What Verein BAJ e.V. does

Verein BAJ e.V. (legally Berufliche Ausbildung und Qualifizierung Jugendlicher und Erwachsener – Verein BAJ e.V.) is a Bielefeld-based registered non-profit association founded on 31 January 1984 by 45 citizens to organise extra-company vocational training (BaE) for particularly disadvantaged youth. Over 40 years it has grown into a multi-programme vocational training and youth social work provider operating more than 500 qualification places across trades including metal, woodworking, hairdressing, painting, plumbing/HVAC, logistics, and bicycle mechanics, with a workforce of over 80 staff and a wholly-owned subsidiary, Heinz Hunger Berufskolleg gGmbH, which runs the state-recognised private Berufskolleg am Tor 6 serving approximately 500 students. Its service portfolio spans career orientation (KAoA/ESI), vocational preparation (BvB), in-house and company-based apprenticeships, supported training for people with disabilities (BaE-Reha), adult retraining (Umschulung), and modular qualifications, supplemented by outreach projects (BEATZ4B, BEATZ4OWL, Youschool) that use music, sport, fashion, gaming and a mobile multimedia truck to engage youth aged 9-27 in difficult life situations.

The technology layer is built on standard digital tools: a Moodle-based E-Learning portal with integrated Big Blue Button video conferencing, the Logineo LMS for the Berufskolleg, plus Zoom and Jitsi Meet (via fairkom) for communication. Distribution combines the Dürkopp Tor 6 training centre workshops, the mobile Youschool truck, school partnerships, street work, and an open community meeting point (BEATZ-Café). Marketing channels include a content-rich website, project-specific Instagram accounts, Facebook pages, and a symposia series ('Jugend und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung') positioning the organisation in policy dialogue.

Revenue is overwhelmingly public: European Social Fund (ESF) co-funding, NRW Ministry of Labour funding, Jobcenter Arbeit*plus* Bielefeld, and City of Bielefeld grants form the core, supplemented by Bildungsgutschein-funded individual training and small-ticket company workshop fees (€45-€95 per workshop day for metal and €45-€1,000 per logistics module). Membership in BAG ÖRT since 1984 provides a nationwide advocacy voice, and AZAV certification since 3 June 2010 authorises the acceptance of education vouchers. No revenue figure is publicly disclosed; ownership is non-profit with no parent, no venture capital, and no listed equity.

Name

Verein BAJ e.V.

Legal name

Berufliche Ausbildung und Qualifizierung Jugendlicher und Erwachsener – Verein BAJ e.V.

Website

https://baj-bi.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Verein BAJ e.V. is a Bielefeld-based German non-profit founded in 1984 delivering vocational training, retraining, and youth outreach for disadvantaged youth and adults, operating over 500 qualification places and a state-recognised Berufskolleg serving approximately 500 students, funded primarily by ESF and NRW public sources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Training and Education Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative Education & Dropout Prevention / Re-Engagement Programs (EDANAJAF)

Keywords

• Vocational training services
• Youth education programs
• Apprenticeship programs
• Disability employment support
• Continuing education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (ESF and State NRW): Majority of funding from European Social Fund (ESF), Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia, and federal programs for vocational training initiatives.
2. Training Services for Companies: Fees for training modules, apprenticeship support, and continuing education courses for businesses in metal, logistics, and other trades.
3. Vocational School Operations: Operating the private, state-recognized Berufskolleg am Tor 6 under Heinz Hunger Berufskolleg gGmbH.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Verein BAJ e.V. is a German registered non-profit association that delivers vocational preparation (BvB), in-house and partner-company apprenticeships, supported training for people with disabilities (BaE-Reha), and continuing education/retraining (Umschulungen) for disadvantaged youth and adults. The organization also runs a vocational orientation program (Berufskolleg am Tor 6), specialized youth projects (BEATZ4B, Youschool, BEATZ4OWL, Türöffner), and an E-Learning platform based on Moodle to support blended learning.

Product overview

Verein BAJ e.V. is a vocational training and education organization offering a comprehensive, multi-tiered portfolio of programs centered on vocational orientation, preparation, training, and continuing education for youth and adults. The core offerings include E-Learning BAJ (a Moodle-based digital learning portal with integrated video conferencing), Berufsvorbereitende Bildungsmaßnahme (vocational preparation), in-house and company-based apprenticeships, supported training for people with disabilities, and the Ausbildungswege NRW coaching program. The subsidiary Berufskolleg am Tor 6 provides full-time vocational schooling. Specialized youth engagement projects like BEATZ4B and Youschool use creative media approaches (music studios, gaming, calisthenics) for outreach. The continuing education division offers modular retraining (Umschulung) and qualification programs in trades including plumbing/HVAC, hairdressing, carpentry, painting, metal technology, bicycle mechanics, and household management, with practical training phases in partner businesses. Training support modules serve company apprentices in logistics and metal trades. Together these offerings form an integrated pathway from career orientation through initial training to advanced retraining.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BEATZ4B: Project for young people aged 14–27 in difficult life situations providing contact, social work, interest-based projects in music (HipHop), calisthenics, gaming, and fashion/design, as well as an open café.
• Youschool
• BEATZ4OWL
• Türöffner
• Berufskolleg am Tor 6
• angekommen in deiner Stadt Bielefeld

