system which are relevant for successful pathways from the school to the world of work. For the most of them legal regulations are settled, which should support as smooth transition of young people.
The fi rst transition point is after primary school for the step into the lower secondary system. Austria has an educational structure with a so called “early tracking” between the 4th and 5th grade into the so called “general education school/gymnasium” or so called “Hauptschule”. In principal both tracks have similar subjects and indent curricular (with some exceptions), but the so called
“Hauptschule” has a stronger focus on preparation of world of work and further vocational education and training. One of the most visible effects of this tracking is a quite higher percentage of young people who attend the “Hauptschule”
make later a choice for the apprenticeship - dual vocational education after fi nishing the compulsory school in comparison to young people who attend the AHS/Gymnasium.
The next transition point is a quite complex structure between the 8th and the 10th (11th) grade. In principal for all young people the accesses open to upper secondary education in the fi eld of general or vocational education.
The upper secondary system in vocational education is divided in two main lines, in fulltime school (1 to 5 years) and in part time school plus training in companies (dual system - apprenticeship).The fulltime school at upper secondary level starts at grade nine, the apprenticeship – dual system starts at the 10th grade.
All young people who want to attend the dual system most make a choice for a one year program at grade nine for bridging the 8th to the 10th grade.
The highest percentage of young people at this level attend the “prevocational school” (Polytechnische Schule), which has the strongest focus on preparation of young people for the world of work, to help them to make a good prepared decision concerning to own potential talents and interests. Some training offers (e.g. in the health and the social sector) starts at the 11th grade, so young people must go one year longer in another school type before.
The 3rd transition point is after fi nishing the upper secondary to make a choice either for a further education at university, university of applied science or other tertiary or post secondary programs, or try to make a step directly in the labor market.About 40% of young people starts a post secondary or tertiary program (with quite high drop out quotes), about 60% starts to work in the labour market.The percentage of young people who fi nished a vocational school at upper secondary level and attend directly the labor market is much higher than persons who fi nished a general education school.
For all this transition points exist legal regulations. The most important are regulations for access to school (mostly based on the marks of former school types, sometimes with tests). Additional law based services for guidance and counseling exist in all school types from the beginning of the lower secondary level.Mainly exist three offers for guidance and counseling, the fi rst is a curriculum based subject “educational and vocational orientation” at 7th and 8th grade for all young people, the 2nd is a more individualized service the so called “school counselors” and the 3rd is a service by school psychologist for special questions and needs.
After fi nishing the compulsory school time additional exist a lot of legal based services within the public employment service concerning guidance and counseling, placement and special education and training offers for those young people who can’t fi nd an access to the world of work directly.In some areas of the education system – most of them in the prevocational school – regulations for in company trainings are settled who should support young people to get early insight in the reality of world of work and vocational training in companies.
Additional a lot of regulations for support of young people exist at provincial level, because Austria is a federal republic with some options for the provinces to set up own regulations in the educational vocational and training sector.
The Youth Training Consolidation Act (JASG) is targeted to young apprenticeship-seekers who have not found an apprenticeship after completing compulsory schooling. The special situation of female apprenticeship-seekers is to be taken into ac-count. The target group also includes disabled youth, young adults with special placement handicaps after completion of compulsory schooling, and participants in earlier JASG-based courses. Within this act the since 2003 the Integrative vocational education and training is targeted to those who could not be placed in a regular apprenticeship, who had special educational needs at the end of compulsory schooling and who were, at least in part, taught according to the curriculum of a special needs school; or have no, or only a negative, fi nal certifi cate from lower secondary school or have “disabilities”
within the meaning of the Act on the Employment of People with Disabilities; of whom it has to be assumed.
Figure 1: Educational system in Austria (source ibw)
Figure 1: Educational system in Austria (source ibw)
The key features of effective transition systems Good information and guidance
Lifelong Guidance is a key strategic line within the Lifelong Learning Strategy Concept in Austria. The process of transition from School to World of Work – a process who starts with about 13 years at the latest and “ends” not earlier than in the age of 27 – is one of the most challenging areas for guidance, because all personal, professional, social etc. development processes after this period depends on the successful transition in this phase.
Austria has some strength in this area of “transition guidance”, guidance in school, guidance at the interfaces between school and world of work, special school types like “prevocational school”, high percentage of VET in upper secondary etc., but also some open questions, concerning not completing upper secondary, school drop out, post secondary and tertiary education etc.
Current are running some initiatives at national and regional level to improve coordination mechanism and effective measures for guidance in the area of transition; Austria is interested in experiences of partner countries in this fi eld to exchange good practice transfer innovative ideas and discuss strength and weaknesses opportunities and traits at this points of transition. The most important key features from the point of view in Austria are