Dual vocational training (apprenticeship) is the most frequently chosen path for acquiring professional qualifications in Austria. The system is recognized worldwide and is considered internationally as a model and best practice for a form of initial vocational training that is close to the labor market and at the same time theoretically sound. After completing the apprenticeship, the master craftsman and qualification examination is the most important form of qualification for craft and commercial professions and a central proof of qualification for independent professional practice in Austria. These qualifications enable skilled workers to run a business and train apprentices. “In order to support graduates and ensure fairness in comparison to the academic sector, we have abolished these examination fees as of July 1, 2023,” said Labor and Economics Minister Martin Kocher.
The latest figures now demonstrate the success of this measure. “In the last year of training – October 2023 to September 2024 – a total of 5,230 people, around 30 percent of whom were women, successfully completed a master’s or qualification examination. This means a significant increase of 18.1 percent compared to the 4,430 positive tests in the same period last year (October 2022 to September 2023) and is the second highest number in the past ten years. I would like to take this opportunity to warmly congratulate all graduates on passing their master’s or qualification examination,” says Kocher happily.
Particular dynamics in future industries
The positive effects of the fee exemption can also be seen when looking at the individual module entries for the master’s and qualification examinations. Overall, around 17 percent more people took module exams. “There is a particular dynamic here, especially in future brownfields. For example, module starts in the area of communication electronics have more than tripled. There was also strong growth in the areas of refrigeration and air conditioning technology as well as heating technology. This is encouraging for several reasons: On the one hand, there is a high demand for skilled workers in these professional fields, but on the other hand, these jobs are important to accelerate the transformation towards a sustainable, digitalized and future-fit economy,” says Kocher.
In addition to the waiver of fees for the first and second attempt at master’s and qualification examinations, the possibility of having the designation “master” or “master” recorded in public documents, the assignment of the examinations to the National Qualifications Framework and the modernization of the examination regulations were crucial contribute to this. “In addition, with the introduction of higher vocational training (HBB) on May 1, 2024, we were able to implement the largest structural reform in the field of vocational training in recent decades, which makes further vocational training and higher qualifications even more attractive. At the same time, this contributes to further strengthening apprenticeship training,” concluded Kocher.
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