Products and services

• Vocational Preparation (BvB / Berufsvorbereitende Bildungsmaßnahmen) Vocational preparation measures (BvB) designed to prepare disadvantaged young people and adults for entry into apprenticeship or employment through classroom instruction, practical training, and career guidance.
• Apprenticeships (In-house and Partner Companies) Structured apprenticeship programs delivered either at the association's own training facilities or through partnerships with companies, providing participants with on-the-job training and recognized vocational qualifications.
• Supported Training for People with Disabilities (BaE-Reha) Berufsausbildung in außerbetrieblichen Einrichtungen - Rehabilitation (BaE-Reha) supported vocational training that provides individualized coaching, qualification, and workplace integration for people with disabilities.
• Continuing Education and Retraining (Umschulungen) Umschulungen (retraining) and continuing education courses enabling participants to acquire new vocational qualifications or upskill for career changes.
• Vocational Orientation Program (Berufskolleg am Tor 6) A vocational orientation program (Berufskolleg am Tor 6) supporting young people in exploring and selecting suitable vocational pathways through counseling and orientation modules.
• E-Learning Platform (Moodle-based) An online learning environment built on the Moodle LMS, used by participants of BAJ training programs to access digital course content, exercises, and self-paced learning materials.
• Specialized Youth Projects (BEATZ4B, Youschool, BEATZ4OWL, Türöffner) Targeted youth projects including BEATZ4B, Youschool, BEATZ4OWL, and Türöffner, which engage disadvantaged young people through creative, cultural, educational, and integration-focused activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 new Ausbildungsstellen created through ANNE project (2004-2008)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Creos Lernideen und Beratung GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Joint implementation of BEATZ4B project since January 2019, funded by Jobcenter Arbeit*plus* Bielefeld and the City of Bielefeld. Creos provides gaming and digital learning components while BAJ handles social work and career integration.
• BAG ÖRT (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft örtlich regionaler Träger der Jugendsozialarbeit e.V.)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 1984BAJ has been a member of BAG ÖRT since 1984. BAG ÖRT provides a nationwide voice for disadvantaged youth who otherwise lack advocacy. The association supports active participation in association work at federal and state levels.
• Energie Impuls OWLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ANNE project (2004-2008) for developing an Ausbildungsnetzwerk in the new energy sector. Provided branch contacts while BAJ contributed expertise in vocational training.
• Bildungswerk Verkehr Wirtschaft Logistik NRW e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for NetLogTS project (2007-2010) focused on creating Ausbildungsplätze in the logistics sector.
• REGE mbH / Jugendberufsagentur BielefeldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioning partner for Werk(statt)schule, supporting school-avoidant youth through alternative classroom approaches.
• Various Schools in BielefeldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with schools including Hans-Christian-Andersen Schule Sennestadt, Realschule am Schlehenweg Baumheide, Luisenrealschule L2, and others for Youschool activities and career orientation programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DEKRA Akademie: Major commercial vocational training academy offering retraining and continuing education (Umschulung) across many trades nationwide. Broader scale and commercial orientation but overlapping content in metal, logistics, and technical trades with BAJ's modular training support.
• TÜV Rheinland Akademie / TÜV NORD Bildung: Large commercial German education subsidiaries offering certified retraining, technical apprenticeships, and continuing education in trades such as metal, logistics, and safety — broader geographic scale but overlapping trade-course and module-pricing model with BAJ's company-facing training support.

Direct peers

• CJD (Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands e.V.): One of Germany's largest non-profit vocational education and youth social work organizations, offering vocational preparation (BvB-equivalent), in-house and company apprenticeships, supported training (BaE-Reha), and outreach projects — directly comparable program portfolio and beneficiary profile to BAJ.
• Bildungswerk der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bbw gGmbH): Bavarian employer-led vocational education provider delivering career orientation, apprenticeships, and continuing education in multiple trades — comparable full-stack vocational pathway and trade-coverage concept to BAJ, though regionally focused on Bavaria.
• JOBLINGE gAG: National German initiative pairing disadvantaged NEET youth (15-27) with mentors and employer partners for labor market integration. Highly comparable to BAJ's BEATZ4B/Youschool NEET re-engagement and Ausbildungswege NRW coaching models.
• DRK (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz) Bildungsangebote: German Red Cross vocational and integration programmes offering supported training for disadvantaged and disabled learners, language courses, and youth mobility programmes — comparable in social-work-integrated vocational training and beneficiary profile.
• Caritas Bildungswerk / Caritas vocational integration services: Catholic welfare association's vocational education division providing qualification, integration, and apprenticeship programmes for disadvantaged youth and adults in Germany — comparable in social-pedagogical integration with vocational content and target population.
• Kolping Bildungswerk Deutschland: Major Catholic vocational training and youth social work network providing supported apprenticeships, vocational preparation, and retraining (Umschulung) for disadvantaged populations across Germany. Closely comparable to BAJ in mission, target groups, and multi-trade workshop model.
• bfw – Unternehmen für Bildung: Large German vocational training and qualification provider delivering apprenticeships, retraining (Umschulung), modular qualifications, and supported training across multiple trades. Closely comparable service portfolio, AZAV-style certification use, and modular unit pricing to BAJ.
• IN VIA Katholische Mädchensozialarbeit / IN VIA Deutschland: Catholic social and migration services provider offering vocational integration, language training, and supported apprenticeships for refugees, migrants, and disadvantaged women — directly comparable to BAJ's 'angekommen in deiner Stadt Bielefeld' refugee and BaE-Reha offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verein-baj-e-v-

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Verein BAJ e.V.