Labour YOUTH AND WORK IN AUSTRIA Reporting Year 2013/2014 IMPRINT Media Owner and publisher: Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Af- fairs and Consumer Protection; Stubenring 1, 1010 Vienna ■ Place of publishing and production: Vienna ■ Print: Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection ■ Editorial Stuff/Au- thors: Ingrid Nagl, Valerie Bösch, Tanja Jandl-Gartner (Abt. VI/A/3) with contributions from Robert Eder (Abt. VI/A/9) ■ Translation: Eva Holzmair-Ronge ■ Cover picture: ­istockphoto.com/bmask ■ ISBN: 978-3-85010-363-3

A printed version can be ordered by ■■e-mail: [email protected] or ■■online: https://broschuerenservice.sozialministerium.at.

All rights reserved: Any use (also in part) of this publication is only allowed with the media owner‘s permission. This is particularly ap- plicable to any kind of reproduction, translation, microfilming, bro- adcasting on TV and radio, as well as digital processing and data feeding (via Internet or CDs etc.) Foreword

FOREWORD

One of the key tasks of society and politics is to provi- de youth with good opportunities and prospects for development through comprehensive education and training.

In order to give all young people these opportunities, we have desi- gned and advanced numerous programmes in recent years. Of special importance are programmes such as Youth Coaching, introduced in 2013, or the Training Guarantee and new projects – Fit for Training – designed to enable all young people to enter training. The success of these programmes is illustrated by the fact that for years Austria has one of the lowest youth unemployment rates within the European Uni- on. Programmes specifically targeted at young people, as well as the dual system of apprenticeship training and vocational school courses, have meanwhile become models for other European countries.

Although youth unemployment in Austria is low compared with other European countries, we must be aware that real human beings and their lives stand behind these figures. Unemployment, especially in youth, has long-term negative consequences for those concerned and for society as a whole. Therefore it must be our goal that each young person com-pletes training and, in so doing, is able to find a suitable

1 Foreword

and interesting job. In order to achieve this goal, we must upgrade the structures that support the transition from school to continued trai- ning or job entry. Training and education must stimulate enthusiasm among young people and thus prevent them from discontinuing their training and being without a job or with an unskilled job.

The current Government Programme includes the obligation of trai- ning until aged 18 to be implemented as of the 2016/17 training year. All young people are to achieve an educational attainment level beyond compulsory schooling. For this purpose it is very important to reach out to young people having special problems in the training/ education system and to offer low-threshold programmes to those who have already dropped out of training/education. Launched last year, the Fit for Training programme is another step in the direction of sparking young people’s interest in learning and working.

The brochure Youth and Work includes the programmes available to young people in Austria, as well as facts and figures on labour market and demographic trends, the focus being on labour market policies for young people. I trust that it will provide an overview of the great va- riety of labour market policy measures for young people and highlight new developments in this area!

2 Contents

CONTENTS

Foreword 1 Introduction 5 I. Demography, education and statistics 7 I.1. Demographic trends 7 I.2. The Austrian educational system 12 I.2.1. Education and apprenticeship 14 I.2.2. Tertiary education 18 I.2.3. Level of educational attainment 26 I.2.4. Education policy priorities 30 I.3. Youth employment and apprenticeship statistics 36 I.4. Youth unemployment 48

II. Policy Areas to Improve Labour Market ­Prospects for Young People 57 II.1. Ongoing development of the training and career 57 counselling systems II.1.1. Austria’s Strategy for Lifelong Learning 57 II.1.2. Apprenticeship System – news and ongoing ­developments 60 II.1.3. Subsidies to company-based apprenticeships 65 II.1.4. Career counselling and guidance 73

3 Contents

II.2. Labour market policies for young people 78 II.2.1. Managing the transition from school to work 80 II.2.2. Apprenticeships subsidised by the public ­employment service 85 II.2.3. Training Guarantee for young people – ­supra-company training programme (ÜBA) 86 II.2.4. Future for youth action programme 89 II.2.5. measures for young people from migrant ­backgrounds 90 II.2.6. Policies for young people with health-related employment handicaps 93 II.2.7. Special Employment Initiative by the Social Affairs Ministry Service for young people with disabilities 95 II.2.8. Integrated Vocational Training programmes 100

III. Activities of the European Union 103 III.1. Contribution by the European Social Fund (ESF) 103 III.2. Programmes of the European Union 107 III.2.1. Youth on the move and european youth ­guarantee 108 III.2.2. Agenda for New Skills for New Jobs 110 III.2.3. Erasmus+ 112

4 Introduction

INTRODUCTION It is essential for the future of our society to offer young people a variety of options for development based on appropriate education and training. The economic crisis and the economic situation in Eu- rope have created difficult conditions in many countries for young people about to enter the job market. It is not easy for them to reali- se their career aspirations or simply find a job. Austria enjoys a com- paratively low rate of youth unemployment and a comparatively high employment rate. This is mainly due to the fact that Austria has taken comprehensive labour market policy measures in recent years, and that it was less hard hit by the crisis than many other countries. We use a great variety of offerings and many new pro- grammes at the transition from school to continuing training and working life in order to reach all young people and help them seize opportunities.

The annual brochure Youth and Work in Austria aims to provide an overview of education, training and employment of young people in Austria and present the wide range of labour market policies avai- lable to young people. The first chapter ‘Demography, Education and Statistics’ includes an overview of the demographic situation as well as education and labour market data. Moreover, it describes the Austrian education system and current priorities in education policies. The second chapter ‘Policy Areas to Improve Labour Market

5 Introduction

Prospects for Young People’ illustrates developments in the educa- tion system and labour market measures for young people. This is an area where ‘transition management’ has played an increasingly central role in recent years, and where many new programmes have been created. Youth Coaching or the Training Guarantee are inten- ded to facilitate and ensure a smooth transition from compulso- ry schooling to continuing training or to the job market. The third chapter ‘Activities of the European Union’ describes initiatives and programmes at the European level. They include new projects such as Erasmus+ and the European Youth Guarantee, adopted in 2013.

6 I. Demography, education and statistics

I. DEMOGRAPHY, EDUCATION AND STATISTICS

I.1. Demographic trends1 Based on current projections the Austrian population will continue to grow to roughly 9.4 million people by 2060. As from 2030, Austria will have to reckon with higher birth deficits: while birth rates will re- main relatively stable, mortality rates will increase substantially. The- refore, long-term growth will be achieved by immigration only. Total population growth over the coming years (to roughly 9.0 million by 2030) will coincide with a significant age shift in our society towards the older end of the age spectrum. The number of children and young people under 19 years of age will continue to decline in the near fu- ture, showing a significant drop in proportion (down to 19% by 2030), while the number and proportion of those aged 65plus will rise subs- tantially (to 24% by 2030).

The age group of under 20-year-olds amounted to 20% of the total population on the cut-off date of 1 Jan 2013. 62% were of working age (20 to 64 years) and 18% of the population were aged 65plus.

1 Source: Statistics Austria.

7 I. Demography, education and statistics

Chart 1: Population by broad age groups 1952 – 2076

10000000

9000000

8000000

7000000

6000000

65 years and older 5000000 20 to 64 years 4000000 up to 19 years

3000000

2000000

1000000

0 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028 2032 2036 2040 2044 2048 2052 2056 2060 2064 2068 2072 2076

Source: Statistics Austria, population projection 2, medium variant.

On 1 Jan 20142 a total of 8,507,786 people lived in Austria, i.e. 55,926 more (up 0.7%) than on 1 Jan 2013. This population growth was much higher than in the previous year (2012: roughly 43,700 per- sons). As in previous years, this is due to positive net immigration (+54,728 persons).

At the beginning of 2014 more than one million (1,066,114) foreign nationals lived in Austria, up 60,300 persons on Jan 2013, their pro-

2 Source: Statistics Austria; press report of 28 May 2014; final results for 2014.

8 I. Demography, education and statistics

portion being 12.5%. 48.6% of these foreign nationals (approxima- tely 517,200 persons) were from EU Member States, up 9% (appro- ximately 42,500 persons) on 2013, with the inflow of citizens from the 13 countries that joined the EU in 2004 being much higher (up 11.7%) than the inflow of citizens from the 14 long-time Member States (+5.7%). In 2013, the number of nationals from non-EU coun- tries rose by 3.4% to almost 547,400 persons, which equals 51.4% of all foreign nationals in Austria.

The average number of live births was 90,000 per year in the 1980s and 1990s, with figures peaking in 1982 and 1992. Since then there has been no consistent trend and the number of newborns hovers around 70,000 to 80,000 per year. The number of births in 2013 was 78,103 (+0.5%). However, in 2013 the number of deaths rose as well, i.e. by 0.4% compared with 2012. Hence natural change (live births minus deaths) in 2013 was positive.

9 I. Demography, education and statistics

Chart 2: Birth and deaths 1960 – 2075

160000 projections as from 2013 140000

120000

100000

80000

60000

40000

20000

0

-20000

-40000

natural change births deaths

Source: Statistics Austria, population projection 2013, medium variant.

The average number of children per woman (total fertility rate) fell from around 1.5 in the 1980s to around 1.39 in 2009. In 2010, total fertility rose for the first time (1.44 per woman), but since then it has resumed its slight downward trend (2013: 1.41); in comparison: in 1963 total post-war fertility peaked at 2.82 and was thus twice as high as nowadays (see Chart 2). According to projections by Sta- tistics Austria the average number of children per woman will re- bound to 1.49, while life expectancy for women and men will cont-

10 I. Demography, education and statistics

inue to rise. The age pyramid (Chart 3) shows the development for 2012, 2030 and 2060.

Chart 3: Age pyramid 2012, 2030, 2060

Source: Statistics Austria, population projection 2013, medium variant

11 I. Demography, education and statistics

I.2. The Austrian educational system In contrast to many other countries, Austria has a differentiated school system, meaning that after Year Four and again after Year Eight the system offers alternatives, and that different schools offer different types of education paths. Below (I.2.1) is a detailed de- scription of the educational system from kindergarten to univer- sity including the various types of schools. Item I.2.2 provides an overview of the educational attainment level in Austria. In recent years many new educational curricula and school types have been introduced to improve and widen learning opportunities. New pro- grammes and priorities will be presented under item I.2.3 ‘Educati- on policy priorities’.

12 I. Demography, education and statistics

Chart 4: The Austrian educational system

13 I. Demography, education and statistics

I.2.1. Education and apprenticeship There are nine years of compulsory education in Austria, beginning at the age of six. Children below school age may generally attend day-care centres (e.g. kindergarten). Enrolment in these day-care centres is compulsory in the last year before entering school: child- ren must attend kindergarten on a half-day basis at the very least. The attendance rate of children aged three in day-care centres in- creased in the past 20 years from roughly 45% to 81.5%, while that of children aged four rose from roughly 80% to 94.3% and of tho- se aged five from roughly 86% to roughly 96% over the same peri- od. For children aged 0 to 2 years, attendance rates in Austria have more than quadrupled since 1995 from roughly 5% to around 21%.3

The majority of school-age children, i.e. more than 98%,4 attend primary school (primary level). Children of school age who are not yet ready for school are enrolled in the preparatory pre-school pro- gramme of primary schools. This pre-school programme is desi- gned to help children grow into the challenges of school life. A small minority of children attends a special-needs school.

3 Source: Statistics Austria: Bildung in Zahlen (Education in Figures) 2012/13. 4 Source: Statistics Austria: Bildung in Zahlen (Education in Figures) 2012/13.

14 I. Demography, education and statistics

After primary school, as a rule at the age of ten, children move on to lower secondary level (level I). Here the pupils’ education system diversifies for the first time into three types of schools, i.e. the lo- wer level of academic secondary schools (Allgemein Bildende Höhe- re Schule - AHS), the new secondary – i.e. comprehensive – schools (Neue Mittelschule – NMS, see item I.2.4) and general secondary schools (Hauptschule – HS), with the latter to be replaced by the new secondary schools by the 2018/19 school year. For admissi- on to an AHS children completing Year Four of primary school must have good or excellent marks in German, Reading and Arithmetic or must pass an entrance examination to that particular school. The choice of lower secondary level school depends on a number of fac- tors, i.e. which schools are available in any given region or the time needed to travel to and from the preferred type of school or the pu- pils’ social background.5 The lower secondary level lasts four years.6

Having completed the lower secondary level in Year Eight, pupils move on to the upper secondary level (level II). At this level, the following education pathways are available: a pre-vocational year (Polytechnische Schulen – PTS, one-year course), level II academic

5 Source: Statistics Austria: Bildung in Zahlen (Education in Figures) 2012/13. 6 In addition to the above three types of schools, there are schools for children with special needs. They comprise both the primary and the secondary level and last eight (nine) years.

15 I. Demography, education and statistics

secondary schools (AHS, four years), secondary technical and voca- tional colleges (Berufsbildende Höhere Schulen – BHS, five years), and secondary technical and vocational schools (Berufsbildende Mittlere Schulen – BMS; one to four years). Year Nine is the last year of compulsory education, whereupon young people may transfer to another school, enter the dual training system or join the workforce.

The PTS follows directly on Year Eight and lasts one year. It of- fers general education, vocational guidance and basic vocational education.

The AHS comprises secondary levels I and II, i.e. lower and upper secondary levels. The upper secondary level lasts four years. Pupils graduate from an AHS by taking and passing the standard matricula- tion examination (called Matura or Reifeprüfung), which permits ac- cess to universities, universities of applied sciences, teacher training colleges and academies.

