Fight against labour shortages in Wallonia and assign employers which are in need of additional employees with the responsibility to train those people which are directed to them.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
In August 2018, the Walloon Region signed an agreement with the business sectors and their training funds as part of the fight against labour shortages. This agreement is expressed in three strong measures implemented by Le Forem.
Coup de poing pénuries (Shortages punch) action: the objective of this action is to act quickly and specifically on the particularly serious shortages encountered by small and large companies. As soon as a company or several companies are looking for at least eight...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Le Forem (The Walloon Office for Vocational Training and Employment)
Facilitating access to employment through a close-to-reality learning experience in a highly realistic training environment.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
In 2015, the CVET centre in Sankt Vith introduced the virtual enterprise Vithalit as a new learning scheme to allow a close-to-reality learning experience in a highly realistic training environment. From merchandise traffic to business relations, all procedures mirror commercial practice. The programme promotes integrated learning and aims at facilitating (re-)entry into employment. Since the launch of the programme, the trainees participated in various national and international fairs for...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
The ADG aims to improve their support to jobseekers, through the provision of a comprehensive support to job seekers in the context of reform projects 'One stop placement (Vermittlung aus einer Hand)' and internal modernisation. The different processes are to interlock more effectively and thus ensure a more efficient service and outcome.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
The ADG and the Institute for Vocational Training in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (IAWM) exchange information on apprenticeships. Since mid-2016, ADG advisors have had access to weekly updated information on available apprenticeships, which enables them to plan measures to integrate jobseekers into the labour market.
As part of supported employment, jobseekers can begin in-company vocational training. This is one of the existing labour market policy measures. The main difference from...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
German-speaking Community Public employment service (ADG)
BIDA's goal is to support young people facing difficulties in entering apprenticeship programmes as well as apprentices who are at risk of breaking their training contract or who have already dropped out of training. The aim is getting them back into the dual vocational education and training (VET) system. The target group also includes migrants (including refugees) and learners with disabilities.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
On 1 January 2016, the Centre for Education and Training (ZAWM) in Eupen set up the 2-year ESF project Vocational integration through training guidance in dual education (BIDA) for the German-speaking community. BIDA's goal is to support apprentices who are at risk of breaking their training contract or who have already dropped out of training, with the aim of getting them back into the dual vocational education and training (VET) system.
The BIDA project offers custom-made services to young...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
To encourage young people and especially girls and young women to become self-employed, successful female entrepreneurs should increasingly be brought before the curtain and pass on their experiences to young people in schools.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
Since September 2017, within the policy 'Women entrepreneurs go to school' (Unternehmerin macht Schule), women entrepreneurs have inspired learners to pursue an entrepreneurial career. Using their own example, they report on the opportunities that entrepreneurship opens up and what can be achieved with entrepreneurial spirit. As role models, women entrepreneurs motivate schoolgirls in particular towards a self-employed professional future. On the accompanying website, schools can register...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW) (until 2022)
Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO)
Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF)
The aim of the measure is to provide a higher qualification for young people who have already achieved maximum compulsory school qualifications, thereby giving them better job market prospects and at the same time countering the impending shortage of skilled workers.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
In October 2016, the federal government extended the training guarantee up to the age of 25. This is a special Public Employment Service (AMS) scheme that guarantees young unemployed people aged 19 to 25, who have only completed compulsory education, the right to acquire VET qualifications by attending AMS programmes. To that end, AMS already uses tried-and-tested instruments and funding approaches to offer this target group the possibility of apprenticeship training in companies, alternance...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS)
Federal Ministry of Labour, Family and Youth (BMAFJ) (until 2020)
To reduce the number of early school leavers and young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs).
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
The legislation introducing a training obligation until the age of 18 was approved by parliament in 2016 and came into force in the summer of 2017. Since July 2017, young people who would otherwise not continue education and training beyond compulsory schooling (age 15) or discontinue a programme they have taken up, will have to undertake some form of training until they have passed the age of 18. Those who do not get a place in a school or in a company to do an apprenticeship must either:
...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Federal Ministry of Labour, Family and Youth (BMAFJ) (until 2020)
Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW) (until 2022)
Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF)
Federal Ministry of Labour (BMA) (until 2022)
Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection
The objective of the National strategy on validation of non-formal and informal learning is to:
increase the value of competences acquired in non-formal and informal learning contexts;
make validation arrangements more accessible by providing low-threshold, central information and advisory services;
improve opportunities for education and work (e.g. by making it easier for adults to obtain qualifications as second chance education);
improve permeability at the central interfaces...
