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There were a total of 250 vacancies at the end of January in kindergartens, crèches and after-school care centers in Upper Austria. 100 of them were accounted for by helpers, who are missing in all facilities.
One reason for this is the high training costs, which many interested parties cannot afford, said Silvia Luger-Linke, Head of Training at WIFI. In order to become a kindergarten assistant, a six-month course must be completed, which costs around 2,600 euros there.
Increase of 300 euros
In order to make the training possible for more people, the state of Upper Austria is now taking money into its own hands: the participants are reimbursed up to 60 percent of the course costs. The funding contributions are limited to a maximum of 2200 or 2700 euros, they have been increased by 200 or 300 euros. Employees, people returning to work after parental leave, as well as marginally employed or unemployed people are supported. Academics are also paid part of the training, provided they do not earn more than 3000 euros gross per month.
The measure is part of the package that the country and the union agreed on in December. In the course of a poster campaign with the slogan “The children’s area of Upper Austria is looking for you”, the increased educational support is to be made known.
“Every child who needs care should also get a place,” said Christine Haberlander, state education minister. Smaller groups and an extension of the opening times can only be achieved with more staff.
Source: Nachrichten
