.

Types of institutions

As of grade 9, the Austrian education system offers a variety of school types with focus on general education as well as a wide range of VET programmes with labour market orientation.

Vocational upper secondary education comprises the following school types:

• Part-time vocational schools (school level 10 to 13) in tandem with company-based vocational training
• Schools of intermediate vocational education and training (=schools of intermediate VET) (school level 9 to 12)
• Training colleges for ECEC (early childhood education and care) teachers (school level 9 to 13)
• Training colleges for social pedagogy (school level 9 to 13)
• Colleges of higher vocational education and training (=colleges of higher VET) (school level 9 to 13, ISCED 3/5)

.

Graduates of colleges of higher VET as well as of training colleges for ECEC teachers and colleges for social pedagogues finalize their education route with the matriculation and diploma examination representing a general higher education entrance qualification to enter the higher education sector.

The final certificate of a college of higher VET is evidence of regulated education and training as laid down in the Directive 2005/36/EC (Article 13(2)).

The vocational education and training system can be broken down into two major categories: part-time vocational schools in the apprenticeship or so called dual system and full-time schools of intermediate VET and colleges of higher VET.

In the apprenticeship training system the apprentice is in a training relationship with a training company and a student at a part-time vocational school at the same time.

In the dual system the training enterprises are authorized with legal training competence (Ausbildungsbefugnis). Parallel the attendance of part-time vocational schools is compulsory for apprentices according to the Vocational Training Act. The objective of part-time vocational schools as described in § 46 of the School Organisation Act is to complement the company-based training (75 %) by school based instruction (25 %) in technical theory and practical instruction. The practical training takes place in workshops and laboratories accounting for approx. 65 % of the school based training as well as expanded general education (approx. 35 %). 

The ratio of time spent between company-based training and part-time school education is about 4:1. In equivalents of an average working week of five days the apprentice is trained in the real work setting at the enterprise or at the workplace for four days by a certified company instructor (Ausbilder/in) and for one day at the part time vocational school. 

What refers the distribution of the relevant reference age group of the 15 years old after fulfilment of the obligatory (=compulsory) school roughly 40 % of compulsory school graduates opt for and start an apprenticeship. This is legally regulated by conclusion of an apprenticeship contract between the training enterprise and the apprentice finally confirmed by the apprenticeship office of the Economic Chamber in the respective federal province of the training company. 

Two third of the apprentices are male and one third is female with proportional distribution relatively constant over the time.

The main share of apprentices are trained in the crafts and trades sector (2024: 43 %), followed by industry (2024: 16 %), the retail and wholesale trade (2024: 13 %), tourism and the leisure industry (2024: 7 %), transport, information and consulting (2024: 3 %) and finally the banking and insurance sector (2024: 1 %). Apprentices receive a monthly apprentice wage (Lehrlingsgehalt) which is regulated by collective agreement and amounts up to about 25 - 40 % of the respective initial salary of a skilled worker in the first apprenticeship year increasing annually until the apprenticeship leave exam (Lehrabschlussprüfung).

The following two types of part-time vocational schools exist in Austria:

• Part-time vocational schools for apprenticeships covered by the Vocational Training Act (BAG)
• Part-time vocational schools for agriculture and forestry regulated by the Agricultural and Forestry Vocational Training Act (LFBAG).

The roughly 200 apprenticeship professions (2025: 216) can also be differentiated by their training duration:

