The HIBB was founded as an independent state-owned company of the Authority for Schools, Family and Vocational Training (BSFB) on 1 January 2007. It comprises 29 state vocational schools and the HIBB head office. The HIBB head office governs, advises and supports the schools and is responsible for the further development of vocational training and school supervision.

The Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education and Training (HIBB) aims to ensure that all young people and adults can participate in vocational training, work and society without barriers or restrictions, regardless of their cultural, religious, social or individual background. Such vocational education and training enables young people and adults to acquire, maintain and expand professional skills that empower them to shape their own lives. The HIBB continually develops vocational training in Hamburg in response to the evolving world of work and life. The HIBB pursues these goals in partnership with training providers, embracing the joint responsibility of the state and industry, and involving all relevant stakeholders and their expertise.

The HIBB head office governs, advises and supports the vocational schools and is responsible for the further development of vocational training and school supervision.

The management of the HIBB is accountable to the management of the BSFB. The HIBB enters into target and performance agreements with the BSFB (see downloads). The management operates autonomously and reports to the HIBB’s Board of Trustees.

The HIBB head office fulfils its tasks in four business units:

• School development/governance and counselling
• Design of educational pathways and transitions
• Human resources and finance, as well as
• Extracurricular and continuing vocational education and training

These are complemented by the

• Department for strategic controlling, parliamentary affairs and public relations.

The business units’ responsibilities include

• Legal and professional supervision of vocational schools
• Implementation of all ministerial functions and fundamental vocational and continuing education and training matters
• Supreme state authority under the Vocational Training Act (BBiG)/Crafts Code (HwO) and supreme state authority under the Upgrading Training Assistance Act (AFBG)
• Supervision of head teachers
• Advice and support for vocational schools
• Coordination of school and extracurricular vocational training
• Partner of Hamburg’s Youth Employment Agency
• Further development of existing promotion structures
• Steering vocational schools through target and performance agreements, quality development, controlling and reporting
• Preparation of business plans and annual financial statements and distribution of individual budgets to the schools

Organisational chart of the HIBB (only available in German)

Hamburg’s largest state-owned company employing 3,029 staff, including

• 2,593 teachers at vocational schools
• 267 employees, including educational and therapeutic specialists, as well as technical and administrative staff
• 169 employees at the HIBB head office
  (staff figures as of December 2024)

Annual turnover of approx. EUR 461 million in 2024
29 state vocational schools (as of August 2025)
Around 45,300 students, of which

• 78 percent are in vocational education and training
• 6 percent in continuing vocational education and training
• 11 percent in preparation for vocational training and
• 5 percent in educational programmes leading to higher education entrance qualifications
  (student numbers according to the 2024 school year survey)

Here you can find annual reports, target and performance agreements and annual financial statements of the HIBB in German