- 2016Implementation
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
Since 2015, regional projects and initiatives have been developed in various federal provinces - with a focus on Vienna and Upper Austria - to support the integration of refugees, especially young people, into society, education and the labour market. These projects are often carried out through cooperation between the provincial government, the social partners and the Public Employment Service.
In addition to learning and training opportunities, the focus is on identifying the skills that the refugees already have.
Objectives
The objectives vary from measure to measure, but can be summarised as follows:
- to obtain more detailed knowledge of the level of education and skills of refugees to better adapt the placement and qualification activities of the Public Employment Service (AMS) to the needs and opportunities of refugees;
- to support the integration of immigrants;
- to make a contribution to meeting the demand for skilled labour.
Description
In 2016, the following three programmes started to facilitate the integration of refugees in the education and labour market system:
The 2016-18 project, You can do it (Du kannst was)- the knowledge of refugees is valuable, supports young refugees in identifying their competences as the basis for making their choice of occupation and gaining an apprenticeship diploma. The project was initiated and developed as joint responsibility of the Chamber of Labour Upper Austria, the Economic Chamber Upper Austria and the Federal Government of Upper Austria. It has a regional focus on Upper Austria and is carried out in cooperation with the public employment service and with the support of various stakeholders and partners such as the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF).
The programme Youth College for Refugees was founded in September 2016 by the city of Vienna which is still the responsible body for the programme. It offers courses to young refugees from 15 to 21 years of age to prepare them for secondary school, VET training or employment. 1 268 adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15 and 21 were counselled during the first year of implementation and classified according to their education background. In the first year of this project, 153 young people were successfully placed in employment, further training or apprenticeship. There are 1 000 places available per year for participants.
In addition, since 2016 the Public...
In 2016, the following three programmes started to facilitate the integration of refugees in the education and labour market system:
The 2016-18 project, You can do it (Du kannst was)- the knowledge of refugees is valuable, supports young refugees in identifying their competences as the basis for making their choice of occupation and gaining an apprenticeship diploma. The project was initiated and developed as joint responsibility of the Chamber of Labour Upper Austria, the Economic Chamber Upper Austria and the Federal Government of Upper Austria. It has a regional focus on Upper Austria and is carried out in cooperation with the public employment service and with the support of various stakeholders and partners such as the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF).
The programme Youth College for Refugees was founded in September 2016 by the city of Vienna which is still the responsible body for the programme. It offers courses to young refugees from 15 to 21 years of age to prepare them for secondary school, VET training or employment. 1 268 adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15 and 21 were counselled during the first year of implementation and classified according to their education background. In the first year of this project, 153 young people were successfully placed in employment, further training or apprenticeship. There are 1 000 places available per year for participants.
In addition, since 2016 the Public Employment Service (AMS) designed and commissioned a competence check for refugees, which is carried out by various adult education institutions. The model included a 5-week course in the refugees' native language in which the refugees' competences and qualifications were assessed through various procedures (including questionnaire surveys, various tests and work trials) and basic language skills were taught in individual and group settings. Based on this, qualification measures with a subsequent job placement are proposed.
In 2019, all the above-mentioned programmes (Youth College, You can do it, AMS competence checking for refugees) were continued.
The Youth College programme has been given a new focus within the Start Vienna initiative and is intended to support young refugees in particular in compensating for school deficits to facilitate the start of VET.
In 2019, updated figures on the AMS competence checking programme for 2018 were available, which show that out of a total of 50 604 individuals entitled to asylum, and those with subsidiary protection who are affected by unemployment, around 40 900 were funded in 2018 at a cost of about EUR 163 million. This means that four out of five people entitled to asylum were supported.
Furthermore in 2018, around 7 700 people (7 500 asylum seekers and around 200 other people) took advantage of an AMS competence check (24% were women). Of the qualification assessments for professional integration, 48% took place in Vienna, 15% in Vorarlberg and 15% in Styria. More than half of the participants were from Syria, 20% from Afghanistan, 8% each from Iraq and Iran. This competence check was designed and commissioned by the Public Employment Service (AMS) and carried out by various adult education institutions. The programme has been in operation since 2016. The model included a 5-week course in the refugees' native language in which the refugees' competences and qualifications were assessed through various procedures (including questionnaire surveys, various tests and work trials) and basic language skills were taught in individual and group settings. Based on this, qualification measures with a subsequent job placement are proposed.
All three projects were continued in 2020, but there were no statistical data for them available.