• Two-year and two-and-a-half-year apprenticeships (2025: 5) in the crafts and trades: sweet and confectionery maker, beautician, masseur/masseuse, pedicurist, clothing producer
• Some 65 % - and herewith the vast majority of 145 (2025) apprenticeships last for three years, such as: office assistant, retail trade services, wholesale trader and industrial clerk, hairdresser and wigmaker (stylist), restaurant specialist, joinery, etc.
• Three-and-a-half-year (2025: 37) apprenticeships (frequently technical occupations), such as: motor vehicle engineering, electrical installations engineering, mechanical engineering, communications technician, electrical machinery engineering, photography, precision optics, chemical laboratory engineering, etc.
• Four-year apprenticeships (2025: 18): dental technician, complex machinery electrical systems, machinery mechanic, machine tool mechanics, electrical industrial engineering specialising in process control technology, etc.
• Module apprenticeships (2025: 11) mainly in engineering and technologically driven professions with 42 main modules and 34 special modules in total) with varying years of training (3.5 - 4 years). Apprentices in a modular apprenticeship commit to a specific occupational profile by selecting main and special modules after completing the (usually two-year) basic module. The decision as to which main and special modules are completed is made in consultation with the training company. The current module apprenticeships are: clothing design, electronics, electrical engineering, glass construction technology, wood technology, installation and building services engineering, automotive engineering, laboratory technology, mechatronics, metal technology, materials technology
• There are also 16 apprenticeships in agriculture and forestry.

In the part-time vocational schools for agriculture and forestry, training is provided in the following apprenticeships: agriculture, home economics in the rural environment, horticulture, field vegetable cultivation, fruit growing and processing, viticulture and wine cellar management, horse raising, fishing trade, poultry trade, apiculture, forestry, forest horticulture and forest management, agricultural stock keeping etc.

Schools for intermediate VET (BMS) - lasting between one and four years - and colleges for higher VET (BHS) with a programme duration of five years represent the sector of school based secondary VET programmes (BMHS), with an ongoing student trend/shift from intermediate VET schools (2023/24: 50,000 students) towards colleges of higher VET (2023/24: 140,000 students) with even more demanding curricula.

As already stated, schools for intermediate VET may have a duration between one and four 4 years. A BMS for one or two years is leading to a partial vocational training qualification, whilst attending a school with a duration of three or four years including a final examination provides a completed programme of vocational training qualification (level of a skilled worker or mid-level employee). Graduates are subject to the relevant entitlements laid down in the Trade and Industry Code (Gewerbeordnung).

After completing at least three years at the school for intermediate vocational education, young people may take additional courses (for three years), leading to the school leaving and diploma examination. Young people completing the four-year school for intermediate vocational education (BMS) are entitled to attend special forms of trade-relevant post-secondary VET Courses.

Admission: To attend a school for intermediate VET a successfully completed 4th year/8th year of education at a compulsory secondary school or academic secondary school is obligatory. 

The most important intermediate VET school types are the following:

• secondary technical, commercial and crafts School (Technische, gewerbliche und kunstgewerbliche Fachschule) (3-4 years)
• secondary business school (Handelsschule) (3 years)
• vocational school for economic professions (Fachschule für wirtschaftliche Berufe) (3 years)
• vocational school for fashion (Fachschule für Mode) (3 years)
• vocational school for the hotel and restaurant industry (Hotelfachschule, Gastgewerbefachschule) (3 years)
• vocational school for tourism (Tourismusfachschule) (3 years)
• vocational school for social professions (Fachschule für Sozialberufe) (3 years)
• vocational school for social care professions (Schulen für Sozialbetreuungsberufe) (2-4 years) (admission from the age of 16 or 17 years)
• vocational school for healthcare and nursing (Schule für Gesundheits- und Krankenpflege) (3 years) (admission from the age of 16 or 17 years)
• vocational school for agriculture and forestry (Land- und forstwirtschaftliche Fachschule) (2-4 years)
• vocational school for social services (Schule für Sozialdienste) (2 years)
• vocational school for economic professions (Wirtschaftsfachschule) (1-2 years)
• federal sports academy (Bundessportakademie) (3 years): Special programmes for adults (sport instructors in establishments of leisure sports): 

Graduates of schools for intermediate VET and some years of professional experience in a particular specialist area have a broad variety of further education opportunities to attain higher qualification levels in the respective field:

• post-secondary VET college course (daytime or evening) for people in employment
• VET college add-on course in the relevant specialist area as second chance education (Zweiter Bildungsweg)
• apprenticeship exam (in the own specialist area with granted exemptions by virtue of the period of training already spent, in related training professions periods of training are credited)
• limited HE entrance qualification
• access to an university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) based upon admission to a degree programme (by evidence of professional practice)

