I'm in RAV and i received german language course , but i already have one bought by myself . I have course via skype but my berater says that this is not official and proper course so i need to go to the one he gives me instead.

i cannot go to both because they are more or less at the same time

Also i just don't want to. I think skype course is better, i can speak with teacher 1on1, and i don't need to commute anywhere.

so my question is - how many days of penalty i can receive from berater if i don't take his course, and most important - can he keep giving me penalties for not going for next courses? So if i receive one penalty, can he give me another language course and then another penalty if i refuse it again?

If I were you, I would take the RAV DE course, and get a certificate ( apart from the Lunchchecks and travel money ).

It would be better to sell the Skype course. You really need the official course certificate. Not many people get German language courses, you are very lucky!

The RAV is the administration for the unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung). This is governed by Swiss laws, so you could probably be fined indefinitely.

Off topic but on the subject of expenses... my local RAV sent me on a three-week course on motivation letter, CV and interview techniques. The course (which was truly excellent - hats off to them for funding it) was held 5 minutes' walk from where I live, so I was very surprised to receive 300 CHF in travel and lunch expenses which I had not asked for.

I sent my RAV counsellor an email pointing out what was surely an error (and a waste of public money), but two months later they still haven't asked for the money back.

The money is rightfully due to you. I received travel money and meal vouchers called LunchChecks.



http://www.lunch-check.ch/de/pages/start.htm

How do you get these courses?? I would love to do one, without having to pay an arm & a leg for it!

Ordinarily, these courses can cost an arm and leg if paid directly by you.

Were you to be registered for RAV ( i.e. registered as unemployed ), your RAV counsellor may at his / her discretion offer you language lessons, free to you and all paid for by RAV, from a choice of good schools. Apart from fees, RAV also pays you travel and meals.

I'm sorry to tell you, you have to go. You are penalized for every day you are not there. Every day. Think of it as your "work".

Unless you do some temporary work, which comes before any course even if your RAV advisor says differently!

Right. The OP is excused from class if he working, not however, if the OP just wants to take a Skype German class from home instead of the one being offered & paid for by the RAV.

And that would be true, regardless of the salary being paid! If that work is not what you normally do it's even more 'brownie' points.

As others have said, you will be penalized indefinitely if you do not go on the course so you may as well just do it.

I don't know what the course is like where you are but I have very luckily benefited from 2 german courses off the RAV lasting 6.5 months. The course was pretty intense 22 hours per week but I learnt a lot from it and got my german from a total beginner to a b1+ level. Granted I did want to learn german in the first place which is always a benefit.

You obviously also want to learn german seeing as you went and bought a skype course so I suggest you should go do the RAV provided course.

If you don't go on this course you won't be getting another course offered to you. It really is a great opportunity to you which I am sure the majority of members here would love to have as to pay for this course oneself would cost 4000chf per course (at least that was the cost of mine)

THAT much was paid & you were only taken to B1?!?!

But that only works out at just over CHF 150 per week. Pretty much the going rate, if a bit less.

Actually the total cost would be about 8000 chf as it was 4000 chf per 3.5 month course and I did 2 of them. I am not sure if that is what the RAV paid for it but it is the price of the course as per the schools price list!

Hi,
can you please tell me which language course you did?
I am also with the RAV now, and would like a good language course:-)
Thank you!

I did mine in Basel so the one for you in Zurich will anyway be different...

Mine was called Deutsch in den Alltag und Beruf (not sure of spelling) it was 13 weeks each course and around 25 hours per week mon-fri.

If the RAV send you on a course you don't get to choose. They will tell you which school.

Thanks for the reply! I did found out that for myself......