Arbeit und Leben DGB/VHS NRW

What Arbeit und Leben DGB/VHS NRW does

Arbeit und Leben DGB/VHS NRW is a non-profit registered association (e. V.) founded in 1949 and jointly sponsored by the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and the Volkshochschule (VHS) state association for adult education. Headquartered in Düsseldorf at Mintropstraße 20, the organization functions as a Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft (state working group) delivering continuing education, advisory services, and youth programs to roughly 40 regional working groups across North Rhine-Westphalia. Its primary audience consists of works councils (Betriebsräte), staff councils (Personalräte), disability representatives (Schwerbehindertenvertretungen), youth and trainee representatives (JAV), and young people aged 16–28, with statutory grounding in §37 BetrVG that makes works council seminars VAT-exempt.

The product portfolio spans core seminar series for works councils (BR I/II, labor law, strategic management), specialized certification programs (mediator training, BEM training, strategic works council management), educational leave (Bildungsurlaub) in Germany and Europe, youth encounters in five partner countries, and consulting services covering works council advisory, basic workplace education, ESF funding, and the BEAM NRW counseling center for EU employees. Technology is conventional: a TYPO3 website with KUFER/webbasys for course and participant management, Moodle for e-learning, and Matomo for web analytics. Pricing is unit-based, ranging from €558 for single-day events to €5,799+ for multi-module certifications, with all seminars exempted from VAT.

Revenue is generated through seminar registration fees (seminarpauschale, accommodation, venue fees) and ESF project funding for the organization's role as one of three ESF Projektagenturen in NRW. The GTM motion is event-driven: discovery through the website, conferences, and social channels (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook), with direct registration and optional customized InHouse seminars for organizational clients. Distribution is anchored by the ~40 Örtliche Arbeitsgemeinschaften delivering regional programming, academic partnerships with Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Universität zu Köln, and ongoing engagement with labor courts for practical learning components.

Name

Arbeit und Leben DGB/VHS NRW

Legal name

Arbeit und Leben DGB/VHS Nordrhein-Westfalen e. V.

Website

https://arbeitundleben.nrw

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arbeit und Leben DGB/VHS NRW is a non-profit educational association jointly sponsored by DGB and VHS, delivering continuing education, certification programs, and advisory services to works councils, staff councils, disability representatives, and youth across North Rhine-Westphalia via a network of ~40 local working groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Works Council Education and Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Resources & Talent (SHRM/HRCI Recertification) (EDAAALAN), Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM), Language & Communication Continuing Education (EDAAAEAF)

Keywords

• Works council training
• Labor law seminars
• Vocational education services
• Employee representative education
• Adult continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Seminar Registration Fees: The primary revenue stream comes from seminar participation fees, which include seminarpauschale (seminar charges), accommodation costs, and venue fees. Seminars are exempt from sales tax (umsatzsteuerfrei) under German law for works council education pursuant to § 37 BetrVG.
2. ESF (European Social Fund) Project Funding: As one of three project agencies in NRW, the organization receives funding from the European Social Fund for counseling and supporting educational institutions with ESF grant applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Arbeit und Leben DGB/VHS NRW delivers continuing education seminars, training series, and consulting services for works councils (Betriebsräte), severely disabled employee representatives, staff councils, youth, and employees in North Rhine-Westphalia. Core offerings include certified works council training under §37 BetrVG, mediator and strategic works council management certifications, Bildungsurlaub programs, youth education including international exchanges, and advisory services on ESF funding and works council support.

Product overview

Arbeit und Leben NRW operates as an educational and advisory organization (Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft) offering a portfolio of interconnected programs for works councils, severely disabled employee representatives, youth, and employees. The core offerings consist of seminar programs for works councils (Betriebsräte) and specialized representation bodies, regional education through 40 local working groups (Örtliche Arbeitsgemeinschaften), educational leave (Bildungsurlaub) programs, and youth education including international exchanges. These are complemented by consulting services for works councils, basic workplace education, ESF funding advisory, and EU employee counseling. The organization functions as a unified educational provider rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, with seminars serving as the primary delivery mechanism across all target groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seminare für Betriebsräte (Works Council Seminars)

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• DGB (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund / German Trade Union Confederation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and strategic partner. DGB provides trade union expertise, institutional backing, and connection to works council networks across Germany. The organization operates under the joint DGB/VHS branding.
• VHS (Volkshochschule / Adult Education Centers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and strategic partner. VHS provides adult education infrastructure, venue network, and methodological expertise in continuing education delivery.
• Ruhr-Universität BochummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for the Strategisches Betriebsratsmanagement program. University provides scientific perspective and research-backed content for the certification series.
• Universität zu Köln (Prof. Dr. Niehaus, Lehrstuhl Arbeit und Rehabilitation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for the BEM (Betriebliches Eingliederungsmanagement) certification program. Professor contributes to the colloquium and quality assurance of the training.
• Labor Courts (Arbeitsgerichte)minorOthersCourts provide educational value through seminar visits to labor court hearings (Güteverfahren and Gerichtsverhandlungen), giving participants practical insight into labor dispute resolution.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• bbw Bildungswerk der Bayerischen Wirtschaft: Bavarian employer-led educational provider offering works council, vocational, and management training. Comparable product breadth and works council focus, but rooted in employer associations rather than trade unions and concentrated in southern Germany.

Direct peers

• DGB Bildungswerk Bund: DGB's national education arm delivering works council seminars, political education, and youth programs across Germany. Closest peer as it shares the same trade union sponsor and statutory training mandate under § 37 BetrVG.
• ver.di Bildungswerk: Educational arm of the ver.di service sector union delivering works council seminars and political education for service-sector employee representatives. Comparable trade union sponsorship and statutory mandate, but narrower industry focus.
• W.A.F. Wirtschaftsakademie für Führungskräfte: Private provider of works council and management seminars across Germany. Competes head-to-head on BR seminar content and pricing, and represents the largest private-sector encroachment into the space Arbeit und Leben occupies.
• Arbeit und Leben Hessen: Sister Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft jointly run by DGB and VHS in Hesse. Operates the same joint DGB/VHS sponsorship model with the same product portfolio (works council seminars, Bildungsurlaub, youth education), differing primarily by geography.
• Europäische Akademie der Arbeit (EAdA): Frankfurt-based academy offering continuing education for works councils and labor representatives with academic anchoring. Directly comparable in mission (labor-focused professional development) and target audience.
• ifb – Institut zur Förderung der Betriebsratsarbeit: Private continuing education provider specialized in works council training (BR I, BR II, BR III series, certified programs). Direct competitor serving the same target audience with similar seminar-based delivery model.
• Arbeit und Leben Berlin-Brandenburg: Sister organization covering Berlin and Brandenburg under the same DGB/VHS joint model. Directly comparable in product mix and statutory training mandate, illustrating how the Arbeit und Leben brand is replicated in other states.

Others

• Hans-Böckler-Stiftung: DGB-affiliated foundation funding labor research and continuing education programs for works councils. Adjacent enabler rather than direct competitor; its grants and research outputs shape the content and capacity of works council education providers.
• Volkshochschule (VHS) Landesverband NRW: NRW state association of adult education centers, one of two co-founders and strategic partners of Arbeit und Leben. Operates overlapping adult education and Bildungsurlaub programs; comparable delivery infrastructure and policy ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/aulnrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/aulnrw
• Instagraminstagram.com/aulnrw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arbeit-und-leben-nrw

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arbeit und Leben DGB/VHS NRW