Promoting skilled workers

“Qualifications must be worth something!”

More appreciation for training companies, says Hermann Talowski, entrepreneur and chairman of the trade and craft sector.

(Bild: WK Steiermark)

Training and further education continue to be key issues for Styrian trade and craft businesses. It is therefore all the more important that companies do not incur any additional costs for their training work. This is why Hermann Talowski, Chairman of the Trade and Crafts Division, is calling for the examination fees for final apprenticeship examinations to be covered by the public sector.

Examination fees for final apprenticeship examinations - how much money are we talking about and who has to pay?
Hermann Talowski: We currently have the absurd situation in Austria that companies that train apprentices, i.e. invest massively in the future, are being asked to pay. The final apprenticeship examination costs 132 euros per apprentice throughout Austria. That may sound like "only" a small amount, but in Styria alone it amounts to two million euros. Half of this, i.e. one million euros, is accounted for by companies in the trade and crafts sector, because this is where most apprentices are trained. And it's not just about the money: it's about the message you send out.

Namely that apprenticeships are inferior to other training courses?
Yes, that's how it comes across. Nobody has to pay a fee for a school-leaving certificate, but when it comes to apprenticeships, you're putting a symbolic obstacle in the way of training companies right from the start - that can't be right! The trade and crafts sector is therefore campaigning for the examination fees for apprenticeship examinations, which have to be paid by companies, to be covered by the public sector. Qualifications must be worth something!

A lot has already been done in terms of upgrading apprenticeships and further careers with apprenticeships ...
Yes, that's right, important steps have been taken here. From 2024, the examination costs for prospective master craftsmen and women will be covered. Specifically, the public sector will cover examination fees for the first and second attempts at module examinations 1, 2 and 3 of the master craftsperson and qualification examinations as well as for the entrepreneur examination. In addition to this, the master craftsman qualification is equivalent to a bachelor's degree in the National Qualifications Framework, namely at level 6.

And that you can have the title registered.
Yes, that is a special feature. We wanted to send out this signal of appreciation. After all, the master craftsman or qualifying examination is the highest level of professional qualification.

What significance does apprenticeship training have from a macroeconomic perspective?
Of our more than 45,000 member companies, 2,500 are training companies that train almost 7,000 apprentices. These are the skilled workers of tomorrow! Very important: I don't want to play schools and apprenticeships off against each other - all professional and career paths are equally important, but apprenticeships simply deserve more attention than they are currently receiving. There is still room for improvement!

(Bild: Sabine Watl)

What is now planned in terms of examination fees?
The next steps are currently being worked out by the project team of the Economic Policy Advisory Board in the area of education, youth and skilled workers. Our next step will be to submit a motion to the Economic Parliament in order to gain support for this issue. We are convinced that covering the examination fees is a way of showing appreciation to the training companies for training skilled workers. We also want to initiate a debate on the payment of remuneration during the vocational training period. Appreciation for companies that provide training is more important today than ever before, and this requires public awareness and recognition as well as at least financial equality with those who do not provide training.

More information for prospective apprentices and a list of all open apprenticeship positions in Styria can be found HERE.