Berufsbildungswerk Bethel

What Berufsbildungswerk Bethel does

Berufsbildungswerk Bethel is a nonprofit vocational rehabilitation institution headquartered in Bielefeld, Germany, operating as a core entity of Stiftung Bethel within the v. Bodelschwinghschen Stiftungen Bethel confederation. Established circa 1983, it serves young people aged 16–27 with participation limitations — including epilepsy, organic brain conditions, mental health impairments, and learning disabilities — providing vocational preparation (work trials, aptitude assessment, BvB measures), vocational training across 19 occupations in five professional fields (Agriculture, Nutrition/Home Economics, Metal Technology, Textile Technology, Business/Administration), supervised residential accommodation with 93 places, and integrated specialist services (social, medical, psychological, pastoral care). The institution is structurally embedded within the Epilepsiezentrum Bethel, Germany's largest epilepsy treatment and research center, which provides specialized medical and neurosurgical expertise through its partnership with Epilepsiekliniken Kidron und Mara.

The core technology layer is minimal and conventional: the institution uses Matomo for privacy-compliant web analytics, Moodle for digital learning content delivery, Google Maps and moBIEL for visitor routing, and TYPO3 for its public website. There are no proprietary software products, AI/ML capabilities, or commercial technology offerings. The asset base is fundamentally human — a multidisciplinary team of 60+ employees including trainers, social pedagogues, psychologists, medical staff, pastoral care workers, and case managers — supported by specialized facilities (agricultural plots at Quellenhofweg 149, horse-care site at Reitbetrieb Waterboer on Waterboerstraße 77, an on-site Reh Café practice facility) and integrated residential dormitories.

The business model is public-sector vocational rehabilitation under the German SGB III framework. Revenue is not commercially priced; costs for participants' vocational rehabilitation measures are fully covered by the Agentur für Arbeit through the standard rehabilitation approval process. Additional funding comes from state-level programs (notably the NRW/ESF '100 zusätzliche Ausbildungsplätze' project) and charitable contributions routed through the Bethel foundation structure. The go-to-market motion is sales-led via the Employment Agency referral channel and the BBW's own customer service team, with admissions handled through orientation visits, admission interviews, and consultation, and multi-intake points throughout the year enabling continuous enrollment. Distribution is regional (Bielefeld and NRW), with practical training phases conducted through cooperative arrangements with regional employers in participants' hometowns to support labor market integration. Marketing is primarily institutional: a professional website, Facebook/Instagram presence, image film, interactive brochure, and annual Tag der offenen Tür (open house) events, with no paid advertising.

Name

Berufsbildungswerk Bethel

Legal name

Stiftung Bethel

Website

https://bbw-bethel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Berufsbildungswerk Bethel is a nonprofit vocational rehabilitation institution in Bielefeld, Germany, part of Stiftung Bethel, providing vocational training, residential housing, and specialist support services for youth aged 16–27 with disabilities, publicly funded through the Agentur für Arbeit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vocational Evaluation & Career Assessment (Transition-Age) (EDAKANAC), Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

Keywords

• Vocational rehabilitation
• Disability employment training
• Supported employment services
• Residential vocational programs
• Social pedagogy support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Vocational Rehabilitation Funding: Funded by the German Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) through rehabilitation measures. The BBW receives public funding to provide vocational training and support services for young people with disabilities. Costs are covered through the regular rehabilitation approval process, not charged to participants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Berufsbildungswerk Bethel delivers vocational rehabilitation and training services for young people aged 16-27 with disabilities, including epilepsy, neurological conditions, mental health impairments, and learning disabilities. Its offering spans vocational preparation (work trials, aptitude assessment, BvB measures), certified vocational training across 19 occupations in five professional fields (agriculture, nutrition/housekeeping, metal technology, textile technology, business/administration), supervised residential housing (93 places), and multidisciplinary specialist services (social, medical, psychological, pastoral care).

