Marketing in Austria
Data show that graduates of apprenticeship programmes have good employment prospects. They reach the highest figures in the transition to employment. Many apprenticeship graduates even set up their own companies. Nevertheless, marketing the benefits of the dual system is necessary and is undertaken by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy and a number of other ministries, Economic Chambers, and many of the companies that offer apprenticeship training.
Apprenticeship graduates are strongly represented among the self-employed in Austria and have some of the highest rates of transition to employment after graduation. Unfortunately, however, the image of apprenticeship training has deteriorated over the past several years. Therefore, initiatives have been taken to overcome the perceived difference in esteem between the various VET options at the upper secondary level. Furthermore, marketing efforts to promote the dual system, especially against the background of declining numbers of apprentices, have been taken.
Marketing is done mainly via websites, social media and brochures from ministries, the social partners, and also from companies. Some (larger) companies organise apprentice castings and conduct marketing campaigns to attract as many applicants for their apprenticeship places as possible.
A few examples:
Several measures have been taken at the systems level to enhance the attractiveness of apprenticeship qualifications:
- „Lehre mit Matura“ (see also: Berufsmatura): enables apprentices to take the higher education entrance qualification along with the apprenticeship qualification
- NQF classification to level 4: The classification of apprenticeship qualifications to level 4 of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) underlines the parity of esteem to certificates at the same level and thus strengthens the position of vocational education and training.
- Apprenticeship training contents are continually updated and adapted to the needs of a modern economy.
- Guidance and Counselling plays an important role in attracting young people to apprenticeship training. Special career guidance classes at the end of the compulsory schooling are provided as well as work shadowing days.