periods
The professional world is constantly changing. In everyday business, however, there is often no time to really acquire new skills. A system of educational times planned by Federal Labor Minister Heil could change that – with long state-sponsored breaks.
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil wants to give employees the opportunity to take state-sponsored time off for further training. “We want to introduce a system of educational times that we know from Austria,” said the SPD politician to the newspapers of the Funke media group. “Anyone who takes a break from their job to further their education receives support from the Federal Employment Agency’s fund at the same level as the unemployment benefit. So 60 percent of income or 67 percent for families.” This period of education lasts a year, explained Heil. The employees could also extend it to two years as part-time training.
The minister announced that he would initiate the educational periods in the new year. “I hope that we can then introduce the system in Germany in 2023.” Heil appealed to employers to embrace this model. “Many employers have an interest in securing their skilled labor base through further training for employees,” he said. “This is especially true for industries in structural change.”
At the same time, Heil reaffirmed the plan to profoundly change the basic security system. “Legislation for this major citizen allowance reform will begin next year,” he said. “Long-term unemployed people who do not have a professional qualification should therefore no longer be placed in any job. In future, priority will be given to catching up on a professional qualification. This increases the chances of getting out of unemployment on a permanent basis.”
Heil did not want to accept DGB boss Reiner Hoffmann’s request for an increase in the standard rates. “The debate about the standard rates will be repeated. We will lead that too. Citizens’ money is about more,” he said. “People in need shouldn’t be ashamed if they have to seek help. The new citizens’ allowance is fundamentally about a paradigm shift in social policy.”