2025

• From September 2025, the age limit for signing an apprenticeship contract will be lifted. The decision to commit to a typically three-year training programme and to make the necessary personal arrangements to balance vocational school, the day-to-day realities of the workplace, and any family responsibilities—while managing on the apprentice allowance—will lie with the applicant.
• Various apprenticeship and master craftsman programmes have been revised, and new programmes have been introduced.

2024

The government has approved the following new or updated apprenticeship programmes for the 2024–2025 training year:

• Mechatronics technician for agricultural, forestry, horticultural and construction machinery (G06/2024)
• Mechatronics technician for lorries (G20/2024)
• Construction carpenter (C01/2024)
• Furniture carpenter (C02/2024)
• Parquet layer (C11/2024)

In addition, the updated study programmes for the dual bachelor's degrees in Public and Business Administration (X03/2024) and Accounting (X08/2024) have been approved, as well as the revised master craftsman programme for gardeners in landscape and garden design (R08/2024).

2023

Based on the analysis of various surveys conducted within the German-speaking Community, the recommendations of the OECD, and insights gained from career guidance concepts in six foreign regional authorities, several conclusions were drawn — including the need for a comprehensive concept for vocational orientation and the implementation of compulsory work placements for pupils across all school types and educational pathways.

The goal of developing a holistic career guidance framework requires structural changes to existing vocational orientation offers. These offers need to be made more visible, better coordinated, and embedded within a coherent concept.

The new career guidance concept includes activities organised by schools for all year groups starting from year 5 of primary school. These range from career exploration in upper primary school, to one- to three-day observation placements in the first stage of secondary school, company visits in the second stage, and a three- to five-day internship in the fourth year of secondary school. This is complemented by guided self-reflection activities in the third stage of secondary education. All activities are supported by a digital pupil portfolio for career orientation, which accompanies each pupil throughout their secondary school journey.

The internship in year 4 of secondary school is designed to give pupils an age-appropriate opportunity to experience a profession and gain initial insight into the world of work. It does not involve carrying out tasks under the same conditions as the company’s regular employees.