BHS schools combine general education with vocational training. These upper secondary courses last five years and pupils graduate by taking a diploma and matriculation examination. There are BHS schools for technical, economic and commercial fields of training, as well as for tourism and kindergarten teachers, etc.

16 I. Demography, education and statistics

BMS schools, too, provide vocational training. These courses last between one and four years and some end with a final examination (which, however, does not include matriculation examination). One- or two-year BMS courses provide partial vocational training, while the three- to four-year BMS courses provide full vocational training and include a leaving examination. After leaving a BMS young people may take academic entrance examinations (Studienberechtigungs- prüfung) or vocational matriculation examinations (Berufsreifeprü- fung) enabling them to enter the tertiary education system or gain access to certain tertiary study programmes.

In addition to continuing their education after completion of compul- sory schooling, pupils may also choose to enter the dual training sys- tem, i.e. apprenticeships that involve on-the-job training (80%) plus compulsory attendance of vocational school courses (Berufsschule, 20%). Apprenticeships involve formal training which ends with a fi- nal examination. There are more than 200 recognised apprenticeship trades in many different fields. Roughly 40% of young people leaving compulsory school in any given year enter apprenticeship-based training. For more details on the transition from school to work, the dual training system, the supra-company training system, etc., refer to items II.1.2-3 and II.2.1-4.Those who have completed their apprenticeships may move on to attend schools for master crafts- men/craftswomen or foremen/forewomen. Moreover, they may take

17 I. Demography, education and statistics

academic entrance examinations or vocational matriculation exa- minations enabling them to enter the tertiary education system or gain access to certain tertiary study programmes.

A few years ago a programme (www.studienchecker.at) was launched to help pupils in the last two years of the upper level of academic se- condary schools (AHS) and secondary technical or vocational colleges (BHS) make better informed decisions about their post-secondary training and educational career in line with their interests and aptitu- des. This programme called Studienchecker in German (≈ check your study options) focuses on the pupils’ individual talents, affinities, in- terests and strengths. In the 2013/14 school year, almost 400 schools (whereof 216 AHSs and 181 BHSs) participated in this project.

In the field of education, the legislative and the executive powers are shared by the Federal Government and the Länder (federal states). The Federal Ministry of Education and Women’s Affairs (BMBF) is the supreme supervisory authority for primary and secondary educa- tion, while the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW) is responsible for tertiary education.

I.2.2. Tertiary education Standard matriculation examinations (Matura), academic entrance examinations (Studienberechtigungsprüfung) or vocational matri-

18 I. Demography, education and statistics

culation examinations (Berufsreifeprüfung) permit access to terti- ary-level education at universities, universities of applied sciences, teacher-training colleges and academies, and post-secondary col- leges (although some courses of study may demand entrance tests).

Non-university based tertiary education comprises post-secondary college courses (Kollegs) and vocational training academies (berufs- bildende Akademien), as well as training courses based on vocatio- nal qualifications which train participants to become master crafts- men/craftswomen or foremen/forewomen. In order to qualify for post-secondary colleges and academies, students are required to pass matriculation examinations, vocational matriculation exami- nations or academic entrance examinations. Schools for master craftsmen/craftswomen or foremen/forewomen, in turn, require their students to have completed their vocational training (appren- ticeship).

University education and training is provided by teacher-training colleges, universities and universities of applied sciences. In Austria 39.6% of 30- to 34-year-olds have tertiary or equivalent education attainment levels (e.g. BHS).7

7 BMWFW; economic report 2014.

19 I. Demography, education and statistics

In recent decades the number of university graduates and students has risen substantially. In 2012/13 more than 370,000 persons (in- cluding some 88,400 foreign students) were enrolled in academic training, more than 299,000 of them in public universities, roughly 7,300 students in private universities, 43,000 students in univer- sities of applied sciences, 26,800 students in teacher-training col- leges, roughly 300 in theological colleges and 1,200 in other educa- tion establishments providing a university-type course (phased out in 2013).8 Foreign nationals studying in Austria are primarily from Germany (38%), South Tyrol (7%) and Turkey (5%).

Teacher training colleges Teacher-training colleges (pädagogische Hochschulen) award a BA degree on successful completion of the course, which licenses can- didates to teach at the school level for which they have been trained. Depending on the speciality chosen, these graduates may teach at primary schools, general secondary schools (HSs), special-needs schools and schools offering the pre-vocational year of training, or they may teach in vocational schools (dual training system), BMSs and BHSs.

8 Source: Statistics Austria: Bildung in Zahlen (Education in Figures) 2012/13.

20 I. Demography, education and statistics

Universities Austria has 22 public universities, which currently offer a total of 1,063 programmes of study to young people. Most of the available study programmes are bachelor’s and master’s programmes (84.2%), 5.5% are diploma programmes and 10.3% are doctoral programmes. In ad- dition, there are more than 900 university courses, two-thirds of them being of a post-graduate nature.

The total number of Austrian students in the winter semester 2013/14 was 272,837, women accounting for 53%.9 The success rate of regular students enrolled in tertiary education programmes has markedly improved in recent year and currently stands at 84.3%. 29,086 first degrees (16,074 bachelor’s and 13,012 diploma degrees) and 8,129 second degrees (5,964 master’s and 2.165 doctoral degrees) were re- corded for the 2012/13 study year, i.e. an increase of roughly 7% for first degrees and of 8% for all degrees compared with the previous academic year.10

Roughly one fourth of regular study programmes in the winter se- mester 2013/14 were in the humanities and cultural sciences, 20% in engineering, 16% in social studies and economics, 13% in natural

9 Source: uni:data. 10 BMWFW; economic report 2014.

21 I. Demography, education and statistics

sciences and 12% in law. In the humanities and cultural sciences the proportion of female students is over 70% and in veterinary medicine programmes it even exceeds 80%. Engineering study programmes re- port the lowest percentages of women, i.e. just under 30% (see Table 1). In specific study programmes (such as mechanical engineering) female students account for less than 10%.

22 I. Demography, education and statistics

Table 1: Regular study programmes by field of study (total), winter semester 2013 (cut-off date: 10 Jan 2014)

% Women Men Total woman­ Humanities and culture 55,864 23,494 79,358 70.4% sciences Engineering sciences 19,247 48,557 67,804 28.4% Arts 4,163 3,457 7,620 54.6% Teacher training 16,839 9,622 26,461 63.6% Medicine 6,538 6,730 13,268 49.3% Natural sciences 25,059 18,249 43,308 57.9% Law 21,859 18,811 40,670 53.7% Economic and social 27,007 27,870 54,877 49.2% ­sciences Theology 1,021 1,343 2,364 43.2% Veterinary medicine 1,404 351 1,755 80.0% Individual courses 899 639 1,538 58.5% other study activities 3 0 3 100.0% Total 179,903 159,123 339,026 53.1%

Note: add-on courses are not included; only the first subject is counted in combined study programmes. Source: uni:data - BMWF; data reported by universities on the relevant cut- off date as required by the university study reporting ordinance (UniStEV);

23 I. Demography, education and statistics

Universities of applied sciences The first universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen – FH) in Austria were launched in 1994 with 693 students. Since then the number of students has soared to currently 43,593. Today there are 21 universities of applied sciences throughout Austria. In the 2013 winter semester, they offered 399 ongoing study programmes lea- ding to bachelor’s and master’s degrees of universities of applied sciences. Almost one half of the programmes is for working students, with 17,061 students being enrolled in these study programmes.

At 43,593 in the 2013 winter semester, the total number of FH stu- dents was more than 5% higher than in the previous year. Roughly 77% of students at universities of applied sciences are enrolled in business studies. 8,188 persons completed their FH undergraduate programme in the past academic year 2012/13 (151 diploma and 8,037 bachelor’s degrees), while another 4,135 completed their post-graduate course with a second (i.e. a master’s) degree. Com- pared to universities, fewer students continue their studies at FHs to obtain a master’s degree. This is due to the fact that a number of FH bachelor programmes lack related post-graduate master pro- grammes.11

11 BMWFW; economic report 2014.

24 I. Demography, education and statistics

Table 2 provides an overview of the courses chosen by FH students broken down by areas of training. Most students choose training programmes in economics (40.7%), technology (37.3%) and health care (10.5%). Production technology, electronics and information technology are the most popular courses in the technical field of study.

Table 2: Students enrolled in FH courses by areas of training; winter semester 2013 (cut-off date: 15 Nov 2013) % Women Men Total woman­ Art and design 457 455 912 50.1% Health sciences 3,786 794 4,580 82.7% Military and security sciences 18 270 288 6.3% Natural Sciences 382 319 701 54.5% Social Sciences 2,290 822 3,112 73.6% Technology and engineering 3,397 12,845 16,242 20.9% sciences Economic sciences 10,275 7,483 17,758 57.9% Total 20,605 22,988 43,593 47.3%

Source: uni:data BMWF; FH Council based on FH education reporting ordi- nance (BiDokVFH).

25 I. Demography, education and statistics

Within earmarked funds and the higher education development programme (Hochschulraumentwicklung), money is allocated for a quantitative expansion of FH education totalling roughly 4,000 additional course places by 2015 to be funded by the Federal Go- vernment. This expansion will remain a policy focus in the near future as well. Another 5,300 course places are to be generated by the 2017/18 academic year. For this purpose roughly €56m will be invested into the sustainability of FH expansion. Federal support for FH course places increased from roughly €234m in 2012 to roughly €244m in 201312.

I.2.3. Level of educational attainment There was a general increase in the educational attainment levels of Austria’s resident population between 1971 and 2013. Whereas in 1971 roughly 62% of the resident population aged 15 and above had no more than compulsory education as their highest level of educational achievement, this proportion was only 24.5% in 2013, i.e. a decline by 0.3 percentage points against 2012. Since 1971 the percentage of Austrian residents with continued education qua- lifications has risen substantially: in 2013, 35.4% (-0.2 percentage points against the previous year) of the population had completed apprenticeship levels, 12.5% (-0.3 percentage points) secondary

12 BMWFW; economic report 2014.

26 I. Demography, education and statistics

technical and vocational school (BMS) levels, 15.0% (+0.1 percen- tage points) higher secondary school levels, 2.1% (0.0% percentage points) higher education-type levels and 10.5% (+0.8 percentage points) university or higher education levels.13

Spending on education as a percentage of GDP totalled €17bn in 2011 or roughly 5.8% of GDP. University-based higher education accounted for the largest proportion (26%) followed by secondary level II (23%), secondary level I (22%) and primary education (17%). Spending on elementary education (10% of education expenditure) recorded the highest growth in recent years to more than twice as much as in 2000.14

In the past years the number of qualifications obtained from post-compulsory education or training has risen continuously in Austria. 20 years ago, only 79.2% of young people aged 20 to 24 had upper secondary or higher qualifications. Meanwhile this indica- tor has risen to 87.4% (+0.8 percentage points against the previous year), with 87.3% of men and 87.4% of women having such qualifi- cations. Austria thus occupies the fourth rank among EU countries.

13 Statistics Austria; microcensus labour force survey 2013; Table: population aged 15 years and over by highest level of educational attainment (those in national military/alternative civilian service not included). 14 Statistics Austria; education expenditures 2000-2011 according to ISCED.

27 I. Demography, education and statistics

The new Member State Croatia, which joined the Union in 2013, has the highest ratio for this indicator (95%) followed by the Czech Republic (91%) and Lithuania (90%). The average ratio for peop- le with secondary and higher education in the EU-28 in 2013 was 81%15 .

Dropping out of school is a problem for both the individual and so- ciety within the context of the educational divide and equal oppor- tunities. Leaving school prior to completion of education will reduce an individual’s later chances in life and career and increase the risk of social exclusion and unemployment. Therefore the measures ta- ken in Austria (Youth Coaching, production schools, Fit for Training (AusbildungsFit), etc. – see also item II.2.1) are designed to reduce school dropout rates and keep young people within the educati- on and training system as long as possible. According to Eurostat (2013) 7.3% of young adults aged 18 to 24 years had only completed compulsory education and had not participated in any continued training in the past four weeks (indicator: ‘early school leavers’), i.e. a decrease against the previous year by 0.3 percent-age points (whereof 7.7% male and 7.0% female) . With this percentage Austria is way below the EU-28 average of 11.9%.

15 Source: Eurostat.

28 I. Demography, education and statistics

In the 2012/13 school year, Austrian schools (schools of the stan- dard school system16 as well as schools with their own statutory rights) had 1,142,726 pupils with 48.8% being female. 50% of the pupils attended general compulsory schools (primary school, ge- neral secondary schools, new type of secondary [comprehensive] schools, special-needs schools and special-needs classes, as well as one-year pre-vocational courses), 17.8% academic secondary schools (AHS) including the lower level of AHS and pilot projects of new secondary schools at AHSs, 11.5% vocational schools (during their apprenticeship), 4.2% upper secondary technical or vocatio- nal schools (BMS), 11.9% upper secondary technical or vocational colleges (BHS), 1.4% intermediary or higher teacher training es- tablishments, 0.8% other academic secondary schools with their own statutory rights17 and 1.8% health-care training schools or academies18.

16 Standard schools are all schools of general education run by the Länder or the Federal Government. This is how they are distinguished from independent schools. 17 As from the 2010/11 school year they include schools teaching under curri- cula of other countries. 18 Source: Statistics Austria: Bildung in Zahlen (Education in Figures) 2012/13, school statistics.

