Image: KTM AG
39 percent of young people in Austria start an apprenticeship. In Upper Austria, the value is even higher: almost every second 15-year-old opts for this form of training. “Our goal is to increase the share in Austria to 50 percent in the future,” said Wolfgangspitzenberger today, Thursday, at a press conference in Linz:spitzenberger, Head of Human Resources at Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich, is Vice President of the “Zukunft.Lehre.Österreich” initiative ( ZLO). This has set itself the task of emphasizing opportunities for teaching and improving their reputation in Austria. Five years after it was founded, ZLÖ has 250 member companies with 17,000 apprentices.
The Upper Austrians attest that apprenticeships are fundamentally very important: according to a study conducted by the Linz market and opinion research institute Imas, 56 percent say that apprenticeships are a good preparation for working life. 54 percent are of the opinion that job prospects are good. “54 percent say that the apprenticeship will become more important in the future,” said Imas boss Paul Eiselsberg. For comparison: With the Matura at a general secondary school it is 27 percent. 58 percent deal intensively with apprenticeship as a training path, including many who ultimately choose a different path.
But there is still room for improvement: only 20 percent of those surveyed attributed a high social reputation to teaching. Here the Matura scores significantly more. This is also the point at which ZLÖ wants to start: According to Spitzenberger, the image of the training form should increase significantly. “The apprenticeship is not an educational dead end, but the pole position for a future career.” All paths are open to a 15-year-old who decides to do an apprenticeship, from master craftsman through high school to university. But that has to reach society much more. According to Spitzenberger, the aim is to create equivalence between the degrees: This also includes abolishing the fees for the final apprenticeship exam: “The Matura doesn’t cost anything either.”
“Vocational schools must become the best schools”
The image change is to be brought about, among other things, by working with role models: Many different former apprentices are to be brought in front of the curtain to tell their stories. Spitzenberger also emphasizes the importance of parents: in order to reach the young people, they also have to be convinced. Studies show that parents have a great deal of influence on their children’s educational decisions. The vocational schools have to be the best schools and need more financial resources: the model here is Switzerland, where the learners (as the apprentices are called there) have the best equipment at their disposal.
According to Thomas Krahofer, managing director of the Eferding-based food processing company Efko, the trainers not only have to impart knowledge, but also some social skills. Therefore, the trainers need better qualifications, more time resources and more money. Romana Hackl, Head of Human Resources at the food and culinary group Vivatis, advocates making certain professions more attractive: “Apprentice confectioners are much easier to find than prospective restaurant specialists or meat processors and cooks.” There is also a need for openness to new apprenticeships and regular adjustments to existing job descriptions.
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