Types of Labour Market-oriented Training

Career-related Training and Education Facilities of the Free Education Market

Career-related training and education facilities comprise all training and further education measures offered by private and public institutions, which are open to everybody apart from the requirement to hold certain theoretical qualifications in some cases.

These kinds of training measures are considered labour market-oriented training measures if they have been agreed upon in consultations between the person looking for employment and the Public Employment Service and if the Public Employment Service meets the expenses.

In-company Training Measures

There are in-company training measures for people whose job is at risk but may be preserved by providing the respective employee with further training or education; the qualifications acquired, however, have to be of use not only for the respective company. And there are trainee programmes for young skilled workers and school and university graduates which deal with practical, on-the-job use of theoretical knowledge and must not be used merely to cope with any sort of occupational fluctuations. Financial support may only be provided for training measures, but not for actual practical work within the company.

Training in Schools and Courses

Training in schools and courses does not mean that existing courses become part of the labour market-oriented training measures, but that individuals are given financial support to obtain training and education in schools within the framework of labour market-oriented training. School-based education and training which forms part of a conventional educational career (e.g. "Reifeprüfung"-Exam and subsequent attendance of a post-secondary course) may not receive financial assistance. Financial assistance may only be granted for training and education measures which have been agreed upon in the course of consultations with the Public Employment Service and on the condition that these consultations took place before the respective training was taken up.

Financial support may be granted to people without completed vocational training or school education (with the exception of graduates from secondary academic schools), people holding a "Reifeprüfung"-Certificate and school or university drop-outs (after a two-year period). Financial assistance may furthermore be granted to long-term unemployed given they still draw unemployment benefit, to non-Austrian citizens holding a special type of work permit, to old-aged unemployed and to people holding qualifications which are no longer in demand on the labour market.

Labour Market-oriented Training Measures Commissioned by the Public Employment Service

Given a certain field is lacking an adequate number of training and education facilities which might counteract quantitative and qualitative imbalances of the labour market, the Public Employment Service may commission appropriate institutions to provide adequate training and education measures. In this case the Public Employment Service is responsible for the assessment of the demand for additional facilities, just as for planning and organization and for guaranteeing efficient use of these measures.

The realization of the respective measures rests with the institution or enterprise charged with this task, the Public Employment Service having control over the appropriate use of the resources.

Training Measures by the Public Employment Service in 1997 (Number of Persons)

individual training measures	50,264
training measures for non-Austrian citizens	3,418
training measures in institutions	50,636
company-based training measures	98,000
training measures for people with special needs	11,519
training measures for apprentices	13,725
training measures for young people (careers guidance, other measures to prepare for entry into the world of work)	4,876

Geändert am 23.02.2007