29 I. Demography, education and statistics

I.2.4. Education policy priorities Good education and training are important for an individual‘s de- velopment, and they are indispensable for successful entry into for- mal-sector jobs. In order to give children and young people good and fair education opportunities, the Austrian education system is being continually developed. Successful education programmes are being continued, while new measures and reforms are introduced to create fairer opportunities. Policy measures taken in the appren- ticeship system – such as modularisation of training or subsidies to apprenticeships – will be described in section II.1.2 ‘Apprenticeship system – news and ongoing developments’.

Information, counselling and guidance on education and career (ibobb)19 The ‘ibobb’ programme combines all measures related to ‘informati- on, counselling and guidance on education and career’ and is inten- ded to develop the pupils’ own skills in identifying suitable education and career paths. Based on this programme the minimum number of hours for compulsory ‚career guidance (Berufsorientierung – BO)‘ classes at the new secondary schools has been increased to one per week in Year Three and Year Four. Reference curricula have been ad- opted for courses training career guidance teachers, career guidance

19 Source: BMWFW; economic report 2014.

30 I. Demography, education and statistics

coordinators and vocational and academic education counsellors. A three-semester train-the-trainer course was held to train (prospecti- ve) teachers of teacher training colleges in the particulars of ‘ibobb’, while a skills profile for education and career guidance has been in- corporated into teacher training programmes to provide the basis for curricula to be developed for the new teacher training programme.

School quality in general education – SQA20 Measures of quality development and quality assurance in educa- tion have become compulsory for all Austrian schools as of the 2013/14 school year. This has prompted the Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture (BMUKK) to launch the ‘school qua- lity in education – SQA’ flagship project.

Based on the coordinated interaction at all levels of the educati- on system, SQA aims to provide optimal conditions of learning for pupils attending schools of general education. Teaching and lear- ning is to become more individualised and competence-based by 2015/16. The pupils’ independent learning is to be fostered by the teachers’ appreciative and informed support, thus improving the level of education. The core elements of quality development inclu- de development plans, evaluations and target agreements.

20 Source: BMBF; see also www.sqa.at

31 I. Demography, education and statistics

Quality initiative in vocational training (QIBB) QIBB aims to ensure the permanence of systematic quality manage- ment at all levels of federal, Länder and vocational school gover- nance to assure and develop the quality of teaching and adminis- trative performance. Within the context of QIBB two pilot courses for quality control managers were introduced in autumn 2013. Once the results are evaluated, two regular courses will be launched in autumn 2014.21

New secondary school In the 2008/09 school year, a new type of lower-level comprehensive secondary school (Neue Mittelschule – NMS) was introduced. As of the 2015/16 school year all general secondary schools (Hauptschu- len – HS) will migrate to the new secondary school system. This new type of secondary school is a key reform project that is to enable pupils – depending on their interests and affinities, their talents and aptitudes – to move on to upper secondary schools or colleges. The central aspects of NMS education are: a curriculum of in-depth tea- ching similar to that of academic secondary schools (AHS) making it easier for pupils to continue their education from these schools than from the general secondary schools to be phased out; NMS pu- pils will also acquire unequivocal entitlement to continue educati-

21 Source: BMWFW; economic report 2014.

32 I. Demography, education and statistics

on at an upper secondary school; and in particular NMS schools of- fer a new teaching and learning culture based on individualisation and targeted support to foster strengths and address weaknesses. In addition, every school is free to introduce special priorities. Im- plementation of NMS education throughout Austria means that in the 2014/15 school year 7,461 NMS classes will be managed in 1,072 locations.

Expansion of all-day schooling As of 2014, up to €160m per year will be invested in the expansions of all-day schooling to cover the expenses for additional teachers, leisure-time activities and infrastructure. As well as expanding the quantity of all-day schools, the quality of such schooling is to be improved.22

New upper secondary level In order to ensure a new and more efficient design of individual school careers, pilot projects have been conducted for several years at academic secondary schools (AHS) as well as at upper secondary technical and vocational schools or colleges (BMS/BHS). The expe- riences gained form the basis for the new model of upper secondary level education. Individual learning support and assistance are pi-

22 Source: BMWFW; economic report 2014.

33 I. Demography, education and statistics

votal at the new upper secondary level (Oberstufe NEU) schools. The contents of the curriculum are broken down into competence modules for each school semester, thus helping pupils to learn sub- jects gradually but continuously and improving their preparation for university education. Under this new model, pupils need not repeat classes unless they fail in two (three) compulsory subjects, in all other cases they will have to correct the weaknesses in the sub- jects where they were less than adequate within the following year. Beginning with the 2013/14 school year, all schools will gradually migrate to the new system of upper secondary level teaching. The model will be applicable to all schools as of the school year 2017/18.

New matriculation examination (AHS) and new matriculation and diploma examinations (BHS) The introduction of standardised and competence-based matricu- lation and diploma examinations ensures uniform basic skill levels and identical parameters for all pupils. Pilot projects of the new ma- triculation examination scheme (Reifeprüfung NEU), which inclu- de some of the elements of the new standardised and competen- ce-based forms of matriculation/diploma examinations, have been in operation since 1 May 2014 in 321 academic secondary schools (AHS) and secondary technical or vocational colleges (BHS). This means that on the main examination date of the 2013/14 school year roughly 26,500 examinations in individual subjects will be ta-

34 I. Demography, education and statistics

ken within the new model. When fully introduced (for AHS schools as of the May 2015 main examination date and for BHS schools as of the May 2016 main examination date), the new examination pro- gramme will involve approximately 45,000 pupils23.

Education standards New education standards have been implemented since the 2008/09 school year in the subjects German, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic (pri- mary school) and German, Mathematics, English ([upper] secondary level) at primary and general secondary schools and academic se- condary schools. These standards are intended to further enhance the quality of teaching. In spring 2013 the standards were reviewed for Year Four (Arithmetic) and Year Eight (English) education, with conclusions being incorporated into school development plans. Education standards for secondary technical and vocational schools (BMS) and secondary technical and vocational colleges (BHS) will be prepared by 2016/17. For this purpose a number of inservice training programmes – such as those on standardised matriculation and di- ploma examinations (sRDP Neu), competence-based teaching and individual learning support – will be continued.24

23 Source: BMBF. 24 Source: BMWFW; economic report 2014.

35 I. Demography, education and statistics

New teacher training programme The new teacher training programme (PädagogInnenbildung NEU) constitutes one of the key education policy projects at the federal level, including training and in-service training of all persons inten- ding to work or currently working as teachers. In June 2013 the Fe- deral Bill governing the new training programme (Bundesrahmen- gesetz zur Einführung einer neuen Ausbildung für PädagogInnen) was adopted. It provides the legal basis for upgrading the quality in teacher training. The new study programmes include courses in general and special educational skills (e.g. enhancing future tea- chers’ skills in imparting teaching contents and supporting pupils, diagnostic skills, differentiated and individualised teaching skills), subject-related and didactic skills, intercultural and social compe- tences. Prospective teacher training students will have to undergo aptitude and admission procedures. Organisational implementati- on of the new study programmes is supported by schools of educa- tion and teacher training centres at the universities.25

I.3. Youth employment and apprenticeship statistics Austria continues to be one of the top performers in this policy area within the European Union thanks to its dual training system, to a number of additional policy tools and initiatives introduced to com-

25 Source: BMWFW; economic report 2014.

36 I. Demography, education and statistics

bat youth unemployment, as well as to substantial government fun- ding for this target group. In 2013 government spending on labour market and apprenticeship programmes (2012: €620m) for young adults (15 to 24 years of age) totalled €650m (or roughly 0.2% of GDP).

In the same period the stock of young employees (15 to 24 years) dropped by 1.9 percentage points to 481,750 persons. Members of the 15- to 19-year age group accounted for the largest proportion of this decline (-5.5%), while the number of young adults (15 to 24 ye- ars) registered as unemployed with the employment service rose by 6.1 percentage points against the previous year to 42,744 persons. The 2013 employment rate fell by 0.8 percentage points against the previous year to 53.5%26, but nevertheless it ranked second behind the Netherlands with 62.3% (see Chart 5).

26 Data from Eurostat (LFS).

37 I. Demography, education and statistics

Chart 5: Employment rate of young people aged 15 to 24 in in- ternational comparison, 2013

70,0

60,0

50,0

40,0

30,0

20,0

10,0 62.3 53.8 53.7 46.8 46.7 44.7 41.7 41.5 32.4 32.3 30.2 29.0 28.6 26.5 25.6 24.6 24.2 23.6 23.5 23.5 22.3 21.9 21.2 20.4 19.8 16.6 16.3 14.5 11.9 0,0 Italy Spain EU 28 Malta Latvia France Cyprus Poland Greece Ireland Austria Croatia Estonia Finland Sweden Belgium Bulgaria Slovakia Slovenia Portugal Romania Hungaria Denmark Germany Lithuania Netherlands Luxembourg Czech Republic United Kingdom United Note: Percentage of economically active young people aged 15 to 24 in the related resident population on an annual average. Source: Eurostat; retrieved on 16 May 2014.

Analytical data – such as those on labour turnover - clearly illustra- te that the youth labour market is characterised by above average dynamics. The annual labour turnover (i.e. average number of em- ployment relationships taken up and terminated by young people compared to the average annualised stock of employment relati- onships) in this age group amounts to roughly 100%.

38 I. Demography, education and statistics

Apprenticeship statistics27 and Apprenticeship market28 Apprenticeship training in Austria has always been a key compo- nent of both vocational training and career entry. As at 31 Dec 2013, a total of 120,579 apprentices (65.8% male and 34.2% female) were in training with 33,595 employers (including those enrolled in the supra-company training programme – ÜBA). Whereas the number of apprentices recorded a marked increase between 2004 and 2008, it has fallen continuously since 2009 (from 2012 to 2013 by 4,649 apprentices). In 2013, the number of apprentices in the first year of apprenticeship training was 35,580, i.e. a decline by 2,631 apprenti- ces or 8.1% (supra-company training not included) compared to the previous year. The ratio of apprenticeship entrants to the total po- pulation of 15-year-olds (apprentice ratio) was 39.9% in 2013 (63% for young men and 37% for young women) and thus 1.2 percentage points below the level of the year before (see Chart 6).The share of non-Austrians among apprentices in the first year of training was 10.0%29; in 2013, i.e. they are underrepresented.

A closer look at the previous educational qualifications of pupils of vocational schools within the dual training system shows that

27 Source: Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO). 28 Source: Social Affairs Ministry; Department VI/A/Division 6. 29 Source: Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO).

39 I. Demography, education and statistics

the greatest proportion completed the pre-vocational year (Poly- technische Schule – PTS), while some of them have migrated from secondary technical and vocational schools (BMS) and secondary technical or vocational colleges (BHS): in the 2012/13 school year, 35% of apprentices (pupils of vocational schools within the dual training system) had previously attended pre-vocational year cour- ses, 15% a general secondary or new secondary school, 17% a BMS, and 11% a BHS. 8% of first-year pupils of vocational schools have already attended vocational schools (e.g. in cases of class repeti- tions or change in apprenticed trade). 7% were previously enrolled in some form of continued training, whereof the majority comple- ted a BMS course30.

The demand for apprenticeships exceeded the supply of training slots offered by employers by 2,307 on an annualised average in 2013. The ratio between immediately available apprenticeship-see- kers registered with the public employment service (Arbeitsmarkt- service – German acronym AMS, but for ease of understanding the English acronym PES will be used below) and the immediately avai- lable apprenticeship vacancies notified to the employment service was 1.7, a slight increase against the previous year.

30 Statistik Austria, Schulstatistik 2013

40 I. Demography, education and statistics

The stock of apprenticeship-seekers increased by 3.5% to 5,727 per- sons over the previous year, while the number of registered appren- ticeship vacancies slumped by 10.6% to 3,420.The average period of time needed by immediately available apprenticeship-seekers to leave the unemployment register dropped from 45 days in 2003 to 36 days in 2013.

41 I. Demography, education and statistics

Chart 6: Apprentices in their first year of training and apprenti- ceship-seekers (immediately available), as at 31 Dec of each year

50.000 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Apprenticeship-Seekers 4.469 4.399 5.291 5.148 4.772 5.305 5.944 5.752 5.504 5.531 45.000 First-Year Apprentices 35.454 35.938 38.552 39.399 41.176 40.265 39.605 39.761 39.467 38.211

40.000

35.000

30.000

39,605 39,761 25.000 38,552 39,399 41,176 40,265 39,467 38,211 35,580 35,454 35,938 20.000

15.000

10.000

5.000 4,469 4,399 5,291 5,148 4,772 5,305 5,944 5,752 5,504 5,531 5,727 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Apprenticeship-Seekers First-Year Apprentices Apprentice Ratio: *)

37.0% 37.1% 39.5% 39.6% 41.0% 40.4% 40.5% 42.0% 42.3% 41.1% 39.9%

Source: apprenticeship statistics 2013 and table on demographic develop- ment of the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) and data retrieved from BALI on 16 May 2014 (stock of apprenticeship-seekers). *) ratio between the number of apprentices in the first year of training and the number of 15-year-olds in the population.

