About us

Supportive, diverse, insightful – the BFW, or Berufsförderungswerk der Bauindustrie NRW  (Vocational Training Institute of the Construction Industry in North-Rhine Westphalia) is a training centre that specialises in future-proof vocational training, university studies and continuing education. 

The BFW is a non-profit institution for the initial and continuing training of workers in the construction industry.

The headquarters of the BFW are located in Düsseldorf, near the Association for the Construction Industry. There, the BFW is best positioned to have an influence on politics in vocational training in Germany and to work on national and international projects that are supported by companies in the construction industry.

The BFW headquarters manages 3 inter-company training centres for the construction industry (Ausbildungszentrum der Bauindustrie in German) in North-Rhine-Westphalia: Essen, Hamm and Kerpen. The training centres are equipped with generous training facilities to teach employees in the construction industry all of the skills that they need. Employees are trained in 25 professions that are in demand in the construction industry, such as workers, clerks or technicians. Participants in seminars and training courses may stay overnight in our guest houses and are provided with food in the canteens that are part of the training centres.

Because of the role of the BFW in the construction industry – our connections with companies,  networks in the construction industry, politics and vocational schools – and because of the experience that the BFW has built up over decades, the BFW has often been selected as the ideal partner in Germany for various international projects.

Further activities:  

  • dual system of training / studies … in cooperation with German universities
  • continuing education … for professional careers
  • training for unemployed job-seekers
  • operation of a conference hotel
  • operation of construction machinery training centre
  • operation of private vocational school for professions in construction
  • operation of training centre for e-learning in professions in construction
  • international projects

Our three ”inter-company training centres” (= ABZ):

Westphalia region:  ABZ Hamm
32,000 m², 7,850 m² indoor facility, capacity for 270 trainees, Director: Gerhard Geske

Rheinland region:  ABZ Kerpen
50,000 m², 22,000 m² indoor facility, capacity for 300 trainees, Director: Ulrich Goos

Ruhr region:  ABZ Oberhausen
37,500 m², 10,000 m² indoor facility, capacity for 300 trainees, Director: Jens Waldoch