Career Change · Niv Nicolas Nowbakht
Most people who qualify for AVGS-funded coaching never apply. Not because they don’t want to — because nobody explained how it actually works.
Key Takeaways in 30 Seconds
- AVGS vouchers cover 100% of coaching costs — no out-of-pocket payment
- Most people who qualify don’t know they qualify
- The right order matters: coach first, then case worker
- It starts faster than you think — and feels completely different once it does
The Part Nobody Explains
There’s a good chance the German government will pay for your coaching. Fully. Not partially. Fully.
If you’re in a career transition — after parental leave, job loss, illness, or simply feeling stuck — and you’re registered with the Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter, you likely qualify for an AVGS voucher. It covers the entire cost of coaching with an approved provider. You pay nothing.
Most people who would qualify never apply. Not because they tried and failed. Because they never knew it existed. Or they assumed the bureaucracy would be overwhelming. Or they didn’t know how to find a coach they could actually trust.
This post covers all three.
What AVGS Actually Is
AVGS stands for Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein — a government voucher that covers coaching costs when you’re registered with the Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter and working toward re-entering the job market or making a career transition. In Germany, funded career coaching — gefördertes Coaching — is available through this program to far more people than currently use it.
You don’t pay anything. The voucher goes to the coaching provider through an AZAV-certified carrier. You get the coaching. The government covers the cost.
What trips people up isn’t the program. It’s the order of steps.
The Right Order — Step by Step
This is the single most important thing. Go into the Jobcenter prepared — not asking whether coaching is possible, but telling them you’ve already spoken with a coach, you know what you want to work on, and you’re requesting the AVGS voucher. That conversation goes completely differently. In my experience, most clients go from first conversation to first coaching session within two to three weeks. Most people expect this to take months. It usually doesn’t.
Your case worker needs to see a clear connection between the coaching and your re-entry into the job market. Direction, job search strategy, interview preparation, building confidence, networking — all of these qualify. Vague requests get vague responses.
Your case worker issues the voucher. It goes to the AZAV-certified carrier. Coaching starts.
This is the part that surprises people most. Once it starts, it moves. Suddenly there’s someone who is 100% on your side, focused entirely on your situation, bringing structure to something that felt overwhelming. The process that felt bureaucratic and heavy starts to feel like it’s actually going somewhere.
That shift — from overwhelmed to in flow — is what I hear most often after the first few sessions.
How to Find a Coach You Actually Trust
The voucher solves the cost problem. It doesn’t solve the trust problem.
A coach you found on a list is not the same as a coach who gets you. Before you commit to anyone — AVGS-funded or not — have a real conversation first. Not a sales call. A conversation where you talk about what’s actually going on and see what comes back.
What to pay attention to:
- Does the coach actually understand your situation — or are they applying a generic framework to it?
- Do they bring impulses that move something? Not just validation, but a perspective that makes you think differently about your own situation.
- Can they support you across the full range of what a career transition involves — bureaucracy, self-understanding, confidence, job search, networking? Or do they only cover one of these?
- Do you feel like a partner in the process — or like a client being processed?
You’ll know within one conversation. Trust that.
I’m based in Berlin and work with career changers across the DACH region and beyond — in German and English. You can find my AVGS coach profile here.
“Once it starts, it moves. Suddenly there’s someone 100% on your side — and what felt overwhelming starts to feel like flow.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for an AVGS voucher?
Anyone registered with the Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter who is working toward re-entering the job market or making a career transition. This includes people returning after parental leave, after job loss, after illness, or after a longer career break. Your case worker confirms eligibility — but go in prepared, not asking.
Does the coach have to be on an approved list?
The coaching provider needs to work through an AZAV-certified carrier. I’m approved through such a carrier. You can find my Jobcenter coaching profile here.
What if my case worker says it’s not possible?
Ask specifically for the AVGS voucher by name. Case workers have different levels of familiarity with the program. Going in after a first coaching conversation — knowing what you want to work on — significantly changes the dynamic.
Can I use AVGS for online coaching?
Yes. Online coaching is fully eligible. This matters especially if you’re in a location without many approved coaches nearby, or if flexibility matters given your current life situation.
You’ve read how AVGS works. Next step: a first conversation to find out if we’re a fit — before you go anywhere near the Jobcenter. No pitch, no commitment.
Niv Nicolas Nowbakht
ICF-educated Career & Leadership Coach, Berlin · 12+ years of experience · M.A. Communication Sciences · AZAV-approved for government-funded coaching
English 
German