Dual apprenticeship

2-4 years

Type: wages paid by employers; fixed amount per month; apprentices receive 14 wages per year, similarly as other employees (2 additional wages are for summer and Christmas holiday)
Remuneration setting: by collective agreements
Coverage: on- and off-the job training
Variation(s): by apprenticeship year and trade

Average regulated remuneration: EUR 1,000 per month
For the calculation, the 30 apprenticeship trades showing the highest numbers of apprentices were taken into account. For them, an average was calculated for all apprenticeship years (4).
Level in PPS per month (average): 943.40; per year (average): 13,207.55
Level in PPS per hour (average): 8.32
Share of national minimum wage: not applicable
Share of the average salary of worker: in the last year of apprenticeship, 80% of a skilled worker wage in the same occupation (estimate)

Remuneration (annual gross income) in 3 selected occupations (EUR):
hairdresser: 1st year: 6,580; 2nd: 7,980; 3rd: 10,780; 4th: 11,690
motor mechanic: 1st year: 8,456; 2nd: 11,970; 3rd: 16,660; 4th: 22,498
bricklayer: 1st year: 13,146; 2nd: 19,698; 3rd: 26,264; 4th: 29,568

Level: 28,55% of the annual gross income of apprentice = 15,43% (part of employer) + 13,12% (part of employees); health insurance: 3,35%, pension insurance: 22,8%, unemployment insurance: 2,4%
Paid by: the State/public authorities
Rights: health, pension, accident, unemployment (like for all employees)

Basically, company-based training is entirely paid by employers. This includes remuneration of the apprentices. Employers receive, however, some public funding where the so-called 'basic subsidisation' offers by far the largest support. It covers also the time spent at school. Basic subsidisation does not refer explicitly to any specific types of costs. It is calculated, though, on the basis of the wages. In the 1st year of apprenticeship, employers receive subsidy equal to 3 monthly apprentice wages; in the 2nd year - 2 monthly apprentice wages and in the 3rd and 4th years – 1 monthly apprentice wage . In total, employer receives around 15% of the apprentice overall remuneration. Thus, it may be assumed that wages are partly paid by the state, i.e. subsidised indirectly through the basic subsidisation. However, employers additionally pay equipment costs and wages for instructors etc.

No EU funding involved.

The main strength of the current financing system is the combination of broad and general vs. individualised and specific instruments. The first (basic subsidisation) is paid out to each company employing apprentices with the aim to raise the willingness of companies to engage in apprenticeship training. The latter (a bundle of instruments each targeting specific needs of individual apprentices) is provided by the Chambers of Commerce and is based on individual cases aiming to support specific target groups. The individualised and specific instruments cannot be considered, however, as the main co-funding instruments for apprenticeship. Weaknesses of the current system can be seen in a high fragmentation of instruments that sometimes lack harmonisation and coordination.

The 2016 evaluation (which analyses the whole range of funding schemes regulated by paragraph 19c of the Vocational Training Act; they are seen as a holistic funding system) shows overall positive results but also identifies some aspects that could be improved, e.g. the distinction between various single funding schemes (such as the 'basic subsidisation' for apprenticeships) is not sufficient and precise enough to guarantee the optimal grade of efficiency and accuracy. Also, the evaluation highlights that some of the aims formulated by law have not yet been implemented by a specific funding scheme yet, e.g. for "raising the participation of young people in particular in areas with few training enterprises / apprentices "as well as" covering the regional specialist needs". Last but not least it is stated that (for different reasons, such as the average age) learning efficiency in Austria is lower than in Germany or Switzerland. Thus, the objectives in this respect should be integrated into the funding schemes.

With regard to the basic subsidisation, an evaluation suggests a change in payment procedures as the current form of disbursement of support (spending most of the basic funding in the first year of training and constantly reducing it over the rest of the period) seems to contradict the real timeline of when costs occur for companies (employers’ costs for wages of apprentices increase with each consecutive year of training).

Graduates' employability is rated as high. However, actual labour market prospects differ between different apprenticeship trades. Regarding further training, it is the most common way to acquire a master craftsperson certificate. In recent years, pathways have been opened to grant access to higher education.

No statutory minimum wage
Average yearly working time (hours) for a full time job: 1,738.20