On International Youth Day, Austrian youth can look forward to many possibilities and opportunities when it comes to vocational training. Austria has an apprenticeship training system that is unique compared to other countries and enjoys great recognition worldwide for dual training – i.e. parallel training in companies and vocational schools. “It is pleasing that almost 40 percent of an age cohort continue to choose an apprenticeship and thus a path to becoming a qualified specialist. Well-trained specialists are in great demand on the job market, and an apprenticeship offers all the prerequisites for professional success. In view of the continued high demand for skilled workers, it is about getting as many young people as possible excited about future-oriented training,” said Labor and Economics Minister Martin Kocher. “said Labor and Economics Minister Martin Kocher.
Apprenticeship packages
With the involvement of companies, the job profiles of apprenticeships are continually developed together with the social partners and supplemented with new elements. Since 2020, over 80 apprenticeships have been redesigned. All new training regulations are based on learning outcomes, i.e. they are defined based on the skills required to practice the profession. Examples of new job profiles published this year include the apprenticeships of electrical engineering, district heating technology and climate gardener. “As part of the apprenticeship packages, teaching is continually made more attractive and adapted to changing circumstances. New skills such as sustainable or digital work are also being included in the job profiles. This specialist and practical knowledge is in great demand on the job market and will become even more important in the future,” says Kocher.
Higher professional education
With the entry into force of the Higher Vocational Education Act, the largest structural reform in the field of vocational education in recent decades was implemented. “This creates further qualification opportunities after initial vocational training, which are based on job-specific know-how and are classified in the National Qualifications Framework, equivalent to the academic training paths. The new offerings will make apprenticeships even more attractive and enable apprenticeship graduates to receive optimal training in a professional context. Higher vocational education is particularly relevant given the high demand for skilled workers, as professional practice and further training in keeping with the times are currently in particularly high demand in view of rapidly changing conditions,” says Kocher.
The development of specific qualification offerings after apprenticeships in addition to master craftsmanship and qualification examinations is currently beginning. For example, future qualification providers are currently working on introducing a pilot qualification in the area of energy efficiency technology. Further planned qualifications range from heating technology to construction and renovation or the area of renewable energies to tourism and metal technology. “I am pleased that the development of HBB qualifications, especially in the area of future-oriented green jobs, is already at an advanced stage. They are an important basis for promoting the transformation of the economy and the greening of the labor market,” said Kocher.
Abolition of examination fees for master craftsmanship and qualification examinations
The master craftsmanship and qualification examinations are the most important forms of qualification for skilled trades and an essential proof of competence for independent commercial practice in Austria. These qualifications enable skilled workers to run a business and train apprentices. “In order to support graduates and ensure equivalent conditions to those in the academic sector, these examination fees were waived from January 1st, 2024 – retroactively as of July 1st, 2023. Through this measure by the federal government, the people affected will receive an average amount of between 700 and 1,300 euros relieved. “In this way, we are also taking a stand against the shortage of skilled workers and offering local skilled workers an additional incentive to complete a master’s or qualification examination,” says Kocher.
Support for apprentices and companies
Support for apprentices is particularly important. In the “Apprenticeship instead of Empty” program (apprenticeship and apprenticeship company coaching, www.lehre-statt-leere.at), apprentices, but also trainers in the companies, are supported free of charge and anonymously by coaches trained in social education. In 2023, the offer was used over 3,000 times. Another focus is the promotion of women in non-classical, technical apprenticeships. Here the BMAW cooperates with various institutions and offers appropriate funding. Projects are also specifically supported in the area of integration within teaching.
Austrian apprentices are world class
At the international professional competitions WorldSkills and EuroSkills, which take place every two years, young specialists – graduates of an apprenticeship or a vocational school – demonstrate their skills at an international or European level. The Austrian team won a total of 18 medals (seven gold medals, six silver medals and five bronze medals) at the EuroSkills in Gdansk in 2023.
Current figures on teaching
As of the end of June 2024, 98,754 apprentices will be trained in Austrian companies, 32,232 of them in the first year of training. Looking at sectors, trade and crafts (42,097 apprentices), industry (14,450 apprentices) and trade (13,818 apprentices) are particularly popular. “We see that in-company apprenticeship training remains quantitatively the most important educational path for training skilled workers and remains attractive for young people and companies under the given economic conditions,” Kocher concluded.