42 I. Demography, education and statistics

A detailed and valid analysis of developments in the apprentices- hip market allows a break-down of apprentices by training sectors. Most of the apprentices, i.e. 52,019 or 43.1%, were trained in trades and crafts in 2013. 16,173 or 13.4% of them entered industry and 18,028 or 15% retail apprenticeship training (see Chart 7).The fol- lowing sectors reported the greatest decline in apprentices against the previous year: trades and crafts (down 2,373 or 4.4%) and tou- rism and leisure industry (down 953 or 8.4%), while the industrial sector recorded a slight increase (up 117 or 0.7%).

43 I. Demography, education and statistics

Chart 7: Percentage of apprentices by sectors in 2013

Supra- Transport and Company Traffic Bank and Apprenticeship 2.3% Insurance Information Training 1.1% and Consulting 7.6% 2.2%

Other apprenticeship 6.7% Crafts and Tourism and Trades Leisure 43.1% Industry 8.6%

Retail 15.0% Industry 13.4%

Source: 2013 apprenticeship statistics of the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO). Note: other authorised training providers = employers who are not mem- bers of the WKO (e.g. lawyers, municipal departments, etc.). *) ÜBA = Supra-company training (training providers authorised to train apprentices under the Vocational Training Act [BAG], e.g. supra-company training programmes commissioned by the PES, independent training providers).

44 I. Demography, education and statistics

The choice of apprenticed trades is determined by the supply of available training slots on the one hand, and by the general econo- mic framework on the other. In Austria young people still tend to be very traditional in choosing apprenticeships. Out of all young women apprentices in 2013, 25.8% chose retail including associated fields, 11.9% clerical apprenticeships and 10% hairdressing/wigmaking (hair stylist). Male apprentices preferred to be trained in metal engineering (13.9%), electrical engineering (11.3%) and automotive engineering (9.6%). Almost half of all female apprentices enter one of the three most popular apprenticeship trades and roughly 70% enter one of the ten most popular apprenticeship trades, while male apprentices show a slightly wider range of career choices: about 63% of all male appren- tices are found in the ten most popular apprenticed trades.

Young adults following completion of training In December 2011, the Social Affairs Ministry decided to conduct, in association with the PES and Statistics Austria, a training-related career monitoring survey to provide data for statistical evaluation on the vocational careers of all Austrian residents following com- pletion of formal training. Out of all persons who had completed apprenticeships in 2009/10, more than 88% entered no other trai- ning in the first two years following this training. Rather, the majo- rity of them was economically active: 24 months after completion of training (apprenticeship), 78% of the apprenticeship graduates

45 I. Demography, education and statistics

were economically active, 4% in training, roughly 8% unemployed and 7% further from the labour market. Roughly 1% were in natio- nal military or alternative civilian service and less than 1% abroad or in marginal employment.

Retention by training companies31 After having completed apprenticeship, a number of these young wo- men and men moved from an apprenticeship relationship to an em- ployment relationship with the same employer. In 2013, two years af- ter completion of their apprenticeship, more than one third (37%) of all (former) apprentices (women: 32%, men: 40%) were still working for the company that had trained them. An above-average percen- tage of persons continued to work for their training company in the financial/insurance services (58%), manufacturing (49%), transport (49%) or energy/water supply (45%) sectors, whereas in the hotel and catering (16%) and health care/social services (5%)32 sectors the re- tention rate was low.

31 Source: Synthesis Forschung – Frick et al.; Lehrlingsausbildung: Angebot und Nachfrage, Entwicklung und Prognosen 2013 bis 2018 (apprenticeship training; supply and demand, development and projections 2013-2018); June 2014. 32 The lowest retention rate is reported for education. Since all apprentices in supra-company schemes come under this category irrespective of their training priority this figure cannot be interpreted as a low retention rate for the sector/company.

46 I. Demography, education and statistics

Of all those apprentices with PES-subsidised training slots, 30% were still employed by their training company in 2013 two years after completion of training. The highest retention rate is recorded for young women in apprenticed trades with a low proportion of women (2013: 43%).

Loyalty to training sector33 Once apprenticeship is completed, quite a number of the former apprentices tend to change both the company and the sector. Two years after completion of training, almost 43% of apprenticeship graduates were no longer employed in the sector they had been trained for, while slightly more than half (58%) of young skilled wor- kers (55% female and 59% male) were still (or again) in their original sector. Loyalty to the training sector has decreased in recent years. The greatest retention rates for 2013 were reported for the finan- cial/insurance services (75%), manufacturing (66%) and transport (64%) sectors. At just under 9%, the retention rate in the health care and social services sectors was particularly low. Broken down by Länder (states), the sectoral retention rate for apprenticeship gra- duates from Salzburg (63%), Upper Austria (62%) and Tyrol (61%) is particularly high. This contrasts greatly with Vienna, where almost

33 Source: Synthesis Forschung – Frick et al.; Lehrlingsausbildung: Angebot und Nachfrage, Entwicklung und Prognosen 2013 bis 2018 (apprenticeship training; supply and demand, development and projections 2013-2018); June 2014.

47 I. Demography, education and statistics

half of young workers (47%) switch sectors in the first two years of completion of apprenticeships.

For skilled workers trained in PES-subsidised training places, the sectoral retention rate was 46% in 2013. Here, too, the highest re- tention rate (49%) was reported for girls in apprenticed trades with a low proportion of women.

I.4. Youth unemployment Unemployment among young people aged 15 to 24 years rose by 6.1% (up 2,448 persons to a stock of 42,744) in 2013. Total unem- ployment rose by 10.2%. Whereas unemployment among 15- to 19-year-olds was declining during the whole year and dropped by 2.2% below the previous year‘s figure on an annual average, the number of registered unemployed aged 20 to 24 years went up 8.3% (see Chart 8). Unemployment by gender was as follows: unemploy- ment among young women increased by 3.9% to 17,953 and among young men by 7.7% to 24,791.

The unemployment rate based on registered unemployed (natio- nal definition) in the age group of 15- to 19-year-olds grew by 0.6 percent-age points to 8.1% over the year before. Although unemplo- yment rates indicate that young people are at a slightly more than average risk of unemployment than other groups with longer-term

48 I. Demography, education and statistics

labour market attachment, the average unemployment period of those aged 25 and under is significantly shorter than that of other age groups. The average unemployment episode for a young adult in 2013 lasted 69 days (up 2 days on the previous year‘s level), com- pared with an average of 97 days (up 3 days on the previous year’s level) for all unemployed.

Chart 8: Unemployed youth aged 15 to 19 years and 20 to 24 years

50.000

45.000

40.000

35.000

30.000

31,646 33,010 25.000 30,884 34,516 29,115 30,201 31,881 26,624 25,556 20.000

15.000

10.000

5.000 9,922 8,980 8,517 8,513 9,898 9,200 8,646 8,416 8,228

0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

unemployed young people aged 15-19 years unemployed young people aged 20-24 years

Source: Sozialministerium; ELIS; table on youth labour market data.

49 I. Demography, education and statistics

The annual average of training participants aged less than 25 ye- ars increased by 6.1% to 26,537 participants, which is below aver- age compared to training participation of the total population (up 10.4%). Young men‘s participation in training rose by 6.9% and wo- men‘s by 5.1%.

Chart 9: Unemployed youth and training participants aged 15 to 24 years

80.000

70.000

60.000 24,855 26,537 28,016 25,021 18,835 25,145 50.000 21,729 19,994 19,296 40.000

30.000

41,567 42,909 42,744 20.000 38,094 40,083 38,848 40,297 35,140 34,069

10.000

0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 unemployed young people young people in training programmes

Source: PES (national data); retrieved from BALI on 16 May 2014.

50 I. Demography, education and statistics

Of the 34,516 unemployed young adults aged 20 to 24 years in 2013 43% had only compulsory schooling, 38% had completed appren- ticeships, 7% some form of intermediate school, 13% upper se- condary or academic education (see Table 3). The highest levels of educational attainment for the total population of 20- to 24-year olds are as follows: 19% compulsory education, 30% apprenticeship training, 11% intermediate school level and 41% upper secondary or tertiary education.34

34 Census 2011.

51 I. Demography, education and statistics

Table 3: Unemployed youth (20-24 years) by level of educational attainment

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 compulsory 11,357 11,058 13,496 12,644 12,965 13,825 14,729 education apprenticeship 10,077 9,533 12,790 11,850 11,220 11,951 13,066 training vocational 2,056 1,986 2,545 2,381 2,244 2,235 2,275 training higher 3,048 2,899 4,078 3,918 3,666 3,762 4,446 ­education* Total 26,624 25,556 33,010 30,884 30,201 31,881 34,516

* Higher education includes upper secondary schools and academic educa- tion as in this age group many young people have not yet completed their tertiary study programmes. Source: Sozialministerium; DWH cube: AMB_pst_07_lfd; retrieved on 22 Jan 2014.

Compared with other countries, Austria boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates for people aged under 25 years. The unemplo- yment rate of young people aged 15 to 24 years was 9.2% in 2013 (men: 8.9%; women: 9.4%)35. As can be seen in Chart 10, only Ger- many had a lower unemployment rate (7.9%), while the highest ra- tes were reported for Greece and Spain.

35 Source: Eurostat.

52 I. Demography, education and statistics

Chart 10: Youth unemployment rate 2013 (%)

70,0

60,0

50,0

40,0

30,0

20,0

10,0

7.9 9.2 11.0 13.0 13.5 17.4 18.7 18.9 19.9 20.5 21.6 21.9 22.8 23.2 23.4 23.4 23.6 23.7 23.9 24.8 26.8 27.2 27.3 28.4 33.7 37.7 38.9 40.0 49.8 55.7 58.6 0,0 Italy Spain EU 15 EU 28 Malta Latvia France Cyprus Poland Greece Ireland Austria Croatia Estonia Finland Sweden Belgium Bulgaria Slovakia Hungary Slovenia Portugal Romania Germany Denmark Lithuania Euro Area Euro Netherlands Luxembourg Czech Republic Czech United Kingdom United

Source: Sozialministerium-ELIS based on Eurostat data; retrieved on 11 Apr 2014.

The youth unemployment rate only relates to the workforce, i.e. to all those persons who (are potentially available for and willing to) work. This means that, for instance, pupils or young people who are not (are no longer) seeking a job are not included. For young people, whose unemployment rates are generally higher, it is fre- quently of greater use to relate unemployment among this group to the total population of the same age: in Germany and Luxem- bourg 4.0% of all young people aged 15-24 years were out of work in 2013. The percentage for Austria was 5.4% or roughly every 20th

53 I. Demography, education and statistics

young person, while the EU average was 9.8%. Spain had the hig- hest proportion (20.8%), i.e. every 5th young person was unemplo- yed, followed by Greece (16.6%) and Cyprus (15.0%). Sweden and the United Kingdom reported the highest percentages (12.1% and 11.3%, respectively) for ‘younger’ young people (aged 15 to 19 ye- ars), while Greece and Spain did so for ‘older’ young people (aged 20 to 24 years; 37.5% and 29.5%, respectively).

The percentage of long-term unemployed youth (15 to 24 years) in total unemployment of this age group was 15% in 2013. Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Austria had the lowest percentages within Europe, Italy and Greece the highest (see Chart 11).

54 I. Demography, education and statistics

Chart 11: Ratio of long-term unemployed youth (15 to 24 years) in all unemployed youth in 2013

70,0

60,0

50,0

40,0

30,0

20,0

10,0

5.3 6.9 10.1 14.8 17.0 19.9 23.0 23.2 24.1 27.3 29.0 29.4 30.8 31.7 32.7 32.7 33.0 34.2 34.8 36.5 39.3 39.4 39.5 41.2 46.6 50.5 52.3 53.3 61.3 0,0 Italy Spain EU 28 Malta Latvia France Cyprus Poland Ireland Austria Croatia Estonia Finland Greece Sweden Belgium Bulgaria Slovakia Hungary Slovenia Portugal Romania Denmark Germany Lithuania Netherlands Luxembourg Czech Republic Czech United Kingdom United

Source: Eurostat; retrieved on 11 April 2014.

The NEET rate (Not in Education, Employment or Training) shows the proportion of young people aged 15 to 24 years who are not in education, employment or non-formal training and is thus broa- der in scope than the unemployment rate. The proportion of NEET youth in Austria was 7.1% in 2013 compared with an EU-28 average of 13%.

55 I. Demography, education and statistics

Chart 12: NEET rate (proportion of young people aged 15 to 24 years who are not in employment, education or continuing training), 2013

25,0

20,0

15,0

10,0

5,0

5.1 6.0 6.3 7.1 7.5 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.9 5.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 12.2 12.7 12.8 13.0 13.0 13.3 13.7 14.2 15.4 16.1 17.2 18.6 18.6 18.7 20.6 21.6 22.2 0,0 Italy Spain EU 28 Malta Latvia France Cyprus Poland Greece Ireland Austria Croatia Estonia Finland Sweden Belgium Bulgaria Slovakia Hungary Slovenia Portugal Romania Denmark Germany Lithuania Euro Area Euro Netherlands Luxembourg Czech Republic Czech United Kingdom United

Source: Eurostat; retrieved on 15 Apr 2014.

In order to reach out to all members of the NEET group, numerous programmes or initiatives have been introduced, particularly so in recent years ranging from active labour market policies and revised apprenticeships to reforms and new strategies in the school system. An overview of new school programmes has already been provided under item I.2.4 ‘Education policy priorities’. Ongoing developments of the training system and labour market policies for young people will be presented in the following Chapter II.

