Azubiwerk Foundation

The non-profit Azubiwerk Foundation creates affordable housing and also offers educational support as well as target group-specific, low-threshold counselling and support services for trainees - true to the motto: "More than just affordable housing for trainees".

It is hardly possible for young people in vocational training to live close to their place of training. Particularly in conurbations where large cities are growing together, such as in the Rhine-Main region, the Rhineland or the Ruhr area, affordable housing is hardly available. Attractive cities such as Berlin, Munich or Hamburg are increasingly becoming unaffordable for young people in training. In addition, trainees are also at a disadvantage on the housing market compared to students due to their low income and age. This is in stark contrast to the mobility required on the labour market. Trainees often have to travel long distances to the training centre or vocational school or are forced to live well beyond their means. Particularly in view of the shortage of skilled labour, offers must be created that allow more flexibility on the training market. It is even more difficult for applicants from abroad to start a training programme in a major German city.

The Azubiwerk not only makes it easier for new trainees to reach their training locations and vocational schools, but also helps them to integrate more quickly into their new living and working environment. The promotion of stability and structure also benefits the success of their training. Moving into our halls of residence means a new start for all trainees: a new city, their first home and a completely new environment. The trainees live in small groups of two to four people in shared flats. Social activities are organised in spacious common rooms in each residence. Counselling services are organised here in cooperation with the social partners, e.g. on vocational training grants, themed groups, sports and games events or cooking together for the trainees. In this way, a dormitory soon becomes a real home and the training can be successfully completed.

The Azubiwerk Foundation has been running a residential complex for 156 trainees in Hamburg-Wandsbek since 2016. Thanks to a pedagogical team that is present around the clock, underage trainees can also find a new home here. At the beginning of 2020, the foundation completed a second residential home in Hamburg-Harburg with 191 places. Further residential facilities are being planned and built in Hamburg and other cities. A residential complex in Hamburg's Münzviertel district (near Hamburg's main railway station) is already in the concrete planning stage and will be ready for occupancy in 2021. 

Together with many sponsors, politicians, social partners, chambers and associations, as well as companies, we want to offer even more trainees a home and support in the future. In this way, we are doing our part to further increase the attractiveness of vocational training in Germany.