Colleges of higher VET as well as colleges for ECEC teachers and colleges for social pedagogy are five-year programmes comprising in-depth general and upper level secondary technical and vocational training concluding with a maturity exam (Reifeprüfung) and diploma examination. Graduates have access to legally regulated professions in accordance with the Trade and Industry Code (Gewerbeordnung) and a general study entrance permission to universities, universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen) or university colleges of teacher education. Colleges for higher VET provide their graduates with a so called “double qualification”. This means that the degree certificate and diploma exam equip the graduates with a full labour market qualification on the one hand and an university study entrance permit on the other hand.

Admission: Upper level secondary technical and vocational schools are open for students who successfully completed the fourth year/eight year of education at the compulsory secondary school, the fourth or higher year in the academic secondary school or their ninth year of education at the pre-vocational school (Polytechnische Schule).

Students completing the fourth year of a compulsory secondary school have successfully to pass an entry examination in german, english and mathematics.

For the training colleges for ECEC teachers and colleges for social pedagogy an additional performance test is required.

The most important types of colleges of higher VET (BHS) as five year programmes are:

• technical college (Höhere technische und gewerbliche Lehranstalt)
• college for business administration (Handelsakademie)
• college for fashion (Höhere Lehranstalt für Mode)
• college for artistic design (Höhere Lehranstalt für künstlerische Gestaltung)
• college for tourism (Höhere Lehranstalt für Tourismus)
• college for economic professions (Höhere Lehranstalt für wirtschaftliche Berufe)
• college for agriculture and forestry (Höhere Lehranstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft)
• college for ECEC (Bildungsanstalt für Elementarpädagogik)
• college for social pedagogy (Bildungsanstalt für Sozialpädagogik)

Graduates of colleges for higher VET (BHS) have a broad spectrum of options and – due to their “double qualification” as mentioned previously - may directly access the labour market with a full qualification or enter the HE and further education sectors (parallel to work or in full time study):

• immediate employment in the respective specialist area
• study at the university, university of applied sciences, university of teacher education or another type of higher education
• apprenticeship examination (successful completion of upper level secondary technical and vocational school replaces the training time for related professions or leads to the reduction of training time).
• post-secondary VET course in a different specialist area
• self-employment in regulated professions (if necessary, after completing a qualifying examination) with a relevant period of labour market experience
• self-employment in an unregulated trade

According to ISCED 2011, the two final years of colleges of higher VET since 2011 are allocated to Level 5 and short-cycle tertiary education (Bachelorniveau), whereas the school years 1 to 3 are assigned to ISCED level 3. The upgrade to ISCED Level 5 intended to achieve a more adequate educational attainment positioning in the international comparison and as further implication highlights the educational attainment outcome perspective.

For the technical colleges (Höhere technische und gewerbliche Lehranstalten) with the 2017 Engineering Act (Ingenieurgesetz) a new important regulation came into power by putting the awarding of the previous professional title “Ingenieur” on a new foundation: The previous basic requirements - HTL Matura or a comparable qualification and the proof of three respective six years of qualified professional working experience keep validity. A new feature is the certification procedure with the assessment of the graduates’ professional practice carried out as technical discussion with experts from the respective professional field. The professional title “engineer” is now an internationally comparable professional qualification and assigned to level 6 of the Austrian National Qualifications Framework (NQR) equivalent to the university bachelor degree.

The technical-industrial, arts and crafts VET schools and VET colleges cover around 30 subject areas in their educational offerings for the various fields of technology and the main sectors of industry and trade by corresponding specialisations: art and design, civil engineering, biomedical and health technology, chemical engineers, electronics and computer engineering, electrical engineering, aeronautical engineering, building services engineering, graphic and communication design, computer science, information technology, interior design and wood technologies, plastics technology, food technology, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, media, media engineers and print management, metallic materials technology, materials and environmental technology and, industrial engineers.

