Austria: Exceptional apprenticeship diploma – springboard for careers

Validation of non-formally and informally acquired skills

In Austria, apprenticeship training concludes with the apprenticeship-leave exam. The exceptional apprenticeship-leave exam is available for individuals who have not completed a formal apprenticeship but have acquired practical experience and skills through work experience, self-study, or other non-traditional means. It is conducted by the Austrian Economic Chamber and is open to a wide range of trades and occupations. Applicants must demonstrate their work experience and skills in the relevant trade. In 2022, the exceptional apprenticeship-leave exam accounted for around 17% of all successfully completed apprenticeship-leave exams. It therefore constitutes one of the most important instruments for validating skills acquired non-formally, informally or abroad.

For career advancement, a career change or (re-)entry

The majority (73%) of respondents who took the exam already had a qualification above the compulsory school leaving certificate before taking the apprenticeship-leave exam. In other words, it was mainly a matter of expanding existing skill profiles (acquiring an ‘additional qualification’) rather than catching up on missed initial (vocational) education and training. The most important motive for exam candidates was career advancement (50%), followed by career change (33%) and (re-)entry after unemployment or parental leave (26%). For 9%, the motive was recognition of skills acquired abroad.

Labour market integration and career advancement

The comparison of the occupational status before and after successfully passing the exam shows that an exceptional apprenticeship-leave exam is accompanied by an impressive gain in qualifications that promotes labour market integration and career advancement. Specifically, after successfully passing the exam, the proportion of skilled workers among exam graduates rose from 36% to 65% and that of executives from 5% to 12%. By contrast, the share of unskilled workers among them fell from 18% to 2%. Before the exam, slightly over a quarter (28%) of all respondents were unemployed or undergoing work-based training or qualification programmes via Public Employment Service Austria (AMS). This share fell drastically to 4% at the time of the survey after the exam.

Positive conclusion

The majority of respondents were able to obtain an apprenticeship diploma by taking the exceptional apprenticeship-leave exam (95%). Respondents are ‘very’ or ‘rather’ satisfied with their decision to take the exam (97%), with their career to date after taking the exam (94%) and with the fact that it is possible in Austria to take the exam (97%).

Read more

• Dornmayr, H., & Lengauer, B. (2024). Außerordentliche Lehrabschlussprüfungen in Österreich. ‘Zweiter Bildungsweg’ [Exceptional apprenticeship-leave examinations in Austria ‘second-chance education’]. ibw Research Report No 218 [only available in German].
• ibw research brief No 116: Exceptional apprenticeship-leave examinations in Austria (‘second-chance education’).