Product overview

Berufsbildungswerk Bethel operates as an integrated vocational rehabilitation center offering a unified platform of services for young people with disabilities: vocational preparation (work trials, aptitude assessment, BvB measures), vocational training across 19 occupations in 5 professional fields (Agriculture, Nutrition/Housekeeping, Metal Technology, Textile Technology, Business/Administration), supervised residential housing (93 places), and specialist support services (social, medical, psychological, pastoral care). The center is part of the Epilepsy Center Bethel, the largest epilepsy treatment and research facility in Germany, specializing in training for youth with epilepsy and other neurological conditions. Key programs include the Reh Café practice facility, horse care vocational orientation, and the ESF-funded '100 Additional Training Places' initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Berufsvorbereitung (Vocational Preparation) Pre-vocational measures including work trials, aptitude assessment, and preparatory vocational training programs (BvB) for young people with disabilities aged 16-27.
• Berufsausbildung (Vocational Training) Vocational training across 19 occupations in 5 professional fields including agriculture, nutrition/housekeeping, metal technology, textile technology, and business/administration for young people with disabilities.
• Wohnen (Residential Living) Pedagogically supervised housing with 93 places in single rooms across two dormitories and several external residential groups in Bielefeld for participants in vocational training.
• Fachdienste (Specialist Services) Comprehensive specialist services including social service, medical service, psychological service, and pastoral care for holistic rehabilitation support of participants.
• Agrarwirtschaft (Agriculture) Training Vocational training in horticulture specialties (ornamental plant cultivation, Staudengärtnerei, garden and landscape construction) with 30 training places.
• Ernährung und Hauswirtschaft (Nutrition and Home Economics) Training Training in food preparation and household management including occupations such as cook (Koch/Köchin), home economist (Hauswirtschafter/-in), kitchen specialist (Beikoch/Beiköchin), and Fachpraktiker/-in Hauswirtschaft.
• Metalltechnik (Metal Technology) Training Metalworking trades training including machining (Zerspanungsmechanik), metal construction (Metallbau Konstruktionstechnik), and recycling with 27 training places.
• Textiltechnik (Textile Technology) Training Upholstery and decoration sewing training (Polster- und Dekorationsnäher/-in) with 9 training places.
• Wirtschaft und Verwaltung (Business and Administration) Training Retail and warehouse operations training with 29 places (21 for Fachpraktiker/-in im Verkauf and 8 for Lagerfachhelfer/-in), featuring an on-site practice café.
• Pferdepflege (Horse Care) Vocational Orientation Vocational orientation in horse care at the Waterboer riding facility for career discovery and qualification, offering Pferdeführerschein Umgang certification, including work trials, aptitude assessment, and BvB measures in cooperation with Reitbetrieb Waterboer.
• 100 zusätzliche Ausbildungsplätze (100 Additional Training Places) State-funded project providing 100 additional training places for young adults with disabilities, co-funded by the Land Nordrhein-Westfalen with European Social Fund and Federal Employment Agency support.

Quantifiable outcome

• All graduates from nutrition and home economics programs found employment in the last graduating class
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reitbetrieb WaterboercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Cooperation partner for the horse care vocational preparation program. Located in Bielefeld-Senne, the riding stable provides practical training facilities and opportunities for participants to learn proper horse handling, grooming, feeding, and stable management. The partnership enables BBW to offer specialized vocational orientation in animal care.
• Friedrich v. Bodelschwingh BerufskollegminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint projects and action days organized with the vocational college on topics related to religion and society, as part of the BBW's competence training and pastoral care offerings.
• Epilepsiekliniken Kidron und MaracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished cooperation with specialized epilepsy clinics for cases requiring inpatient treatment. BBW participants typically access the young adult epilepsy ward (JEEP). Full treatment spectrum available including psychotherapy, medication, pre-surgical diagnostics, and neurosurgery for focal, treatment-resistant epilepsies.
• Regional Companies and EmployerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVarious companies in the Bielefeld region and participants' hometowns cooperate with BBW for practical training phases, internships, and potential employment after graduation. These partnerships enable hands-on workplace experience and facilitate labor market integration.
• Agentur für Arbeit (Employment Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional partner that refers participants and funds the vocational rehabilitation measures. Multiple intake points throughout the year coordinated with the Employment Agency. Career counseling and job placement support provided in cooperation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Berufsförderungswerk (bfw): Vocational rehabilitation provider focused primarily on adult re-entry (rather than transition-age youth), but operating the same AZAV/SGB III funding model with similar training fields. Adjacent rather than directly overlapping with BBW Bethel's 16-27 youth focus.

Direct peers

• FAW - Fortbildungsakademie der Wirtschaft: Germany-wide vocational rehabilitation and qualification provider serving people with disabilities and health limitations. Comparable AZAV-certified organization operating vocational preparation and qualification programs funded by the Employment Agency.
• Internationaler Bund (IB): Large German nonprofit association providing vocational education, rehabilitation, and youth services including programs for people with disabilities. Comparable as a multi-site vocational rehabilitation provider funded by the Agentur für Arbeit and public sources.
• Berufsbildungswerk im Oberlinhaus: Potsdam-based BBW operated within the Oberlinhaus diakonische foundation, providing vocational training and residential care for youth with disabilities. Comparable foundation-led nonprofit model with Employment Agency funding.
• LWL-Berufsbildungswerk Soest: Vocational training institution for youth with disabilities operated by the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe in North Rhine-Westphalia. Direct regional peer within NRW, comparable in mission and funding structure to BBW Bethel.
• BBW München (Berufsbildungswerk München): Vocational rehabilitation center for young people with disabilities in Bavaria. Comparable in mission, AZAV funding model, multi-field training portfolio, and residential offering.
• CJD Braunschweig Berufsbildungswerk: CJD-operated BBW offering vocational preparation, training, and residential housing for youth with disabilities. Comparable in size, multi-field training portfolio, and AZAV/Agentur-für-Arbeit funding structure.
• Berufsbildungswerk Waiblingen: Major German Berufsbildungswerk in Baden-Württemberg offering vocational training and rehabilitation for youth with disabilities. Directly comparable as another AZAV-certified BBW with similar training field structure and Employment Agency funding model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=D0a8HOv3bVE
• Facebookfacebook.com/bbw.bethel
• Instagraminstagram.com/bbw.bethel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berufsbildungswerk-bethel

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Berufsbildungswerk Bethel