Moreover colleges for higher VET may offer and establish specialisations within a subject area either by setting training focuses or school-autonomous specialisations reflecting social, technological, economic and entrepreneurial demands for current and prospective regional/national skills and qualifications to react targeted to labour market needs.

The programmes at colleges for higher VET can be compared to a tree. The specialist area corresponds to a tree trunk from which, from the third year onwards, branches - the so-called special focuses - fork off. In the first two years, the programmes (of each specialist area) follow one uniform curriculum. From the third year onwards, curricula differentiate according to the various specialisations.

Training branches, however, are laid down in curricula by an ordinance of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and start with the first year. 

.

Geographical accessibility

The following authorities are legally in charge of providing a demand covering regional infrastructure of public schools by coordinated and prospective regional education planning for school type and location-related school development:

• municipalities,
• associations of municipalities and
• provincial governments

The federal government is responsible for

• schools of intermediate VET and
• colleges of higher VET.

Pupils and students who have not yet reached the age of 24 and for whom Austrian family allowance is received can apply for free travel/transfer on public transport between their Austrian home and school or training enterprise (Schüler- und Lehrlingsfreifahrt).

.

Admission requirements and choice of school

For apprenticeship training and the obligatory visit of a part-time vocational school, the apprentice/student has to fulfill the following conditions:

• completion of nine years of compulsory schooling
• positive result from secondary school, polytechnic school (PTS-Polytechnische Schule) or the 9th year at another school is not compulsory, but significantly increases the chances of finding an apprenticeship offering training enterprise
• completion of an apprenticeship contract between the training enterprise and the apprentice

For schools of intermediate VET (BMS, 3 or 4 years types), the admission requirements are as follows:

• successful completion of the polytechnic school as 9th compulsory school year
• successful completion of the 8th school year at academic secondary school lower level – no admission exam necessary
• successful completion of the 8^th school year of the compulsory secondary school (Mittelschule) since school year 2021/22
  • no entrance exam is necessary when the performance level “Standard AHS” is NOT worse than the mark “satisfactory” in the three compulsory subjects german, mathematics and living foreign language (with performance-differentiated classes)
  • admission exam is necessary when the performance level “Standard AHS” is “sufficient” in the three compulsory subjects german, mathematics and living foreign language

At schools of arts, an additional aptitude exam is foreseen for

• schools of social services (duration of 2 years)
• schools of social occupations (duration of 3 years)

Admission requirements for colleges for higher VET (ISCED 3/5) are as follows:

• successful completion of the polytechnic school as 9th compulsory school year
• successful completion of the 8th school year at academic secondary school lower level– no admission exam necessary
• successful completion of the 8^th school year of the compulsory secondary school (Mittelschule) since school year 2021/22
  • no entrance exam necessary when the performance level “Standard AHS” is NOT worse than the mark “good” in the three compulsory subjects german, mathematics and living foreign language (performance-differentiated classes)
  • admission exam is necessary when the performance level “Standard AHS” is “satisfactory” or “sufficient” in the three compulsory subjects german, mathematics and living foreign language 

If not all applicants can be admitted to a school for intermediate VET or a VET college due to restricted school places, the school autonomously determines ranking criteria, usually based on the success in the annual report of the 8th grade or in certain subjects.

An additional aptitude examination must be taken by candidates who want to enrol in colleges of engineering and crafts with special requirements in terms of artistic skills. 

There is NO entrance examination foreseen for

• one- and two-year vocational schools
• agricultural technical colleges
• Special forms of VET college types for working people (BHS-Sonderformen für Berufstätige), graduates of colleges and advanced training courses (Aufbaulehrgänge) for graduates of intermediate VET schools

.

Age levels and grouping of pupils/students

Apprentices (usually aged between 15 and 19) have to attend a part-time vocational school during their training in the company. The duration of school attendance depends on the respective apprenticeship (up to 4 years). 

In the part-time vocational schools the classes are not grouped by age, but by apprenticeship occupations and apprenticeship year.

