Arbeit und Leben Bielefeld e.V. is an organisation committed to social and political further education. We aim at conveying vocational, political and social knowledge to employees in particular in order to improve awareness for joint responsibilities, employee participation and self-administration. Thus we hope to further comprehensive and well-informed cooperation between employees and employers. We are independent, but in our self-perception close to the trade unions and therefore committed to the objectives of the DGB [Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, umbrella organisation of German trade unions] and its single unions.

Arbeit und Leben e.V. was established in 1949. Our legal status is the one of an association (Verein).  Our present staff consists of 14 persons - being responsible for administration, consultancy, seminars and project management.. Since its foundation in 1949, Arbeit und Leben Bielefeld e.V. has been active as a non-profit association. Its board is staffed in equal proportion by the City of Bielefeld and the German Trade Union Association for the district of Bielefeld-Gütersloh. Since April 2005 Arbeit und Leben is certified as an institution for education and training.

The activities of Arbeit und Leben Bielefeld e.V. are geared towards a targeted concentration of expertise which is then made available in various forms, from consultation to day and week seminars to transnational projects lasting several years. Our key approach is the integration of political education and vocational training. Which means that participants do not only get a vocational qualification but social competence too. This enables them to articulate their own interests and to pursue them actively at their place of work as well in their social environment. Thus we develop our concepts in close co-operation with our project partners and our lecturers and instructors. To ensure an effective application of resources Arbeit und Leben has built up two fields of business: education / training and projects.