‘Youth Employment Agency Oberberg’ goes online: Information portal about training and career start Service offer for young people and adults

Oberberg District. With support and service offerings, the Youth Career Agency Oberberg is now available quickly, easily, and free of charge: as of today, the online portal of the Youth Career Agency Oberberg is live at www.jba-oberberg.de. The platform is designed to be transparent and simple, so that interested parties can directly find out who to contact with their questions about training and starting a career.

In the Oberberg District, the Employment Agency, the Jobcenter Oberberg, and the District Youth Office, under the guidance of the Municipal Coordination Office for School-to-Work/Study Transition, have joined forces to form a Youth Career Agency to reach out to young people in need of guidance and offer them tailored services.
"We want to present young people in the Oberberg District with demand-oriented offers 'as if from a single source' and thus enable jointly coordinated, individual solutions. Career starters no longer need to figure out for themselves which service provider is best suited to help in a given situation. The Youth Career Agency Oberberg is a single point of contact for all topics at the school-to-career transition. It provides continuous support to avoid disruptions and unnecessary waiting times for career starters," says Frank Herhaus, Head of Planning, Regional Development, Environment, and Economic Promotion of the Oberberg District.

A central place for diverse needs

"With the new Youth Career Agency Oberberg, we are breaking down bureaucratic barriers and offering young people all the help they need through a single access point. Through the close networking of youth welfare services, the Employment Agency, and the Jobcenter, there is an uncomplicated access to the advisory and support systems. We can help young people who trust us to set the course for a self-determined, financially secure life," says Rainer Drescher, Managing Director of Jobcenter Oberberg.

The dedicated regional partners are familiar with the needs of young people on-site and the situation in the (upper) Bergisch labor market. At the same time, they are aware of other offerings besides their own diverse services, such as those from schools, educational institutions, and other organizations. They therefore know who is responsible for which questions at what time and can offer individually meaningful support.

The online portal "jba-oberberg.de" provides support

The portal jba-oberberg.de is intentionally designed to be simple: With just a few clicks, young people have the opportunity to easily, quickly, and confidentially communicate their concerns to the Youth Career Agency and, depending on their preference, receive advice over the phone or by mail. For questions about finding training opportunities, dealing with issues during training, looking for a job or a place of study, and other information needs, the staff of the Youth Career Agency work with young people to find the right personal path. Additionally, the website provides information on various events in the field of career orientation.

(Insert image from homepage of jba-oberberg.de)

Heike Alberts, Team Leader of Career Counseling Before Working Life at the Employment Agency, emphasizes: "Every young person should have a perspective. The Youth Career Agency stands for short paths, quick support, and close collaboration between all partners. Together, we help young people successfully find their own path into training and careers."

Comprehensive support by the Youth Career Agency

"Successful educational and career paths often do not depend solely on academic performance. Personal, family, or social challenges can significantly hinder entry. The Youth Career Agency creates the conditions to comprehensively support young people, which is why we expressly welcome its establishment," says Ralf Schmallenbach, Head of Health, Youth, and Social Affairs of the Oberberg District. Even for questions and issues beyond the actual search for training or a job, the Youth Career Agency team offers advisory and support services.

Young people can now contact the Youth Career Agency and benefit from the expertise of the staff from the Employment Agency, Jobcenter, and Youth Welfare Services. The Youth Career Agency team looks forward to active use of the services.

At the OBKarriere study and career orientation fair on October 15, 2026, in the SchwalbeArena in Gummersbach, staff from the Youth Career Agency will also be available on-site for further information and discussions.