Due to tight connections between their specialist subjects, schools of intermediate VET frequently share buildings, technical infrastructure and equipment as well as teaching personell with colleges of higher VET. 

Students in schools for intermediate VET on average are 15 to 18 years old, depending on the length of their programme, and are thus in the 9th to 12th grade, whereby one year corresponds to one grade.

At VET schools and higher VET colleges in practical subjects (such as workshop, laboratory, kitchen) the classes are tought in small-sized groups. In other subjects (such as foreign languages, IT, practice company) the splitting of classes into smaller groups is possible by decision of the local school head in his responsibility for pedagogical matters. 

Students in colleges of higher VET with 5 years of education and training are 15 to 19 years old and are thus in the 9th to 13th grade. 

.

Organisation of the school year

The organisation of the school year is generally governed by the School Periods Act (Schulzeitgesetz). For the section of VET schools, the following specific rules apply:

Students of VET schools and higher VET colleges have to undergo a compulsory work placement in study field relevant companies once or several times during the summer vacation over the whole school time. In some cases, the teaching year is shortened slightly for this purpose (e.g. schools for tourism). The primary aims of a compulsory work placement are the practical application of the knowledge acquired at school, collecting and exploring experiences in real working contexts and getting into contacts with the respective branch (e.g. tourism, industry) and potential future employers. Many companies pay an internship allowance - as a contribution to securing the next generation of skilled workers and young professionals - even though an internship is not legally subject to regular remuneration.

For students at schools of tourism and schools of management and service industries as well as at colleges of agriculture and forestry, school year 3 ends between 4 and 10 weeks before the regular termination date, and school year 4 starts 4 to 5 weeks later to undergo a period of mandatory company-based work placement. The duration of this traineeships depends on the respective specialist area. During the main holiday period in the summer (depending on the federal province, between the end of June and beginning of September) some curricula lay down mandatory summer internships.

For the organisation of the school year in schools of intermediate VET and colleges of higher VET, in which internships are not mandatory, see chapter 6.1.5.

The school year is divided into 2 semesters. The first semester closes withan “interim report” (semester report). 

Part-time vocational schools can be organised differently as follows:

• All year round, i.e. at one full school day or two half school days a week (flexible organisation with block lessons is also possible)
• By block, i.e. at least 8 weeks of instruction per grade and in grades which correspond to half a year of the apprenticeship relationship, with instruction lasting for at least four weeks
• Seasonally, i.e. teaching takes place in block form at a particular time of the year (especially in the respective “dead season”, e.g. for construction apprenticeships in winter).

Part-time vocational schools are closed during the general holiday period (see chapter 6.1.5), whilst the in-house-training continues. Apprentices have a statutory holiday entitlement of annually 5 weeks corresponding to the equivalent of workers and employees in general.

.

Organisation of the school day and week

Classes usually start at 8.00 a.m. and have to end between 6.00 and 7.00 p.m. (for students in grades 9 and above). According to the School Periods Act (Schulzeitgesetz) the number of lessons on a school day, including free periods, may not exceed eight hours for students in grades 5 to 8 and ten hours for students in grades 9 and above. In secondary and higher vocational schools with regard to pedagogical requirements (e.g. practical lessons, projects, project lessons) the school community committee (Schulgemeinschaftsausschuss) may determine that lessons may begin before 7.00 a.m. on all or individual school days and end after 7.00 p.m..

The number of weekly lessons varies between school grades and school types with 32 weekly hours in average in detail fixed by the school administration. The weekly tuition schedules of technical colleges may range up to 39 lesson hours. 

Each lesson (“unit of instruction”) regularly lasts 50 minutes, to be extended or shortened for reasonable pedagogical or organisational reasons.

Breaks between the individual lessons last for 5 to 15 minutes, the 
“long lesson break” usually lasts one hour to set a lunch time and to avoid overwork of the students according to the Schooling Act (Schulzeitgesetz). 

On saturdays tuition has to be finished by 12.45 p.m. at the latest.

.

.