Education and training
The most extensive task in this field is managing loans pursuant to the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG). Since the 1970s, loans paid by training assistance offices have been collected by the BVA once recipients have finished their studies, so that the funds can benefit the next generation of students. It is a paperless collection including 1.47 million digitized files.
Training loans (‘Bildungskredit’) are managed online, too. The Federal Government set up this programme in 2001 in order to allow pupils and students in advanced stages to complete their training or studies. The BVA closely cooperates with KfW Bankengruppe in this respect.
However, there is also a much more direct link between the Federal Office of Administration and training: the BVA is the central (further) training authority for 106 federal agencies. 1,600 people undergo training in the BVA's training centres in Berlin and Cologne, including future administrative specialists, information technology specialists, and civil servants. Furthermore, the BVA has been the competent agency for vocational training in public administration since 1971 – it inspects and monitors vocational training in more than 350 other federal authorities.
The BVA's Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) ensures German educational work outside our country. Currently, about 1,100 schools worldwide receive personnel, financial and pedagogical assistance from the ZfA.