56 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

II.1. Ongoing development of the training and career counselling systems Austria’s education and training system is continuously being adap- ted to improve young people’s development and job opportunities (see also section I.2). Major newly established offerings include the Apprentice Coaching (Lehrlingscoaching), the Youth Coaching (Ju- gendcoaching) or the Fit for Training (AusbildungsFit) programmes. Models such as the vocational matriculation examinations (Berufs- reifeprüfung), or combining apprenticeships with matriculation exa- minations (see item II.1.2 – the dual training system), are important to open up other education and training pathways to young people.

II.1.1. Austria’s Strategy for Lifelong Learning Initial training as well as lifelong learning are of key significance for young people, and adults in general, to be able to adjust to changing job requirements, for personality development, career reorientation, as well as for enhancing their job prospects. Not only education policy issues, but also labour market and employment policy, social and fa- mily policy, science policy, integration, finance and regional policies are essential determinants of the possibilities and conditions for lifelong learning (LLL). The LLL:2020 Strategy is the first to unite all the policy

57 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

fields and players concerned under an overarching common objective and to involve all learning areas – ranging from early childhood educa- tion to adult education in retirement. Ten points of action (see Box), including a total of 53 goals and 70 measures, have been defined and their current status has been identified. Based on these points of acti- on, work packages and operational interim goals are defined and revie- wed every year.

The Task Force LLL is composed of representatives of the four leading ministries charged with the coordination of the entire process. The Na- tional Platform LLL:2020 in turn includes all the relevant stakeholders: alongside representatives of the ministries representatives of the so- cial partners, Länder, municipalities and local communities, universi- ties, adult education establishments, public employment service and scientists are found on this platform. This National Platform was for- mally established in April 2012 and adopted a widely agreed working approach and procedure to implement the LLL:2020 Strategy based on the 22 key areas for specific action (clusters of measures) proposed by the Task Force. So far, work has begun on ten of these areas relating to seven of the ten points of action. Working groups representing all rele- vant stake-holders have been established within the National Platform to address these key areas.

58 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

THE TEN POINTS OF ACTION OF THE LLL STRATEGY:

1. Strengthening of pre-school education as a longer-term funda- mental requirement. 2. Basic education and equity of opportunities in school and initi- al training systems. 3. Free programmes offering adults a second chance to complete previously missed education cycles and acquire basic skills and competences. 4. Expansion of alternative routes into the world of work for young people. 5. Measures to improve reorientation in education and career with due regard to work/life balance. 6. Enhancement of community education approaches using com- munity-based entities and organised civil society. 7. Promotion of learning-friendly work environments. 8. Continued education to ensure employability and competitive- ness. 9. Enhanced quality of life through education in post-employment phase. 10. Procedures to recognise non-formal and informal learning ex- periences and competences in all education sectors.

59 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Every year a monitoring report must be presented to the Austrian Council of Ministers by 30 June at the latest. In view of the multitu- de of stakeholders and measures involved, reporting is intended to provide an overview of the progress made in implementation and to support the further development of this strategy in order to en- sure target attainment.

The strategy paper (in German) detailing Austria’s Strategy for Life- long Learning can be downloaded from the following link: https://www.bmbf.gv.at/ministerium/vp/2011/lllarbeitspapier_ ebook_gross_20916.pdf?4dtiae

II.1.2. Apprenticeship System – news and ongoing develop- ments The dual training system plays an important role in Austria, as it combi- nes practical on-the-job training and school-based theoretical educa- tion (on one or two days per week or for several weeks per school term). The duration of apprenticeship training varies according to the chosen trade and may last from two to four years. Sector-specific pri- ority programmes have been introduced for a number of apprenticed trades. An apprentice‘s ‚wage‘ is called Lehrlingsentschädigung. The minimum rate for an apprentice’s remuneration is defined in the rele- vant collective agreement. For example, that of a retail apprentice is €504 in the first year of training and €913 in the third year.

60 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Apprenticeships end with a final examination.

About 40% (2013: 39.9%) of the girls and boys of a birth year cohort start an apprenticeship after completion of compulsory education and may chose from roughly 200 apprenticed trades. Austria’s Voca- tional Training Act (BAG) includes provisions permitting simultaneous training in two apprenticed trades with one employer entitled to train apprentices. For this form of double apprenticeship the period of trai- ning is calculated as follows: the total period of both apprenticeships is halved and one year added, but training may last no more than four ye- ars in total.36 The quality and attractiveness of the dual system is being maintained by an ongoing process of upgrading training curricula to meet current and future requirements of business and industry.

Modularisation of apprenticeship training The combination of several individual apprenticed trades into one single modular trade introduces greater clarity into the apprentices- hip landscape. The joint basic module ensures a uniform ground- work for training, while the various main and special modules can be combined as needed for the apprenticed trade in question.37 Wi-

36 Source: BMWFW. 37 Source: ibw research report; Jugendbeschäftigung in Österreich (youth employment in Austria).

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thin a total period of four years, participants may complete these basic, main and special modules. In some of the modular apprenti- ceships several special modules can be chosen (e.g. metal enginee- ring, electronics, electrical engineering, clothing design, installa- tions and technical equipment). In modularised apprenticeships, training is thus provided in three modules:

■■Basic module: apprentices acquire the knowledge needed for performing the basic tasks of this trade.

■■Main module: apprentices acquire the knowledge and skills requi- red for performing the jobs of the chosen occupation (e.g. venti- lation engineering for the modularised apprenticeship in installa- tions and technical equipment).

■■Special module: apprentices acquire the knowledge and skills required for special services, products and/or their making. The period of training in this module is between half a year and one year.

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Apprenticeship with matriculation examination38 Since 2008 apprentices may take ‘vocational’ matriculation exami- nations (Berufsmatura) free of charge. Participants may take three of the four component examinations (German, Living Foreign Lan- guage, Mathematics and Special Discipline, i.e. the training field of the candidate) while still in apprenticeship training (i.e. before taking their apprenticeship examination) and the last component examina- tion after their 19th birthday. In a programme funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Women‘s Affairs (BMBF) all the preparatory courses and tests (teaching materials) are offered for free to apprenti- ces throughout Austria with a ceiling of up to €6,000 for each appren- tice. The courses to be attended in preparation for the vocational ma- triculation examination are offered by a large number of providers, e.g. WIFI, bfi, adult education centres, as well as vocational or upper secondary schools. If participants attend the preparatory courses du- ring normal hours of apprenticeship, the period of training may be extended by the period of additional (vocational) school attendance (as a rule by half a year). Having passed the vocational matriculation examination, successful candidates have unrestricted access to stu- dy programmes of Austrian universities and universities of applied sciences, post-secondary colleges and other Austrian training estab- lishments requiring matriculation examinations for enrolment.

38 Source: BMBF, BMWFW.

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Apprenticeship following standard matriculation examination39 Graduates from academic secondary schools or secondary techni- cal or vocational colleges may enter fast-track apprenticeships as an additional form of practical vocational training. Graduates from secondary technical and vocational schools providing three or more years of training, graduates with matriculation certificates as well as young people who have already completed an apprentices- hip may have an(other) apprenticeship of three or more years‘ dura- tion reduced by one year. Attendance of vocational school classes is condensed into shorter periods as well.

Internships abroad for apprentices40 International mobility is gaining in importance in apprenticeship training. Therefore, apprentices may now go abroad for placements or internships supported by EU and other funds. The IFA Associati- on (International Young Workers Exchange) is the central point of contact in this field. It helps compile job application files, prepare and organise the apprentices‘ placements in other European coun- tries, allocates the funding necessary for this purpose and ensures the recognition of competences acquired abroad. These practical work placements are available in spring and autumn and are orga-

39 Source: BMWFW. 40 Source: Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO).

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nised for groups of four to ten apprentices. Individually organised placements as well as placements organised by companies are also eligible for financial support. Apprentices aged 16 years and above (preferably after the second year of their apprenticeship) are entit- led to participate in this programme.

Placement must cover a minimum period of two weeks. For more information refer to the IFA website www.ifa.or.at.

II.1.3. Subsidies to company-based apprenticeships Subsidies to company-based apprenticeships provide basic support to all employers willing to train apprentices. In addition, a number of measures have been introduced in recent years in order to improve the quality of training and avoid drop-outs as the quality of training provision varies greatly between enterprises. The subsidy scheme and the most important revisions will be described below. Section II.2 ‘La- bour market policies for young people’ details the PES’s subsidy sys- tem for company-based apprenticeships.

The number of apprenticeship-seekers exceeded the number of avai- lable training positions in recent years. Moreover, employers have high demands on apprentices, which cannot be met by apprentices- hip-seekers, and/or the available training positions are in segments or regions other than the ones preferred by apprenticeship-seekers. The-

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re-fore a great variety of subsidies are available for company-based apprenticeships.

As of 2008 subsidies to company-based apprenticeships are availa- ble under the Vocational Training Act (BAG). The funding guidelines are defined by the funding committee of the Federal Advisory Board on Vocational Training (Bundes-Berufsausbildungsbeirat) composed of representatives of the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW), the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) and the Chamber of Labour (AK). Certain guidelines, such as those on coa- ching for apprentices and their employers, are drafted by the Federal Minister of Science, Research and Economy in consultation with the Federal Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection.

Basic subsidies vary according the rate of remuneration paid to apprentices. In the first year of training they total three monthly gross remunerations for apprentices as defined by collective agreements, in the second year they total two monthly gross remunerations and in the third year and fourth year they total one such remuneration. For example, that of a retail apprentice is €504 in the first year of training and €913 in the third year.

In addition to this basic support scheme, companies are offered qua- lity- and employment-related subsidies to improve the quality of

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training and encourage the establishment of training clusters mana- ged by several companies (Ausbildungsverbünde), train and continue to train trainers and foster the acquisition of additional skills. Since career choices still vary greatly by gender, employers are also suppor- ted in efforts to implement policies ensuring equal access to appren- ticed trades by young women and men. In addition, new measures were introduced in 2013 to foster individual training success:

■■Apprentices in the last year of training may attend preparatory courses for their final examination free of charge.

■■The expenses incurred will be refunded to candidates taking the examination a second or third time.

■■Employers who are willing to accept apprentices from supra-com- pany training schemes into their own in-house scheme receive a one-off bonus of €1,000 as of autumn 2013.

■■In order to improve the quality standards of apprenticeships and ensure the success of these training programmes, additional funds of up to €3m are made available as of 2014 for innovative programmes and pilot projects.

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Since the introduction of the 2008 reform package all the subsidies available to individual companies in support of apprenticeship trai- ning have been processed by the Apprenticeship Offices (Lehrlings- stellen) of the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) and are financed by the Insolvency Contingency Fund (IEF), with the latter spending roughly €162m on company-based apprenticeships in 2013.

Coaching and counselling for apprentices and their employers This coaching programme for apprentices and their employers aims to reduce the number of failed apprenticeships, increase the num- ber of successful apprenticeship examinations and raise the quality of training by providing coaches to assist apprentices and their em- ployers whenever problems occur. The programme was launched in summer 2012 with a pilot project in the federal states (Länder) of Upper Austria, Styria, Tyrol and Vienna. This pilot project was evaluated in 2013. Based on the experience gained, the quality of the programme is being further developed (inter alia by the intro- duction of three priority areas: apprentices from migrant backg- rounds; women in non-standard, i.e. male-dominated, occupations; apprenticeships in SMEs) and is to be available throughout Austria in 2015. In 2013, 470 participants benefited from this coaching sche- me for apprentices (target figure for fully operational programme: 5,000). Funding continues in 2014, with up to €3m being earmarked for this programme.

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Coaching for apprentices: if problems occur during training, suppor- tive coaching by a professional coach may be requested by appren- tices (for themselves), by trainers or those responsible for training within a company, by vocational schools or by parents. The tasks of these coaches are: to have an initial talk with the apprentice in ques- tion; to identify perspectives; to conduct mediation where required; to assist with choosing refresher, upskilling or continued training programmes; and to support apprentices in preparation for the final apprenticeship examination. The steps to be taken are identified and defined in the initial meeting. Follow-up meetings are agreed bet- ween apprentices and coaches according to individual requirements.

Coaching for the employers of apprentices: counsellors may be made available to employers of apprentices to address issues of training design, of how to deal with apprentices or where to request funding as well as to provide information on educational opportuni- ties for apprentices and trainers. Coaches may be requested from the WKO’s Apprenticeship Offices. The kind and intensity of coun- selling depend on the requirements of the company concerned and are agreed on an individual basis.

Training guidebooks – quality of training In order to provide practicable information on training design, trai- ning guidebooks for ten of the most frequent apprenticed trades

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were drawn up in 2012. They consist of a general part applicable to all apprentice-ships and a special part applicable to a specific apprenticed trade. The guidebooks use best practices to give gui- dance on how to structure training, while practical aids help reflect and design a company’s own training system and in-house appro- ach to job profiling. The books have been prepared in cooperation with ibw trainers and staff responsible for apprenticeship training (ibw = Institut für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft [Institute for Re- search on Qualifications and Training in the Austrian Economy]). Work on guidebooks for other and eventually all apprenticed trades continues.

Clearing centre for final apprenticeship examinations (LAPs)41 In order to assure the quality of test questions in final apprentices- hip examinations (LAPs), a clearing centre is being established for all Apprenticeship Offices Clearingstelle( LAP). Its tasks include in- ter alia: to check current test questions and examples for their rele- vance; draft new ones and, if approved, mark them with a ‘quality label’; draft a blueprint for the preparation of examiners for the con- duct of examinations.

