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Professional path: 78% would choose your job again, 90% recommend master training for the young generation
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Challenges: 85% complain of difficulties when looking for employees and massively increasing costs in the next 12 months
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Succession: Three out of ten companies will be handed over by 2035
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Master Alumni Club: Qualification and quality are Austria’s largest competitive advantage – master qualifications the guarantee for it
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Bawag starts cooperation with the master Alumni Club
With around 50% of all companies, trade and craft form the backbone of the Austrian economy – a total of 800,000 people work in the companies. As a representative survey by Market on behalf of BAWAG and Master Alumni Club shows under masters and empowered in management functions, 78% of the respondents would vote for their job again, 90% recommend the master training to the young generation. Three out of ten companies are facing a handover of the company in the coming decade, a majority of respondents would like to take the step into self -employment in the coming years.
Challenges: shortage of skilled workers, cost pressure and bureaucracy
If you take a look at the central challenges, the shortage of skilled workers remains the central challenge for Austria’s master companies: 85% of those surveyed are currently reporting great difficulties in finding qualified employees. At the same time, 85% also find the current cost situation as economically stressful. Many significant cost increases expect the next twelve months, with increasing labor costs, raw material prices and energy costs. The exuberant bureaucracy is also mentioned as a challenge. “The government has announced important economic policy impulses – such as an investment booster – and that is a positive signal for Austria’s business location” emphasized Manfred DenkMac President in his function as a federal division chairman for the trade and craft in the WKÖ. “Now it depends on the fact that these measures also reach companies quickly, because predictable energy prices and noticeable de -bureaucratization are essential for the companies in order to be able to look into the future and to be able to focus more on the core business again.”
Quality in training: high job satisfaction and competitive advantages
Master & masters as well as graduates of a qualification testing play a significant role in Austria: They train every second apprentice and thus create the specialists of tomorrow, start-ups and drive the innovation forward. In addition to qualifications, targeted support, stable framework conditions and reliable partners are needed to ensure the future of the Austrian trade and craft sustainably.
“The survey results show the importance of long -term partnerships between companies and financial institutions. We want to accompany champions and qualifications not only as a bank, but as a partner who supports them from training to company succession. Financial knowledge is as important as capital“, explained Enver SirucicCFO der BAWAG Group.
„Our practical qualifications are a strategic success factor for Austria’s business location. We can be proud of that“, so Manfred Denk. „They stand for quality, trust and expertise – and they are actively lived and passed on. At the same time, we see that qualifications alone are not enough: For a stable and economically successful future, strong partnerships are needed and a common understanding of the fact that investments in training, businesses and entrepreneurial development are overall economic responsibility.“
The results of the survey illustrate the importance of practical qualifications for Austria – both in practice and in perception. 90% of those surveyed recommend that young colleagues actively take this qualification path. This is a clear commitment to the future viability and relevance of this practical educational path. The operational importance is also clear: 86% evaluate your qualifications as (very) important for your own company and around 90% feel well prepared for professional practice through your training. In addition, the qualification also works to the outside world: 89% of those surveyed experience that their qualifications lead to a noticeable advance of trust in customers. This trust is a specific competitive advantage. 77% of the respondents see their qualifications as a clear advantage over competitors – in larger companies, this value is even 84%.
Future perspectives, successor and digital transformation
The master and qualification qualification is not only seen by the respondents as a current success factor, but also as a future-relevant foundation for expertise and entrepreneurial thinking. 76% of the levels surveyed in digitization as important for their company – especially in the administrative areas.
If you take a look at the next 5-10 years, 30% of the companies are pending. Just more than half of it feels well prepared, more than a third less good or not at all.
New partnership: Bawag & Master Alumni Club
In parallel to the publication of the survey, the new cooperation between Bawag and the Master Alumni Club was officially announced. The aim is to promote the financial education and entrepreneurial competence of masters: inside and qualified – with practical seminars, digital educational offers and individual consultations. Thomas pinchHead of the Bawag Group branch business, explains: “The survey clearly shows that companies want transparent advice and a reliable partner – especially in economically challenging times. This is exactly where we would like to start.“
About the survey
The present survey was represented for Austria Hybrid (online and by phone) by the Institute Market between May and July 2025 under 702: 209 members of the master of alumni clubs as well as 493 Austrian masters and qualified with a management function, online and by phone.
Via Bawag Group
BAWAG Group AG is the listed holding company based in Vienna, Austria, and supervises over 4 million private, SMEs and corporate customers as well as customers of the public sector in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Great Britain and the USA. The group offers a wide range of savings, payment, credit, leasing and assessment products as well as building savings and insurance companies under various brands and various sales channels. The provision of simple, transparent and first -class products as well as services that meet the needs of customers is at the center of their strategy in all business areas.
About Master Alumni Club
The Master Alumni Club (Mac) is the network for graduates: inside an Austrian master’s or qualification test. For two years, he has been committed to more recognition and appreciation of masters and qualifications in society, politics and the media under the motto #Meisternwir. As an exclusive club, the MAC promotes quality thoughts and professional skills in Austria, increases the visibility of vocational training and strengthens the perspective “master” as the key to a strong business location. With tailor -made services and further training, cross -generational exchange as well as the networking of supervisors and transfers, the Mac creates a cross -sector sense of community. For this he was recently recognized as the winner of the Austrian preliminary decision of the European Corporate Promotion Award 2025. www.meisteralumni.at
Future -oriented statements
This communication contains “future-oriented statements” about the financial and earnings situation, the business plans and the future development of BAWAG Group. Words like “anticipated”, “believes”, “estimates”, “expected”, “forecast”, “intends”, “plan”, “calculate”, “can”, “,”, “dignity”, “and other expressions should characterize these future -oriented statements. These future-oriented statements reflect the expectations of management at the time of publication and are subject to risks and imponderables, which can lead to the factual results significantly from softening from the forecast. These risks and imponderables include economic conditions, the regulatory environment, credit concentrations, suppliers, employees, technology, competition and interest rates. The recipients are warned against relying on the future-oriented statements inappropriately, since the factual results can differ significantly from the predicted results. Neither the BAWAG Group nor its connected companies, consultants or representatives are in any way (through negligence or otherwise) for losses that arise from the use of this publication or its content or in any other way in connection with this publication. The present publication does not represent an offer or an invitation to buy or draw securities and is neither considered to be the basis of all kinds.