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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
National reforms in vocational education and training and adult learning

Austria

14.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

14.3National reforms in vocational education and training and adult learning

Last update: 10 May 2023
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2023

VET Schools and Colleges for Social Care and Nursing

Implementation of new type of school

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 will be decreed mid 2023.

Funding: part of the ministry's budget.

Monitoring and involved bodies:

Initiative for Adult Education - new cycle

Status: former cycle 2018 - 2021; extended until 2023 

Sources: 

Description:

The Initiative for Adult Education enables adults who lack basic skills or never graduated from lower secondary education to continue and finish their education free of charge. The related joint funding programme developed by the state and the provinces (Bundesländer) has aimed to a quantitative expansion and to a qualitative development of education programs regarding compulsory education certificates and literacy/basic education during 2011 to 2014  as well as during 2015 to 2017.

Austrian educational institutions that want to take part have to apply for accreditation in accordance with the guidelines of the Initiative for Adult Education.

The initiative has two focus areas: training of basic skills and lower secondary education as a basic prerequisite for further education and enhancement of chances on the labour market. The main objectives therefore are:

  • Equal opportunities and reduction of disadvantages,
  • reduction of the number of persons without basic education,
  • increase in the number of persons with basic educational qualifications and
  • increase in the permeability of the education system.

Measures:

  • Training of basic skills and lower secondary education for adults in preparation for the compulsory school certificate on the basis of general quality standards
  • General quality standards: a Compulsory School Examination Act which contains adult-appropriate and innovative forms of implementation with competence-orientated, cross-curricular programs which are tailored to the target groups, taking their living situations and their particular potential into account.
  • Development of a "Framework Directive for Basic Training and Key Competences" targeted at adults
  • A clearing-period at the beginning and counselling in regard to the transition into work or further education at the end are very important parts of this programme.

Expected impact:

  • Increase of qualification levels, the reduction of disadvantages
  • Provide offers free of charge (literacy/basic education programmes, compulsory education).

Funding: the federal and provincial governments each bear 50% of the costs. This educational offer is free of charge to participants.

Monitoring:

  • Consistent quality guidelines for all courses of this programme have been implemented.
  • A monitoring group supervises the process and the results.
  • The total costs will only be refunded to the institutions if participants graduate successfully.
  • Evaluation of the program.

Involved bodies:

See also: Reform of Nursing

chapter 14.4 (2021)

2022

There have been no reforms.

2021

Initiative for Adult Education - old cycle

Cycle 2018 - 2021 finished.