41 LAP = final apprenticeship examination.

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In 2012, the clearing centre already drafted such a blueprint for the preparation of examiners for their tasks and developed a certificate (‘certified LAP examiner’).

Support to apprentices’ Placements abroad Employers whose apprentices gain job-related work experience in placements abroad may request prorated refunds of the apprenti- ces’ remuneration for the period of such placement. If the period of placement coincides (in part) with an apprentice‘s annual holidays, only the period credited towards working hours is eligible for finan- cial support. Requests can be processed either by the Apprentices- hip Offices or (as an alternative) by the competent entities involved in the organisation of placements abroad (see also item II.1.2).

Attendance of preparatory courses for the final examination is funded Apprentices who attend courses in their last year of training in pre- paration for their final apprenticeship examination and persons who attend such courses no later than twelve months after the end of their apprenticeship may request financial support. The federal government funds the participation fee of each enrolment up to a maximum of €250. Funding is available as of autumn 2013.

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Costs of repeat examinations are funded This funding option is available to cover the repeat examination fee as well as the costs of the necessary test materials for appren- tices who failed the final apprenticeship examination (LAP) once or twice. Funding is available as of autumn 2013.

Participation in international skills competitions Employers who enrol their apprentices or apprenticeship gradua- tes in international skills competitions (WorldSkills – international vocational skills competition, EuroSkills – European vocational skills competition) are supported with a grant. The Apprenticeship Office pays prorated refunds of the apprentices’ remuneration or the employee’s salary (gross) for the period of (external) prepara- tion (expert training, etc.) and of the competition itself. This grant was introduced on 1 January 2014.

Supplementary measures to support the quality of company-ba- sed apprenticeship training These measures are designed to support quality management and quality assurance in company-based training as well as to test or de- velop systemically relevant tools in pilot projects. In order to enhan- ce quality development in the dual training system, an Austria-wide and data-based quality management system was initiated in autumn 2013 for apprenticeship training (‘quality management in apprenti-

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ceships’). Both regional and sectoral measures are taken to ensure successful vocational training. Austria-wide coordination is ensured by the newly established quality committee of the Federal Advisory Board on Vocational Training (Bundes-Berufsausbildungsbeirat)42.

II.1.4. Career counselling and guidance Finding the right occupation is a special challenge for young people in view of the often very complex and broad range of career options available. In Austria, career choice has remained fairly traditional and gender-specific. Whereas girls want to become shop assistants, cle- rical assistants and hairdressers, boys prefer to be auto mechanics, electrical fitters and mechanical technicians (see also item I.3). Both girls and boys continue to be under represented in a number of occu- pations because of traditional gender role allocations that determine their expectations in life and society. It is a difficult task to maintain an overview of the gamut and diversity of career perspectives in the mo- dern workplace and to help young people choose careers that match their individual skills and interests.

Career guidance services in Austria are broad-based and wide-ran- ging. Alongside Austria’s public employment service with its core tasks of career counselling and job brokerage, a variety of coun-

42 Source: economic report 2014 of the BMWFW.

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selling centres, e.g. of the Chamber of Labour and the Economic Chamber, are available to interested parties of all age groups. As of the 2009/10 school year, school-based career guidance and educa- tion counselling are enhanced. The intention is to enable each and every pupil to identify individual talents and skills and then to help him/her choose the right career. Career guidance at school includes improvement of basic learning skills, compulsory vocational gui- dance for Year Seven and Year Eight pupils, projects and hands-on experiences (days of practical job experience, company visits, visits to information and counselling centres, etc.) as well as information provided by vocational and academic education counsellors.

Career Counselling and Guidance by the Public Employment service A key topic and major challenge for young people is choosing the right occupation and finding a suitable training position. Austria’s public employment service is a first-stop shop for information on employment and careers. The PES offers initial counselling to young people who have completed or are about to complete compulsory schooling, or seek apprenticeship training. Interested young peo- ple will be registered as apprenticeship-seekers and placed in an apprenticeship where possible, or in a supra-company training programme where required. A special regional PES office for young people is available in Vienna.

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Young people may gather information independently or turn to the PES’s BIZ counsellors (BIZ = vocational information centres) concerning assistance in information retrieval and questions on career and education choices. BIZ counsellors also offer lectures, workshops and seminars on labour market issues. The numerous services offered by these vocational information centres at 67 locations around the country were used by over 540,000 persons in 2013, more than 175,000 of whom were young people under 21 years (single visits, special assistance for pupils).

The public employment service offers special services to schools, such as arranging visits by entire classes to one of the BIZs whe- re pupils are given the chance to discover their interests and affi- nities. As of the 2009/10 school year all Year Seven or Year Eight pupils are required to visit a BIZ centre. This gives them the op- portunity to learn more about occupation and education choices and reconsider their previous career and education decisions. The vocational information centres cater to the needs of these school classes. BIZs also organise lectures, workshops, seminars or in- house fairs for pupils, which address job market and vocational issues. Information for parents and teachers supplement this tar- geted service.

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In the 2012/13 school year, assistance was provided to 79,000 Year Seven and Year Eight pupils, up 10% against the 2011/12 school year43.

In autumn 2013, a communication campaign under the title ‚Picture Your Job’ proposed numerous activities to young people motivating them to explore their talents and become aware of the great variety of vocational options available. In this context, the BIZs organised a nati- onwide career information day for young people and interested adults offering various event tools such as speed dating with employers, career quizzes with quiz wheels and world cafés for school classes44.

Other information is available from the Internet:

The application portal (Bewerbungsportal) of the PES contains instructions, exercises and tips on all steps of the job applicati- on process (http://bewerbungsportal.ams.or.at/). Hands-on sup- port is provided by checklists and many examples of application letters and CVs from different fields of occupations. An ‘applicati- on coach’ provides step-by-step support in writing an application letter and a CV.

43 Source: PES Annual Report 2013. 44 Source: PES Annual Report 2013.

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The job compass (www.berufskompass.at) and youth compass provide initial orientation on career choices. An online test asks personal and job-related questions of relevance to an individual’s career choice, and after submitting the answers test participants are given a list of suggestions on suitable jobs and an individual evaluation of the test results. The PES apprentice compass focuses on young people who are interested in entering apprenticeships. The training compass (www.ausbildungskompass.at) offers de- tailed information on the Austrian education system, on education choices and training establishments.

‘Workroom’ (www.arbeitszimmer.cc) is the PES’s youth platform which provides information to pupils, apprentices and students on school, job and higher education choices. Very popular are infor- mation on apprenticeships, the occupation of the month and the job window.

Young people may access the PES job lexicon (www.berufslexikon.at­ ) to view detailed job descriptions arranged by level of educational at- tainment; more than 300 online videos supplement the written texts and photographs. General information videos and ‘virtual’ company visits are also available. They are supplemented by so-called ‘Fem- Tech’ videos, which give examples of women in technical jobs and en- courage girls to choose a career in this promising field.

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Although the PES vocational information system (www.ams.at/bis) is primarily targeted at experts, 19% of the Austrian population and 22% of all young people use this system. It describes roughly 600 oc- cupations (Berufe) classified in 24 fields, and provides nearly 10,000 designations of occupations, details on training, earnings prospects, qualifications, etc.

An online educational and vocational information service of the private association Bildung und Beruf (www.bildungundberuf.at) is targeted at pupils, at individuals with higher education qualifica- tions, as well as at those who are already employed, and provides information on education, training and careers. Moreover, it offers basic training and coaching in the context of education and career choices, career planning, lifelong learning, etc.

II.2. Labour market policies for young people An average of 5.6m young adults less than 25 years old were out of work in the EU in 2013, which corresponds to an unemployment rate of 23.4% (source: Eurostat). At the onset of the financial and economic crisis youth unemployment was around 16%, i.e. already twice as high as total unemployment in the European Union. Un- employment rates within the EU continue to drift apart. While the difference between highest and lowest youth unemployment rate was 17 percentage points in 2007, it was more than 50 percenta-

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ge points in 2013. Greece reported the highest unemployment rate (58.6%) followed by Spain (55.7%) and Croatia (49.8%). At the other end we find Germany with 7.9%, Austria with 9.2% and the Nether- lands with 11.0%.

Austria’s low youth unemployment rate is due to the relatively low level of total unemployment (4.9% in 2013), demographic develop- ments, the focus on vocational training (apprenticeships, vocatio- nal schools, etc.) and numerous active labour market policies for young people.

The Government launched the Training Guarantee in 2008 and the Future for Youth Action Programme in 2009. Youth Coaching, pro- grammes offered at the transition from school to continuing training and job entry as well as projects for young people with the greatest difficulties are intended to provide a closely knit safety net. This strong focus on young people within Austria’s labour market policy is also illustrated by the public funds made available: in 2013, a total of €650m (excluding social insurance contributions) was spent on labour market and apprenticeship subsidies for 15- to 24-year olds compared with €621m in 2012. PES funds earmarked for youth pro- grammes totalled roughly €453m in 2013; another €58m were spent by the employment service on social insurance coverage for young participants in training courses. Additional appropriations (€162m

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in 2013) of the Insolvency Contingency Fund (Insolvenzentgeltfonds) were made available for subsidies to company-based apprentices- hips. Moreover, subsidies to apprenticeships provided by the Social Affairs Ministry Service for disadvantaged and disabled young peo- ple, including Training Assistance (Berufsausbildungsassistenz) to- talled €12m and expenditure on Youth Coaching roughly €22m.

II.2.1. Managing the transition from school to work Transition from school to employment involves many challenges for young people and is rarely straightforward. Therefore, young people are offered a wide variety of measures and projects designed to meet their different requirements and capabilities. They revolve around schemes giving young participants sufficient time to mature at their own pace and acquire the necessary skills, as well as on counselling and assistance services (see also II.1.4).They are intended to offer guidance and support to help young people steer through the often confusing maze of occupation and education landscapes.

In recent years these programmes have been enhanced and put on a systematic basis. The various types of programmes available to young people increasingly dovetail to pave the way towards the ulti- mate goal of an ‘obligation to train’ (Ausbildungsverpflichtung). The centrepiece of this training strategy includes Youth Coaching and a number of new projects such as Fit for Training (AusbildungsFit).

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Youth coaching The Youth Coaching (Jugendcoaching) programme has been estab- lished in close cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Educa- tion and Women‘s Affairs (BMBF) and the Social Affairs Ministry and is implemented by the Social Affairs Ministry Service. In difficult periods of decision-making many young people need professio- nal advice and support, in particular in relation to their plans for the future and the related career choices. Therefore the idea was conceived to contact young people towards the end of compulso- ry education directly at the schools they attend and offer them the help of personal assistants (Youth Coaches) who provide free and uncomplicated advice and support in matters of education, career or personal problems. Youth Coaching is targeted primarily at pu- pils, but also at young people under age 19 who are no longer in the education system and at young people under age 25 with special educational needs or disabilities.

Collaboration between pupils and coaches is voluntary, a prerequi- site for creating the kind of trust needed to address issues young people are concerned about and do not know who else to discuss them with. The topics young people may discuss with their Youth Coaches vary and may range from school-related issues, jobs or fa- mily problems to substance abuse and debt.

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Youth Coaching takes place in three stages. Young people entering this programme may need only the first stage or proceed to stages 2 and 3. Stage 1 involves an initial interview, stage 2 more detailed counselling and stage 3 ongoing assistance of up to one year. Youth Coaches identify the young people’s strengths and capabilities to- gether with their charges, whereupon they will draft an adequate development plan, the objective being successful transfer to wor- king life or continuing training.

Approximately 29,000 young people benefited from this program- me (stages 1-3) in 2013, with 27,000 (whereof about 45% were fema- le) being new entrants (see also II.2.7).

Production schools Programmes such as supra-company apprenticeship training may be overly ambitious for some disadvantaged young people. They need other types of support to inspire enthusiasm and gradually re-accustom them to learning and working. Austria currently ope- rates 20 production schools (as of autumn 2014: 24).Based on their special priorities – career guidance, personal development and maturing, basic and hands-on learning processes – these schools help pupils prepare for continuing training and open up (career) perspectives. Production schools are primarily intended for young people aged 15-19 years. However, they are also open to older

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young people (up to 25 years) who experience difficulties finding employment.

Young people may gather practical experience of job-related pro- cesses and requirements and test/practice ‘what professional life is about’. The objective of production schools is to enhance stabili- ty and motivation and to provide special skills and basic qualifica- tions. Although the concept of production schools varies according to region, all production schools offer workshops for learning by doing, vocational guidance, socio-pedagogic support, practical ex- perience and assistance in improving basic education skills.

The outcome of attending a production school is highly individual, ranging from resumption of education, generation of interest in a specific occupation to placement in a company-run apprenticeship programme. In 2013 roughly 2,900 young people made use of this programme.

Fit for Training Experiences with labour market policies for young people and, more specifically, with the Youth Coaching programme show that many ado-lescents cannot enter training or the labour market directly as they lack basic qualifications and social skills or face serious pro- blems (health, finance, family, etc.). Called ‘Fit for Training’ (Aus-

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bildungsFit), a new nationwide, low-threshold and standardised programme for disadvan-taged youth is currently being developed. Fit for Training is implemented, as is the case with the Youth Coa- ching programme, by the Social Affairs Ministry Service. All pro- jects offered under Fit for Training are explicitly targeted at young people with disabilities. They are fully accessible (barrier-free) and ­inclusion-minded.