The project You can do it, which was originally carried out in the province of Upper Austria, has since been expanded to other provinces and is also being carried out in Salzburg, Vorarlberg, Burgenland, Lower Austria and in a similar form in Vienna.
In the project Youth college - start Vienna, 200 course places were made available in 2020 for young people aged between 15 and 25. Course participation lasts between 6 and 24 months, depending on demand, and enables them to catch up on their compulsory school-leaving certificate and complete the German language examinations as per the Integration Act, as well as prepare them for entry into further education or the labour market.
The AMS competence check for refugees is now called Competence check for vocational integration; it is commissioned by AMS Vienna and carried out by different training institutes. The focus region of the programme is Vienna.
In 2021, all three projects were continued, but there are still no public statistical data are available for them.
In 2022, all three projects were continued, but there are still no public statistical data available for them.
The validation of non-formally and informally acquired competences was included as a measure in the National Implementation Plan (NIP) in 2022 with the examples You can do it‚ Competences with a system (Kompetenzen mit System) and Just2Job. All three projects focus on the acquisition of an apprenticeship diploma in the course of the recognition of informally acquired competences with complementary non-formal learning settings. The projects are not exclusively targeted at refugees, but include this target group.
Competences with a System has been carried out on behalf of the PES since 2009, currently in 16 apprenticeship occupations from different sectors (tourism, construction, metal technology, office, etc.). It prepares people without a formal vocational qualification but who already have practical work experience in the respective occupation, depending on the extent of this experience, for an apprenticeship qualification in one to three alternating learning and work phases. The aim is to recognise the participants' previous experience and thus lead them to an apprenticeship qualification in shorter learning phases.
The aim of the Just2Job emplacement foundation is to prepare young adults aged 20 to 30 with formal qualifications or qualifications that are no longer usable to complete an apprenticeship in half of the formally scheduled apprenticeship period. The programme has been implemented since 2020. The apprenticeships are basically possible in all sectors with apprenticeship training.
In 2023, all three projects included in the National Implementation Plan (NIP) - 'You can do it', 'Competences with a system' and 'Just2Job' - continued their activities. However, no public statistical data is currently available for these initiatives. Each project is focused on helping participants acquire an apprenticeship diploma through the recognition of informally gained skills, complemented by non-formal learning settings. While these projects are not exclusively aimed at refugees, this group is included as part of the target audience.
In the fall of 2023, the NGO Volkshilfe launched the programme 'Perspective now [Perspektive JETZT]', a pre-qualification initiative aimed at young asylum seekers aged 15 to 25 in Upper Austria who are receiving state support. The programme is designed to help those interested in starting an apprenticeship by offering initial guidance and support in the areas of work and training. Participants learn about Austria's education and training system, assess their skills, and gain a realistic understanding of both the opportunities and the requirements for entering apprenticeship. According to the programme's concept, 80 individuals are expected to benefit from its full range of services. The primary countries of origin for participants include Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Turkey.
In 2024, the projects 'You Can Do It', 'Competences with a system' and 'Just2Job' continue to operate, while the Viennese Youth College, first launched in 2020 by the City of Vienna and AMS Vienna, has received additional financial support. Backed by the federal government as part of the integration initiative, the Vienna Youth College is to be expanded to 5 000 places per year from fall 2024 onwards. The Youth College provides tailored qualifications for young people aged 15 to 25 who are entitled to asylum or subsidiary protection. Approximately 4 000 places are available for this initiative, with an additional 1 000 places offered through the 'College 25+', which targets a broader group. In addition to individuals entitled to asylum or subsidiary protection, the 'College 25+' is also open to asylum seekers with a high likelihood of being granted residence, such as refugees from Syria, who are 25 years or older.
The Youth College offers language and basic education in a structured, school-like system with around 32 hours of weekly classes. Course durations range from 6 to 24 months, depending on individual needs, and allow participants to catch up on their compulsory school-leaving certificates, complete German language exams as required by the Integration Act, and prepare for further education or entry into the labour market. The overall goal is to reduce unemployment within this target group and facilitate the long-term integration of immigrants with the right to reside in Austria into the workforce.
Bodies responsible
- Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS)
- City of Vienna
- Economic Chamber of Upper Austria
- Chamber of Labour of Upper Austria
Target groups
Learners
- Learners with migrant background, including refugees
Thematic categories
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Competence checking and training for refugees: Austria. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/hu/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/27981