Bergisches Berufskolleg Wipperfürth und Wermelskirchen

What Bergisches Berufskolleg Wipperfürth und Wermelskirchen does

The Bergisches Berufskolleg Wipperfürth und Wermelskirchen is a public vocational school (Berufskolleg) formed in 2018 from the merger of the two predecessor Berufskollegs in Wermelskirchen and Wipperfürth, and is operated by the Oberbergischer Kreis (district authority) in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The school operates two campuses — Ringstr. 42 in Wipperfürth and Kattwinkelstr. 2 in Wermelskirchen — and delivers vocational education across five departments: Agrarwirtschaft, Gesundheit und Soziales/Ernährung und Versorgung, Informatik, Metalltechnik, and Wirtschaft und Verwaltung. It serves two primary student segments: dual-system apprentices (Auszubildende with an Ausbildungsvertrag) who attend part-time alongside workplace training, and full-time school students (Berufsfachschule, Fachoberschule, Höhere Berufsfachschule, Berufliches Gymnasium) seeking vocational qualifications up to the Allgemeine Hochschulreife (Abitur). A supplementary Internationale Förderklasse (IFK) provides language integration for newly immigrated youth, and a PIA pathway trains Erzieher/in (early childhood educators) via a paid work-study model.

The school operates a Moodle-based learning management system (moodle.bbk.schule) and WebUntis for scheduling/timetabling, and maintains specialized technical training infrastructure including a Festo Didactic MecLab automation training system and an Industry 4.0 pilot plant for SPS/PLC programming. Curricular software spans SolidWorks (CAD), DATEV (ERP/tax), Python/C++/Processing (programming), and visual programming tools (Snap!, WordPress, CoSpaces, Gather.town) used in Erasmus+ digital projects. The school is a founding member of the zdi 'investMINT Oberberg' STEM-promotion center (2011) and holds the Erasmus+ Qualitätssiegel 2018 for international mobility programs with partner schools in Estonia and Slovenia.

The business model is public-sector: tuition is free, revenue is derived from state and district appropriations (Oberbergischer Kreis + NRW), and the institution participates in the BAföG federal student-aid system and the Deutschlandticket Schülerticket public-transport subsidy. The school generates no commercial revenue. It is a co-founder (2024) of the Regional Educational Center Berufskollegs (RBZB) Oberberg with Berufskolleg Dieringhausen and Kaufmännisches Berufskolleg Oberberg — the first cooperation of its kind in the Regierungsbezirk Köln — designed to secure vocational programs against declining apprenticeship numbers and accelerate adoption of new training occupations including AI-related fields. The merged Förderverein e.V. (since 2020-06-24) supplements public funding through community/donor support. Distribution is regionally constrained to the Oberbergischer Kreis and surrounding NRW districts, with student recruitment via in-person enrollment, the SchülerOnline portal, and the annual Bergischer Ausbildungstag career fair (50+ regional employer exhibitors).

Name

Bergisches Berufskolleg Wipperfürth und Wermelskirchen

Legal name

Bergisches Berufskolleg Wipperfürth und Wermelskirchen

Website

https://berufskolleg.schule

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Bergisches Berufskolleg Wipperfürth und Wermelskirchen is a public vocational school in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, operating two campuses and offering dual-system apprenticeships and full-time vocational education across five departments to regional school-leavers and apprentices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Experiential Learning & Internships/Co-ops (EDALABAG)

Keywords

• Vocational education
• Dual training system
• Apprenticeship programs
• STEM career training
• Secondary education

Headquarters

HQ city

Wipperfürth

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State/Federal Government Education Funding: As a public Berufskolleg (vocational school) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the institution is funded by the Oberbergischer Kreis (municipal authority) and the state of NRW. Funding covers instructional staff salaries, infrastructure, and operational costs. No commercial revenue model applies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Public vocational school providing dual-system vocational training and full-time vocational education programs for students in the Wipperfürth and Wermelskirchen area of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Combines classroom instruction with workplace-based apprenticeships across multiple occupational tracks.

Product overview

Bergisches Berufskolleg Wipperfürth und Wermelskirchen is a vocational college offering dual-system vocational training (Berufsschule), full-time educational programs (Vollzeitschulische Bildungsgänge), and supplementary career orientation activities. The institution operates across five main educational departments: Agrarwirtschaft (Agriculture), Gesundheit und Soziales/Ernährung und Versorgung (Health and Social Services/Nutrition), Informatik (IT), Metalltechnik (Metal Technology), and Wirtschaft und Verwaltung (Business and Administration). The product portfolio includes vocational training in dual system format, full-time programs at various qualification levels (from vocational preparation through to professional gymnasium leading to university entrance), annual regional career fairs (Bergischer Ausbildungstag), zdi STEM workshops, and Erasmus+ international mobility programs. The school uses enterprise platforms including Moodle for learning management and WebUntis for scheduling, and offers specialized software training in CAD (SolidWorks), programming (Python, Processing), and tax software (DATEV) within its technical and business programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Regionales Bildungszentrum Berufskollegs (RBZB): Regional educational center formed by the three Berufskollegs of Oberbergischer Kreis together with the district authority.

