Lower Austria apprenticeship numbers hit historic low

The number of apprentices and companies offering training in Lower Austria has fallen to record lows, even as skilled workers are expected to be in high demand, ORF reported. The labour market service says new training formats are also needed.

Painter David Marker employs nine apprentices at his company of nearly 60 staff in Pottenstein, in the district of Baden. His youngest apprentice, Dominic Grandl-Egger, began training as a painter and coating technician in August. The company has trained apprentices since it was founded 50 years ago, Marker said, describing it as a way to give young people the chance to learn a trade.

Lower Austria’s labour market service chief, Sandra Kern, said job prospects were particularly good for young people with an apprenticeship qualification. Many skilled workers are expected to retire over the next five to 10 years, creating opportunities for qualified workers to build careers, she said.

However, the number of training companies in the state has dropped from 12,847 in 1980 to about 4,100 at the end of September, a record low. Apprentice numbers have also declined, from more than 31,000 in 1980 to 15,939 most recently. There were also more people seeking apprenticeships than vacant positions.

Markus Wieser, president of the Lower Austria Chamber of Labour, said companies that wanted skilled workers had to train them. He said businesses could access a range of subsidies and support to help young people gain a qualification. Companies that had long invested in apprenticeships were generally successful and did not face skilled-worker shortages, he added.

Kern said large companies in particular had a responsibility to train future skilled workers. Wolfgang Ecker, president of the Lower Austria Chamber of Commerce, said businesses saw apprenticeships as an investment but were currently facing difficult conditions, including a weak economy.

Ecker also cited demographic change, competition from schools and gaps in basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic. He said apprenticeship training should be made more practical, including to accommodate the trend towards a four-day working week. Apprentices under 18 may work no more than nine hours a day, while some businesses operate for 10 hours on working days. Ecker said a union division was currently blocking a solution to this issue.

Kern said the image of apprenticeships needed to improve and that new routes should be developed, including apprenticeships after secondary-school graduation or university. She said apprenticeships would also increasingly be relevant for older workers, not only young people.