- 2020Design
- 2021Design
- 2022Design
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
The transformation of society towards a low-emission and resource-efficient economy also affects the labour market and vocational education and training (VET). The qualification requirements for employees, job entrants and job seekers are changing.
In school-based VET, as well as in apprenticeship training and continuing VET, it is necessary to meet this growing demand by adapting the teaching content and identifying new training areas. The National implementation plan (NIP) underlines the importance of these developments with several measures.
The 'Just Transition' action plan sets out concrete education and training measures in the energy and heating sector.
Objectives
The objective is to elaborate an action plan for the green transition in education and training, outlining concrete measures. This is intended to address the expected demand for skilled workers and to strengthen the stakeholders involved.
The focus of this action plan is on the energy transition. It is planned that other topics such as mobility, circular economy and social aspects will be addressed in the future. The overall aim is to achieve climate neutrality by 2040.
Description
In order to set up the action plan for the green transition in education and training, the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection (BMK) together with the Vienna Public Employment Service (AMS) and the Vienna Chamber of Labour (AK) initiated the 'Just transition working group on training and further education'. The Federal Ministry of Labor and Economics (BMAW) was involved in line with its responsibility in the area of vocational training.
In several workshops, this working group collaborated with key stakeholders in education and training and developed proposals for measures in the following four thematic fields: education and training sector; companies, employees, job seekers; framework conditions and compatibility; communication.
Each of these thematic fields has been further subdivided into specific fields of action, with clearly defined objectives. The social aspect is especially to be taken into account when listing and developing measures. Diversity and gender-appropriate implementation is another important aspect to be considered throughout.
Implementation of the concrete measures listed is differentiated with a short-term (2023), medium-term (2023-24) and long-term (2025-30) government horizon. There are responsible institutions for each listed measure. Implementation is to be subject to ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
The process was launched in December 2020 by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action.
In 2021, two workshops were held with broad stakeholder involvement.
In 2022, another stakeholder workshop was held to identify key starting points for the action plan and the action plan was prepared.
In January 2023, the publication Just transition - action plan initial and continues education and training was published at the same time as the start of the implementation of the related activities in education and training in the field of green transition. The action plan is to be understood as a recommendation to the stakeholders and responsible bodies and as a declaration of intent by the involved stakeholders to implement it. There is no legally binding obligation to implement the measures.
The action plan comprises four thematic fields, while each thematic field is assigned a set of concrete actions with a definition of the implementation horizon as well as the institution responsible:
- education and training sector: aims to identify and develop new job profiles in the fields of electrical engineering and installation and building technology and new and additional required content and skills for relevant occupations' and integrate them into training programmes in IVET and CVET;
- companies, employees, job seekers: addresses the topic of advice, support and cooperation of labour market actors to identify in-company and supra-company IVET and CVET needs, and support providers in integrating green topics in their IVET and CVET programmes;
- framework conditions and compatibility: financial framework conditions are adapted and expanded through subsidies and other instruments and the accessibility of IVET and CVET programmes should be improved;
- communication: relies on campaigns and disseminators to make the relevant occupations and programmes comprehensible for the different target groups.
In 2024, a concrete measure of the 'Just transition action plan' is already being implemented: the Environmental Foundation is an implacement target group foundation initiated by the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ). It is being implemented together with the Public Employment Service (AMS), the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (BMAW), the Federal Ministry for Climate Action (BMK) and in close cooperation with companies with high demand in the field of climate professions. Between April 2022 and April 2025, around 1000 people without vocational training that can be used on the labour market will be qualified in the environmental sector.
A 'Just transition conference' was organised by the Ministry of Climate Action in September 2024. The conference examined the topic of 'Just transition' from the EU perspective to national good practice examples. Discussions and spotlight presentations included topics like green jobs, social aspects of the green transition and the most relevant scientific findings.
As part of the National Implementation Plan (NIP), the Ministry of Education is in the preparatory phase to select three competence centres, in which a special focus is placed on promoting 'green skills' and to honour them in 2025 with an award. This is to be done in cooperation with the Climate and Energy Fund and linked to the 'Just transition action plan'. The corresponding contracts were under development in 2024.
Bodies responsible
- Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
Entities providing VET
- Companies
- VET providers (all kinds)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
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.
VET standards and curricula define the content and outcomes of learning, most often at national or sectoral levels. VET programmes are based on standards and curricula and refer to specific vocations/occupations. They all need to be regularly reviewed, updated and aligned with the needs of the labour market and society. They need to include a balanced mix of vocational and technical skills corresponding to economic cycles, evolving jobs and working methods, and key competences, providing for resilience, lifelong learning, employability, social inclusion, active citizenship, sustainable awareness and personal development (Council of the European Union, 2020). The thematic sub-category also refers to establishing new VET programmes, reducing their number or discontinuing some. It also includes design of CVET programmes and training courses to adapt to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and re-skilling needs.
Green transition and environmental sustainability have a significant place in the EU agenda (Green Deal), including the agenda for VET. This thematic sub-category refers to identifying in cooperation with industry, incorporating into VET curricula and programmes and teaching the skills related and needed for the green transition, including sector- and occupation-specific skills and those across sectors. It covers measures aimed at ‘greening’ VET programmes, including awareness and knowledge about climate change, green technologies and innovation, energy efficiency, circular economy and environmental sustainability. It also includes the use of appropriate learning methods that develop such awareness.
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category is in line with the EU policy focus on the green transition and sustainability, and refers to professional development and other measures to prepare and support teachers and trainers in raising learners’ awareness of the green transition and sustainable development, and teaching and training them on skills necessary for the green transition. It also covers the development and availability of tools and resources on sustainability and green transition for teachers and trainers.
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 ensuring smooth transitions (permeability) of learners within the entire education and training system, horizontally and vertically. It includes measures and policies allowing learners easily or by meeting certain conditions to move from general education programmes to VET and vice versa; to increase qualification levels in their vocation through the possibility of attending vocational programmes at higher levels, including professional degrees in higher education. It also covers opening up learning progression by introducing flexible pathways that are based on the validation and recognition of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning.
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). Action plan for green transition in education and training: Austria. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/ro/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/44473