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
Following a national consultation process, the national strategy for validating non-formal and informal learning was finalised and adopted in November 2017. The national strategy is expected to serve as the starting point for defining organisational structures, a catalogue of quality criteria (issued in May 2018) and a detailed implementation plan. The validation strategy provides an overview of existing validation arrangements, serves as a basis for developing new initiatives, assuring...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF)
The objective of the federal Act on the simplification of procedures to recognise and assess foreign educational and professional qualifications is to:
simplify the procedures for the recognition of foreign educational or professional qualifications obtained in a third country;
introduce procedural provisions for the assessment of foreign educational and professional qualifications;
achieve more transparency in recognition processes.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
The federal Act on the simplification of procedures to recognise and assess foreign educational and professional qualifications came into force in July 2016. It was introduced by the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, which was the main responsible body for integration issues until 2020 when the integration agenda was transferred to the Federal Chancellery. A federal recognition portal was established by the Integration Fund (ÖIF), along with information centres,...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Federal Chancellery of Austria
Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs (until 2020)
Increasing the transparency and recognition of partial qualifications on the labour market and in training companies, considering especially the needs of disadvantaged learners (young people who cannot find a regular apprenticeship place or have disabilities or special educational needs) for such proof.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
The 2015 amendment to the Vocational Training Act provided for standardised forms of partial qualifications. As a consequence, while individualised training is still possible, the Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs can provide guidelines for standardised partial qualifications to ensure they are recognised on the labour market and also to make it easier for learners to continue training in the corresponding apprenticeship trade.
In the province of Upper Austria, training for the first...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW) (until 2022)
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
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
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...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
support participants in integrating into society and work;
raise the employability and integration of refugees into the labour market and society by fostering language skills and labour market orientation.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
The compulsory year of integration for refugees was decided in May 2017 by the Austrian parliament. It is mainly targeted at unemployed refugees, for whom it is mandatory. Since 2018, asylum seekers from Syria have also been allowed to participate in the integration year if there is a high probability that they will be recognised as entitled to asylum. The opportunity to register for work training during the integration year was extended until the end of March 2019. The year of integration...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
The objective of the funding programme is to ensure the quality of training and thus increase its attractiveness and to enable young people to have equal access to training, irrespective of gender, origin or personal disadvantages.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
Since 2016, the Austrian Economic Chamber, on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW), has funded up to 100% of the costs of projects supporting quality, gender equality and social integration in apprenticeships:
the quality strand addresses quality management and quality assurance in apprenticeship training, including training tools, innovative testing methods and competence checks, and quality assurance of dual VET;
the gender equality strand addresses...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO)
Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW) (until 2022)
Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection (until 2020)
The aim is to support training progress and to avoid dropout.
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
Coaching and counselling for apprentices and companies (in particular the apprenticeship trainers) has been mainstreamed across Austria since October 2015. These services were evaluated in a 2018-19 pilot project. In particular, guidance and counselling can be divided as follows:
youth coaching: this is an assistance programme for young people at the end of their mandatory schooling or after they drop out of school. Within the coaching process they should get to know their personal skills,...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO)
Federal Ministry of Labour, Family and Youth (BMAFJ) (until 2020)
Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW) (until 2022)
providing a professional perspective for young refugees;
enhancing the domestic mobility of young people so they can find a job;
filling the vacant apprenticeship places of training companies (local level).
Description
What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.
The Austrian Economic Chamber initiated the Supraregional apprenticeship placement project with a particular focus on young refugees, though Austrian nationals also have access to all supporting measures. The project's procedure is as follows.
At the beginning, young refugees run through an online test (available in German, Arabic, English, French and Farsi) to identify their strengths and interests. The results of these tests form the basis for finding suitable apprenticeship places for...
Bodies responsible
This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO)
Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection (until 2020)
Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS)
Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW) (until 2022)