Fit for Training consists of four pillars:

■■Training modules focusing on activation (entry assistance), practice (training, career guidance, etc.) and specialisation (in preparation for specific vocational training);

■■ Coaching: special coaches assist participants, discuss the pro- gress made and support them during unpaid traineeships with private businesses;

■■Knowledge workshop: in a subsequent stage of training, parti- cipants are given the opportunity to train the necessary skills in a number of fields including basic social and other skills or new media;

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■■Physical activity: sports and exercise play a key role in the Fit for Training programme with the objective of making these activities attractive for participants and providing opportunities for experi- encing success.

In 2013, 17 projects were selected for the pilot phase with roughly 730 participants in seven Länder. There are plans to expand the pro- gramme in 2015.

II.2.2. Apprenticeships subsidised by the public employ- ment service In addition to subsidies to company-based apprenticeships (for de- tails see II.1.3), the PES supports apprenticeships of the following groups:

■■Girls in apprenticed trades with a low proportion of women (up to €400 per month; supra-company training programme – ÜBA: €453 per month);

■■Specially disadvantaged apprenticeship-seekers;

■■Young people aged 18plus whose employability problems are caused by inadequate skills and can be solved by apprenticeship training (up to €755 per month);

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■■Participants in Integrated Vocational Training.

The subsidy may be claimed by companies and other training provi- ders. It is paid as a monthly grant towards the costs of apprentices- hips or Integrated Vocational Training (apprentices’ remuneration, staff costs and overheads) and awarded for one year of training/ apprenticeship at a time. It may be granted for up to three years.

The PES spent almost €22.5m on individual support in 2013. Roughly 13,800 personal received subsidies to apprenticeships from the PES.

II.2.3. Training Guarantee for young people – supra-compa- ny training programme (ÜBA) Introduced in 2008, the Training Guarantee (Ausbildungsgarantie) promises a training slot to each young person. In order to keep this promise, Austria started creating supra-company training slots in 1998 and expanded the programme in 2008. Registered apprenti- ceship-seekers who have completed compulsory education and are unable to find suitable training positions within companies in spite of placement efforts or have dropped out of apprenticeships may enter one of the supra-company training programmes (ÜBA).

There are two types of supra-company training: ÜBA 1 and ÜBA 2.

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ÜBA1 is a training course that requires completion of the entire cour- se offered by a training entity or by such an entity in cooperation with a company-based training workshop. Although the entire ÜBA1 course must be completed, a key objective is to place participants in company-based apprenticeships during training.

ÜBA2 is based on training contracts that do not cover the entire pe- riod of an apprenticeship. Rather, ÜBA2 is primarily meant to be a pathway towards placement in, and completion of, company-run apprenticeships.

Roughly 9,300 young people on average participated in supra-com- pany training programmes offered under the Training Guarantee in 2013. The remuneration paid to these apprentices is €294 net per month in the first and second year of training and €679.50 net per month in the third year.45 The remaining costs are borne by the PES.

11,083 training places are to be made available to young people un- der the Training Guarantee in supra-company training schemes in the 2013/14 training year; public (earmarked) funds of roughly €173m are set aside for this purpose (whereof €151m by the PES); if preparatory courses are not included, this figure totals €157m (PES: €138m).

45 Source: PES.

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Table 4 shows the stock of apprentices in supra-company training schemes broken down by year of training on the cut-off date of 31 December.

Table 4: Young people in supra-company training programmes46

training thereof total year courses preparation support 2007/08 8,479 7,191 1,039 387 2008/09 8,598 7,223 1,063 425 2009/10 11,067 8,897 1,658 599 2010/11 11,472 9,539 1,245 871 2011/12 10,510 9,114 722 1,000 2012/13 9,520 8,463 600 604 2013/14 9,294 8.247 551 667

Source: DWH, retrieved on 21 March 2014; stock as at 31 December.

Authorised training providers who have taken on a young person from the ÜBA programme on or after 1 Aug 2013 may claim funding

46 Includes supra-company training programmes 1 and 2 (ÜBA 1, ÜBA 2), Inte- grated Vocational Training (IBA) and programmes under the Youth Training Consolidation Act (JASG).

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of €1,000 after the first year of training or after the end of the period of continued employment under the following conditions:

■■If training is provided in the same or in a related apprenticed trade;

■■If the training period spent in the ÜBA programme is credited;

■■If no other PES subsidy is claimed for this young person (excepti- on: girls in male-dominated occupations);

■■If the apprenticeship contract was/is concluded between 1 Aug 2013 to 31 Dec 2015.

II.2.4. Future for youth action programme Launched in 2009, the Future for Youth Action programme (Aktion Zukunft Jugend) is a wider-based training guarantee for 20- to 24-ye- ar-olds aimed at opening up career perspectives for these young adults. Under this programme, the Austrian Government guarantees unemployed young job-seekers aged 20 to 24 years offers of employ- ment, targeted training or a subsidised job within six months. The en- hanced use of various labour market policy tools is intended to speed up the integration of young people into the labour market and open up new career prospects. Young people who are hard to place will receive individualised training support within the first six months of their re-

89 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

gistration with the public employment service, or special employment subsidies are used to help them (re-)enter the labour market.

This action programme helped 54,000 young people aged 20 to 24 years enrol in a PES training scheme and 95,500 members of this age group take up jobs in 2013. Roughly €142m were spent on trai- ning and employment subsidies/measures for young adults aged 20 to under 25 years from the LMP funding budget of the public emplo- yment service in 2013.

II.2.5. measures for young people from migrant backg- rounds47 Insufficient German language skills, low (recognised) skills level and lack of information on possible training and occupations make it dif- ficult for young migrants to get a foothold in the labour market. Whe- reas the unemployment rate (national method) for young people un- der 25 years was 8.1% in 2013 (men: 8.5%, women: 7.7%), it was 13.0% for young migrants (men: 13.6%, women: 12.3%). The unemployment rate among young men is slightly higher than among young women, with gender differences being greater for migrants than for other

47 Persons of migrant background within the PES context are defined as: persons who have/had foreign nationality and persons who have changed their citizenship (first generation) and co-insured persons of first generation migrants (second generation).

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groups. As at 31 Dec 2013, over 120,000 apprentices were trained un- der regular company-run programmes. Out of the average number of registered apprenticeship-seekers (10,400) more than one third had a migrant background. The large majority of migrants who have settled in Austria and are of working age enjoy legally secure and permanent labour market access. This signifies that integration measures no lon- ger focus on the removal of legal barriers to labour market access but rather focus on assistance to sustainable inclusion in the job market.

Young migrants are supported with guidance, counselling and skills training measures adjusted to their needs. These policies include educational and vocational guidance tailored to the needs of young people, counselling and support services, as well as employment projects.

If upon completion of compulsory education these young people cannot be placed in a formal apprenticeship programme, they will be offered the opportunity to enter a fully-fledged apprenticeship programme in a supra-company training entity (see also item II.2.3). Young people who have dropped out of school or training, as well as young people with learning difficulties who require special support, are invited to join production schools (see item II.2.1). By combining work and learning, production schools help young people prepare for the labour market.

91 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Young migrants are also encouraged to acquire basic qualifications, such as completing lower secondary school and improving their German language skills, in order to raise their skills level. Other la- bour market integration policies and programmes for this group include: testing and analysing their skills, mentoring programmes, networking with and for girls, or women in crafts and engineering (FiT). Under these programmes, young female immigrants enter skills training in non-traditional occupations.

Austria’s public employment service regularly invites external pro- viders (Beratungszentrum, WUK Monopoli, Sprungbrett, etc.) to its offices on special counselling days for young people. Owing to their special mission and objectives, these providers ensure more detailed and comprehensive advice and assistance to adolescents. They can address problems a case worker of the public employment service cannot address. A special pilot project has been launched which addresses the needs of young migrants who show potential for skills development and require the academic validation of exis- ting credentials. Young people from migrant backgrounds benefit to an above average degree from Youth Coaching.

The Managing Diversity programme is designed to create a better framework for the inclusion of this target group both in PES mea- sures and in the labour market. Implementation of Managing Di-

92 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

versity involves several levels: measures are geared to the needs of the target group’s family context; counselling takes place within a suitable framework (e.g. counselling provided by staff of migrant background); measures are implemented within training courses provided by the employment service; and employers are assisted in matters of diversity management.

II.2.6. Policies for young people with health-related emplo- yment handicaps48 Under Austria’s Public Employment Service Act (AMSG) disadvanta- ged persons are to be given special assistance. In order to comply with this legal duty of ensuring greater equality of opportunity in the labour market, the public employment service uses a broader defi- nition of disability: its assistance to unemployed young people with health-related employment handicaps is based not only on their le- gally defined disabilities (beneficiary disabled persons according to the Austrian Disability Employment Act [BeinstG], the Victims Wel- fare Act [Opferfürsorgegesetz] or the Länder’s disability legislation)

48 Disabilities of beneficiary persons are graded by official assessment (Feststel- lungsbescheid) pursuant to the Austrian Disability Employment Act (BeinstG), the Victims Welfare Act (Opferfürsorgegesetz) or/and similar legislation (Lan- desbehindertengesetze) of the individual Austrian Länder (states). The public employment service, too, may grade clients as having health issues based on their restricted physical or psychological aptitude for the labour market.

93 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

but also on the actual possibilities they have of being integrated into the labour market. Hence it takes into account physical, psy- chological or mental impairment provided that this is supported by medical assessment and results in major placement difficulties or limited job opportunities for those concerned. Holders of disabili- ty passports have been included in these measures since 2010. The average number of young people with health-related employment handicaps entered in the employment service’s unemployment re- gister in 2013 was 2,944.

In principle, this target group may access the entire range of pro- grammes offered by the public employment service. The Youth Coa- ching programme (for details see item II.2.1) assists the members of this target group in response to their individual needs and con- cerns. One of the priorities of the employment service is to support the training of young people with health issues and social disadvan- tages within the framework of Integrated Vocational Training pro- grammes (Integrative Berufsausbildung). These programmes offer apprenticeship training or the acquisition of partial skills (see also item II.2.8).

10,135 young people with health-related employment handicaps received subsidies from the public employment service in 2013, 2,270 of whom were assigned to employment measures and 2,305 to sup-

94 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

port measures. A very large part of them was given the opportunity to participate in initial or advanced training programmes: in 2013, the number of young people with health-related employment handicaps supported by the PES with skills training measures was 8,54049.

II.2.7. Special Employment Initiative by the Social Affairs Ministry Service for young people with disabilities50 In 2013 the labour market support strategy for people with disabi- lities was finalised: BABE – Austria 2014-2017 disability – training – employment. In response to a changing labour market, the Soci- al Affairs Ministry Service has shifted the strategic focus of its pro- grammes in recent years. The group of persons eligible for support has been gradually widened and based on the kind of personal as- sistance needed by people with disabilities (special situations, age, life course, types of impairment, coexistence of disability and other disadvantages that are likely to make labour market integration more difficult). In principle, people with disabilities have access to all general labour market measures and appropriate support. Ho- wever, a number of disabilities require special assistance in the workplace or in preparation for the labour market.

49 Source: PES DWH, cube: : fdg_personen 2913, number of persons. 50 Social Affairs Ministry, Division IV/A/6 – PES DWH of 30 Jan 2014.

95 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Under this special Employment Initiative for the integration of disa- bled people into the labour market, the wide variety of funding and support tools, which includes projects and individual assistance or a combination of both, continues to be made available with a speci- al focus on young people (15-24 years). Young people with disabili- ties or social and emotional impairment may use all offerings under this Employment Initiative. Innovative measures (project grants, employment and skills training measures) have been developed to specifically respond to the needs of this group and will be described in greater detail below.

Initial integration into the labour market in order to provide optimal vocational training and employment is essential and aims to avoid the exclusion of young people with functional impairment. One priority issue in this context is the transition from school to work. A new policy approach is Career Management (Laufbahnmanage- ment): it provides assistance to young people with functional im- pairment on their gradual path towards integration, i.e. from Youth Coaching, Fit for Training, Integrated Vocational Training, Job As- sistance, Job Coaching, skills training and employment projects to formal employment relationships. This policy approach needs to be advanced and tested in practice to improve the framework condi- tions for initial integration into the labour market.

96 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Project grants Under the project grants available from the Social Affairs Ministry Service, the Employment Assistance Network (Netzwerk Berufliche Assistenz – NEBA) plays a key role concerning the equality of people with disabilities and the fight against poverty and exclusion.

NEBA provides a very differentiated system of assistance to young peo- ple with disabilities as well as to marginalised young people or those at risk of exclusion at the transition from school to work, including Youth Coaching, Fit for Training, Training Assistance (Berufsausbildungsassis- tenz), Job Assistance (Arbeitsassistenz) and Job Coaching.

■■ Youth Coaching In 2013, the Youth Coaching programme was established, an upgra- ded version of the previous Clearing programme of the Social Affairs Ministry Service. As it is now open to all young people, it will be de- scribed in greater detail under item II.2.1.

■■ Fit for Training Fit for Training (AusbildungsFit – AFit) was developed in 2013 in coor- dination with the PES. Pilot projects are currently operated within ‘personal development and maturing projects’.

97 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

■■ Training Assistance The Training Assistance programme (Berufsausbildungsassistenz) has been introduced to help young people with special placement handicaps enter the labour market. Suitable preparation, support and assistance measures are offered to ensure successful completi- on of the chosen training programme. 5,963 cases funded under the Training Assistance programme were reported by the Social Affairs Ministry Service for 2013 (young women accounted for 1,882 and young men for 4,081 of these cases).

