Address
Eurydice Informationsstelle
Bundesministerium für Bildung
Abt. Bildungsstatistik und –monitoring
Minoritenplatz 5
AT-1010 Wien
Tel: +431 53120 4716
E-Mail: eurydice@bmb.gv.at
Website:
EU-Bildungsinformationnetz EURYDICE
2026
Modernisation of the Curricula of Commercial Schools
Project
Status: Work in progress, implementation in 2027/28
Sources:
Description:
The new curricula focus on providing pupils with a contemporary, practice- and skills-oriented, and forward-looking education. By incorporating modern priorities such as digitalisation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and key competences, graduates are optimally prepared for the demands of the labour market and society. The curricula are developed through an extensive participatory process in collaboration with experts from schools, industry and academia.
Four key subjects have been included in the draft HAK curriculum as important innovations:
-
Economic & Financial Literacy: Imparts fundamental economic and financial skills for personal and professional life.
-
Accounting, Data Analysis and Reporting: Focuses on understanding financial relationships, modern data analysis and reporting.
-
Business Experience & Future Challenges: Combines practical projects and up-to-date business knowledge with a focus on future challenges.
-
International Communication with a Focus Language: Strengthens communication skills and intercultural competence in a selected foreign language.
Another new feature is the ‘Project Workshop’ at the commercial school, where pupils can work independently and across disciplines on innovative projects. This practice-oriented approach fosters creativity.
Funding: part of the ministry's budget.
Monitoring and involved bodies:
2025
No significant reforms.
2024
Social Care and Nursing - training in the VET school system and in dual training
Implementation of new types of training
Status:
School projects since 2020/21; part of regular schooling starting with 2023/24
Sources:
.
Description:
Due to demographic developments in combination with family changes, the need for care will increase. As a contribution to reducing the need in the nursing sector Austria started a new type of training in the 2020/21 school year (entrance at grade 9):
- 5-year college for nursing and social care with the degree of nursing assistant or diploma in social care
- 3-year school for social professions with preparation for nursing, leading to the degree of nursing assistant
.
National curricula were decreed in 2023.
VET colleges: The school trials will be transferred to the regular school system. From the 2023/24 school year, 24 school locations will offer the training courses. By 2030, around 8,000 training places in the nursing and social care professions will be available.
Nursing apprenticeship: From 2023/24, apprenticeship training in the care assistant professions will be possible. Duration of apprenticeship training is 3 to 4 years.
Benefits for the education system: A training gap that has existed for decades will be closed. Until now, it has not been possible to start the training before the age of 17. The new form of training makes it possible to start training immediately after completing compulsory schooling.
Funding: part of the ministry's budget.
Monitoring and involved bodies:
Higher Vocational Education
Regulation and legislative documents
Status: implementation starts in 2024
Sources:
Description:
Around 1.6 million people have an apprenticeship diploma as their highest level of completed education.
The government wants to offer new prospects to apprenticeship graduates and graduates of vocational schools and colleges (BMHS) with new job-oriented continuing education formats. A draft law on higher vocational education and training aims to create the basis for courses that for example will enable roofers to qualify as photovoltaic or solar thermal specialists, or chimney sweeps to become energy efficiency consultants.
This is to be achieved by including the qualifications in the National Qualifications Framework, which has so far only been fully populated for general educational qualifications.
There should be more than the already existing master craftsman and qualification exams afterwards. However, the draft law only creates the framework for this. The new formats will then have to be implemented by further education providers - they will also take the exams. To do so, they must also have expertise in the professional field of activity.
No titles will be awarded, but degree designations will be. In the future, the individual educational levels will be called "Higher Professional Qualification" (level 5), "Specialized Diploma" (level 6) and "Higher Specialized Diploma" (level 7). As a rule, one level must be completed before a qualification for the next can be acquired - although there will be exceptions to this, for example in the case of appropriate professional experience,
There will not be corresponding offers in all of the 230 or so apprenticeship professions right away. However, they will be created gradually, the first ones in the fall of next year at the earliest.
This will be documented in the register of educational attainment as data on higher vocational education.
Funding: Budget of BMASGPK
Monitoring and involved bodies: BMASGPK and BMB
See also: Reform of Nursing