The Oldenburg Training Centre (OFZ), which is based in the Didactic Centre at the University of Oldenburg, is a Centre of Excellence for regional teacher training commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs in Lower Saxony. Together with the Regional Pedagogical Centre in Aurich (RPZ), it is responsible for the professional development of teachers and school social workers in north-west Lower Saxony and is responsible for the coordination and delivery of further training for around 11,000 teachers of all school types and subjects. Within this spectrum, the OFZ aims to meet the diverse wishes and needs of individual educational subjects and teachers as well as the needs of schools for a programme that meets current educational policy and the latest scientific requirements.

The OFZ has the following tasks:

• Development of an advanced training programme close to the school and location
• Strengthening the different types of schools through further training programmes for specific school types
• Intensification and expansion of cross-school type programmes to promote co-operation between schools
• Development of further education concepts based on regional specialities
• Involving other training providers to ensure greater diversity and professionalism
• Networking of centralised, regional and internal school training
• Supporting the development of the school programme
• Improving the quality of in-service training at schools by providing advice on the development of school-based in-service training concepts