■■ Job Assistance programme for young people In order to find and maintain jobs, young people with disabilities may apply for Job Assistance services (Jugendarbeitsassistenz) provided by support workers who are specially trained to deliver assistance to this group.

These services may range from analysing the situation together with the young client to exploring individual career options, pro- viding job-search support and special workplace assistance in the initial phase of an employment relationship. Another key function of the Job Assistance programme is to ensure crisis intervention to secure jobs at risk. 4,725 cases were funded under the Job Assistan- ce programme for young people in 2013 (young women accounted for 1,979 and young men for 2,746 of these cases).

98 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

■■ Job Coaching The Job Coaching scheme is intended to provide guidance to young people with disabilities and individual assistance with the learning of work skills on the job. It aims to help young people achieve sustainable vocational integration and enter jobs with a living income.

This form of support aims to enhance vocational and social skills, thus enabling disabled workers to become independent in handling work pressures and meeting workplace requirements. At the same time it should raise company staff awareness for disability-related issues. 399 subsidy cases were reported for 2013 (170 young wo- men, 229 young men).

■■ Personal Assistance in the Workplace Young people with severe disabilities frequently have greater diffi- culties finding and retaining employment even if they have adequate skills for the job. Personal Assistance for Young People in the Work- place (Persönliche Assistenz für Jugendliche am Arbeitsplatz) is to en- sure self-determined and equal participation in the labour market for this group. Workers relying on such personal assistance receive the kind of one-on-one support needed for doing the job or completing vocational training. 99 subsidy cases were reported for 2013 (young women accounted for 48 and young men for 51 of these cases).

99 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Employment and skills training The objective of employment and skills training programmes is to provide qualifications based on individual career prospects, capa- bilities and interests. In addition, they offer the opportunity of ente- ring fixed-term employment in a socio-economic enterprise and getting accustomed to job situations in the free-market economy. 3,095 such employment and skills training cases were reported for 2013 (1,370 young women and 1,725 young men)51.

II.2.8. Integrated Vocational Training programmes A revision of the Vocational Training Act (BAG) in 2003 provided the le- gal basis for Integrated Vocational Training of disadvantaged persons with special placement handicaps52. Under the Integrated Vocational Training programme (IBA) the period of training may be extended by one year or in exceptional cases, and if this is required to prepare a can-

51 Social Affairs Ministry, Division VI/B/10, Data Warehouse retrieved on ­ 11 June 2014. 52 These are individuals who could not be placed in formal-sector apprentices- hips and who belong to the following groups: individuals with special educa- tional needs at the end of compulsory education spent, at least in part, under the curriculum of a special-needs school; individuals who have not finished their schooling at general lower secondary schools or have finished schooling with too many negative marks; people with disabilities within the meaning of the Disability Employment Act (BeinstG) and/or the Länder’s disability legisla- tion; or socially disadvantaged individuals who, under vocational guidance, have been found to be unlikely to succeed in apprenticeships.

100 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

didate for the final apprenticeship examination, by up to two years. The acquisition of partial skills is also possible. In such a case, training may last between one and three years. Trainees in an extended training pro- gramme have the same status as other apprentices concerning their obligation to attend vocational school within the dual system. Trainees acquiring partial skills have, depending on what is specified, the right or the obligation to attend vocational school. Integrated Vocational Training may be provided within a company-based training scheme or within a supra-company training programme (ÜBA).

It is supported by the Training Assistance programme (Berufsaus- bildungsassistenz) under which support workers provide different types of support to disadvantaged and disabled young people while they are trained in a company (or by another provider) and attend vocational school.

The 2010 amendment to the Vocational Training Act introduced the following revisions:

■■ Simplified administrative procedure for change-over from one type of training to another;

■■Option to reduce daily and weekly hours of integrated training for health reasons;

101 II. POLICY AREAS TO IMPROVE LABOUR ­MARKET PROSPECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

■■Enhancing the transparency of skills and knowledge acquired in In- tegrated Vocational Training programmes by documenting them in the final certificates;

■■Introducing statutory representation of young people in supra-com- pany training schemes (apprentices’ council – Vertrauensrat);

■■Increasing options to credit relevant training periods spent abroad towards apprenticeship training from four months per training year to a maximum of six month per training year.

6,152 of all 120,579 apprentices were in Integrated Vocational Trai- ning at year-end 2013. Of these 6,152 apprentices, 4,670 were en- rolled in apprenticeships with extended periods of training (3,131 being trained in companies and 1,539 by special providers) and 1,482 in apprenticeships for acquiring partial skills (616 being trained in companies and 866 by special providers).

102 III. Activities of the European Union

III. ACTIVITIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

III.1. Contribution by the European Social Fund (ESF) Under the ESF operational programme begun in 2007, measures to prevent and combat unemployment are being implemented. Great care is taken that men and women benefit equally from these po- licies. For this purpose the public employment service focuses on policies helping young workers to retain employment and unem- ployed youth to enter new employment.

For several years the programme has increasingly responded to the situation of young people. For instance, the public employ- ment service was given the opportunity to use ESF-funded spe- cific training measures for hard-to-place unemployed youth, in particular young people of migrant background, young people having major difficulties in standard training programmes, as well as young people with school-to-work transition problems.

The programmes of the PES are supplemented by those of the Soci- al Affairs Ministry Service, which are open to young people with di- sabilities aged 15 to 25 years. ESF money is also used to support the Training Assistance, Job Assistance and Job Coaching programmes (for more details see items II.2.6-7).

103 III. Activities of the European Union

Therefore the ministries responsible for education and science un- der-take great efforts to improve education and job opportunities by supporting young people in education and training, notably tho- se who are at risk of quitting school and have to deal with social or language problems, as well as those in need of assistance in terms of career guidance and career choice.

Territorial employment pacts, too, are involved in efforts to support young people in the labour market. They fund innovative measures (model projects) for young people in a number of Länder.

The measures of the 2007-2013 funding period will be phased out in 2014/15. The new operational programme 2014-2020 continues to fund measures for young people.

A group that is increasingly moving into the focus of ESF activities is that of adolescents and young adults who are neither in emplo- yment nor in training. The European Social Fund aims to support this target group, in particular those of its members who cannot be reached by other approaches. Tailor-made programmes are to be developed and implemented for this purpose. The ultimate aim is to support these young people and young adults on their path back to training and to offer flanking measures to ensure stabilisation and personal development.

104 III. Activities of the European Union

Within our school system young people are faced with special diffi- culties at the end of compulsory education. Measures of ‘assisting young people in choosing the right career’ have proved their worth in recent years. Therefore, they are to be further developed and ex- tended within the new funding period.

Prevention of early school leaving through early support, inclu- ding early promotion of language learning and individualised strength-based assistance, is of special significance for children with first languages other than German from socially disadvanta- ged families and for children with disabilities. The European Social Fund will provide the necessary support based on pilot projects.

The Social Affairs Ministry will focus its labour market integration policies on ‘employment assistance’ programmes. They offer nu- merous support services for young people at the transition from school to work with Youth Coaching being one of the key tools in this context (see item II.2.1). Other major ‘employment assistance’ programmes are Fit for Training (see ibid.), Training Assistance, Job Assistance and Job Coaching (see item II.2.6-7).

105 III. Activities of the European Union

Project example: ‘early complete’ (structural fund period 2007- 2013) This project offers support to apprentices in Vienna who are at risk of failing their apprenticeship because of poor school achievement, loss of training position, social, psychosocial or health issues, ad- justment difficulties or other problems with their company-based or supra-company apprenticeships.

It aims to

■■reduce the number of persons who have chosen the wrong occu- pation and therefore do not complete their apprenticeship;

■■ensure early identification of problems that might result in failed apprenticeship examinations;

■■greatly reduce the number of failed apprenticeship examinations by first-time examinees through targeted measures;

■■greatly reduce the number of persons who fail to take the final apprenticeship examination;

■■support and assist persons who took the final examination and failed the first time to ensure that they retake and pass it; and

106 III. Activities of the European Union

■■greatly reduce the number of drop-outs.

Acceptance into the projects starts with an initial interview (roughly one hour) to identify the risk factors and agree on how to proceed. In the first year of training the project focuses on singling out appren- tices who might have chosen the wrong trade and on supporting them through career guidance and counselling. By the same token, project workers try to determine any additional need for assistance and offer the trainees learning aids in the form of tutoring, remedial teaching, learning groups, etc. Apart from other measures available during an apprenticeship, the main focus in the last year of training is on helping prepare for the final examination to ensure success for the apprentices.

III.2. Programmes of the European Union Due to the economic and financial crisis, youth unemployment has soared in many Member States of the European Union (see Chart 10).Young people and the fight against their unemployment is thus increasingly being highlighted in EU programmes and initiatives. The European Youth Guarantee was adopted in 2013 and is to be implemented by all Member States.

The most important initiatives for young people are summarised in the Europe 2020 Strategy. Within this strategy the goals that fo-

107 III. Activities of the European Union

cus on young people include reducing the early school-leaving rate to below 10% and increasing the percentage of people in higher education.

The Europe 2020 flagship initiative Youth on the Move covers the areas of employment, education and training, with the Youth Gua- rantee and the Youth Employment Initiative being part of this pro- gramme. Another EU initiative aimed at young people is the Agen- da for New Skills and Jobs. Erasmus+ is the new EU programme for education, training, youth and sports for the period 2014-2020. Other programmes initiated last year include the European Trai- ning Alliance and the adoption of a European Quality Framework for Traineeships.

III.2.1. Youth on the move and european youth guarantee

YOUTH ON THE MOVE Youth on the Move comprises several policy initiatives – including the European Youth Guarantee – on education and employment for young people with the following priorities:

■■Reduce the high level of early school leaving and raise participa- tion in lifelong learning: provide young people with better access to (more) learning opportunities. Company-run training program-

108 III. Activities of the European Union

mes and high quality work experience schemes are also suppor- ted to facilitate entry into the job market;

■■Raise the percentage of young people participating in higher education or equivalent;

■■Promote learning mobility through EU programmes and EU initiatives and remove obstacles to mobility: e.g. the mobility programme ‚Your first EURES job‘ aims to help young people with finding a job in other EU Members States;

■■Improve the employment situation of young people: particular focus is put on the role of public employments services and on the European Youth Guarantee.

A dedicated Youth on the Move website – ­ht­tp://ec.europa.eu/ youthonthemove/ – has been set up for information on learning and mobility opportunities for young people who want to study or gain work experience abroad. It also informs about the new European Skills Passport valid throughout the European Union.

European youth guarantee On 22 Apr 2013 the European Youth Guarantee was adopted by the European Council. Young people under 25 who are neither in em-

109 III. Activities of the European Union

ployment nor in training are to get a good-quality, concrete offer for a job, apprenticeship, traineeship or continued education within four months of them leaving formal education or becoming unem- ployed. This is to prevent young people from staying outside the education/training system or the labour market for a long time.

Under the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) €6bn (€3 billion from a dedicated Youth Employment budget line complemented by €3bn more from the ESF) will be provided to support the Youth Guarantee in the Union‘s regions with a youth unemployment rate at above 25%.

Last year the Member States submitted Youth Guarantee Imple- mentation Plans, in particular those countries that qualify for YEI funds. Austria’s Implementation Plan revolves around the Training Guarantee, Future for Youth Action and Youth Coaching schemes. This plan can be retrieved at http://www.sozialministerium.at/site/ Arbeit/News/EU_Mitgliedstaaten_praesentieren_Umsetzungsplae- ne_zur_Jugendgarantie.

III.2.2. Agenda for New Skills for New Jobs The flagship initiative Agenda for New Skills for New Jobs has been launched to help achieve the goals of Europe 2020, i.e. increase the employment rate and the percentage of people in higher education,

110 III. Activities of the European Union

as well as reduce the early school-leaving rate and the rate of peop- le in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion.

The initiative includes a number of concrete measures designed to:

■■step up reforms to enhance flexibility and security in the labour market (a ‘new momentum for flexicurity’),

■■promote better anticipation of future skills needs and develop better matching between skills and labour market needs (e.g. EU skills panorama, recognition of qualifications),

■■equip people with the right skills for employment (e.g. lifelong learning),

■■improve the job quality and working conditions as well as impro- ve the conditions for creating jobs.

For more information refer to the following website of the European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=568&langId=de

111 III. Activities of the European Union

III.2.3. Erasmus+ Erasmus+53 is the new EU programme for education, training, youth and sports for the period 2014-2020.It will provide opportunities for adolescents and young adults to gain experiences abroad by stu- dying, working or volunteering in other European countries.

Erasmus+ is intended to support the mobility of e.g. (higher educa- tion) teaching staff, students, pupils and apprentices. They may gather experiences abroad by entering traineeships or studying a semester in another EU country, etc. On the other hand, it will foster international cooperation and partnerships between institutions and countries, e.g. through the eTwinning network for schools.

Other major elements of Erasmus+ include standards and frame- works for the recognition of qualifications, courses, universities or diplomas. A wide range of tools is available for this purpose: the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), the European Credit System for Vocatio- nal Education and Training (ECVET), European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET), etc.

53 http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/index_de.htm

112 NOTES

113 NOTES

114 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF LABOUR, SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION Stubenring 1, 1010 Vienna Phone: +43 1 711 00 - 0 sozialministerium.at