Products and services

• Dual-system vocational training (Berufsschule) Part-time vocational school instruction paired with on-the-job apprenticeships at regional companies for students in recognized training occupations. Targets apprentices and the employers sponsoring them.
• Vocational gymnasium (Berufliches Gymnasium) Three-year upper secondary program leading to the Abitur (university entrance qualification) with a vocational specialization. Serves students aiming for both higher education access and a professional focus.
• Full-time vocational school (Berufsfachschule) Full-time school-based vocational training programs in various occupational fields, delivering recognized qualifications without an apprenticeship component. Targets school leavers seeking practical vocational credentials.
• Higher vocational school (Höhere Berufsfachschule) Full-time advanced vocational program providing specialized professional qualifications and, in some cases, the Fachhochschulreife (higher education entrance qualification). Serves students aiming for skilled occupations or further study at universities of applied sciences.
• Fachoberschule (technical secondary school) Two-year program combining classroom instruction with an internship year, leading to the Fachhochschulreife qualification. Targets students with a Mittlerer Schulabschluss who want to qualify for higher education at applied sciences universities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,500 students trained annually across the three RBZB Berufskollegs, contributing substantially to regional skilled workforce supply
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

AI capability7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Regionales Bildungszentrum Berufskollegs (RBZB) OberbergcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Three Berufskollegs of the Oberbergischer Kreis (Berufskolleg Dieringhausen, Bergisches Berufskolleg Wipperfürth und Wermelskirchen, Kaufmännisches Berufskolleg Oberberg) founded a joint Regional Education Center with the Oberbergischer Kreis as school authority. A newly created coordination office (Koordinierungsstelle) at one of the Berufskollegs oversees cooperation and shared development processes. Goals include securing vocational programs against declining apprenticeship numbers and enabling faster adoption of new training occupations including AI-related fields. With ~7,500 students across the three schools, the RBZB is the first cooperation of its kind in the Regierungsbezirk Köln.
• Šolski center Nova Gorica (Slovenia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Erasmus+ partner school in Nova Gorica, Slovenia, active since approximately 2020. Hosts German students for international internships in IT and other fields. Contributed to the 'Sustainable Usage of ICT-devices (SUIT)' (2020-2022) and 'Enhancing intercultural and professional skills of IT students' (2021-2023) projects.
• 17 Kooperationsschulen (Cooperation Schools of the Oberbergischer Kreis)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2016Cooperation agreements between the three Berufskollegs of the Oberbergischer Kreis and 17 general-education secondary schools (Jakob-Moreno-Schule, Janus-Korczak-Schule, Freie Waldorfschule Oberberg, Gesamtschule Marienheide, Realschule Steinberg, Beste Wiehl, FCBG Hauptschule, Homburgisches Gymnasium Nümbrecht, GHS Radevormwald, Sekundarschule Engelskirchen, Realschule Bergneustadt, Realschule Hepel, Lindengymnasium Gummersbach, Sekundarschule Nümbrecht, Realschule Waldbröl, Hauptschule Wipperfürth, GHS Bergneustadt). Formalized cooperation contracts structured communication, student pathways, and transition support between general and vocational education.
• Rakvere Ametikool (Estonia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Long-standing Erasmus+ partner school in Rakvere, Estonia. The partnership, active for over 10 years, enables student exchanges, international internships (e.g., 2-week placements for HBFT students, IT student internships), and teacher job-shadowing. The Estonian project manager Katre Lomp organizes placements and cultural programs.
• investMINT Oberberg (zdi-Zentrum)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 February 2011The school is a founding member of the zdi (Zukunft durch Innovation) center 'investMINT Oberberg', co-founded with the Fachhochschule Köln and regional schools on 08.02.2011. The zdi center aims to inspire students in MINT (Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences, Technology) subjects and develops joint workshops, certifications, and teacher training programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Berufskolleg Dieringhausen: One of the two other founding members of the RBZB Oberberg and a publicly funded Berufskolleg in the same Oberbergischer Kreis, offering overlapping dual-system vocational training programs. It is the most direct comparable given shared RBZB governance, identical funding model, and joint coordination office.
• Kaufmännisches Berufskolleg Oberberg: The third RBZB founding member, a business-focused Berufskolleg in the Oberbergischer Kreis. It is a direct peer due to identical funding model, shared coordination under RBZB, and overlap in Wirtschaft und Verwaltung programs.

Regional players

• Berufskolleg Köln: A larger NRW Berufskolleg in the urban center of Köln that competes for dual-system apprentices and full-time vocational students from the same broader labor market. Comparable because of identical Berufskolleg legal status, NRW funding model, and overlapping program offerings.
• Berufskolleg Mülheim an der Ruhr (Carl Stötter): Another NRW Berufskolleg operating under the same legal framework as BBK with comparable dual-system programs, full-time vocational tracks, and Erasmus+ participation. Comparable structurally even though the catchment area is in a different part of NRW.
• Robert-Bosch-Berufskolleg Dortmund: A larger NRW Berufskolleg known for technical/automation vocational training. It is a relevant broader peer given its Festo/Industry 4.0 training infrastructure comparable to BBK's MecLab and Industry 4.0 pilot plant.
• Ludwig-Erhard-Berufskolleg: An NRW Berufskolleg specializing in business and administration programs (Wirtschaft und Verwaltung) comparable to BBK's Wirtschaft department, with similar dual-system structure and BAföG-eligible full-time tracks.
• Max-Born-Berufskolleg: An NRW Berufskolleg offering technical and natural science programs. Comparable because of its MINT focus and STEM integration similar to BBK's zdi investMINT Oberberg involvement.

Broad incumbents

• Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB): Germany's federal institute for vocational education and training, which administers the Erasmus+ national agency that awarded BBK its 2018 Qualitätssiegel. Comparable because it defines the policy and recognition framework within which every Berufskolleg operates.
• IHK Köln (Industrie- und Handelskammer zu Köln): The regional chamber of industry and commerce that oversees apprenticeship examinations for dual-system trainees in the BBK catchment area. Comparable as a structural stakeholder whose policies and exam frameworks shape BBK's dual-system programs.

Others

• zdi-Zentrum (Zukunft durch Innovation NRW): The NRW-wide STEM outreach network of which BBK's investMINT Oberberg center is a member. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that coordinates MINT programming, teacher training, and certification at the regional level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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