VET Schools and Colleges in Austria
This website contains a database in order to find vocational schools and colleges in upper secondary education in Austria – but sorry it’s only in German. It is provided by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, DG for General and Vocational Education.
In Austria schools and colleges – in VET upper secondary education – provide technical and/or vocational training from the ninth school year, in addition to a broad general education. VET schools and higher colleges comprise:Part-time vocational schools and prevocational schools4
• Schools and colleges of engineering, arts and crafts
• Schools and colleges of business administration
• Schools and colleges of management and services industries
• Schools and colleges of tourism
• Schools and colleges of fashion
• Colleges of art and design
• Colleges of product management and presentation
• Schools of social occupations
• Colleges of agriculture and forestry
• Federal school of forestry
• Federal sport academies
• Teacher training colleges for early childhood education
• Colleges of social pedagogy
including special courses and pilot projects. Many of them are provided for people under employment.
Duration of schools for vocational education (ISCED 3)
in general: 3-year course or 4-year course, the final exam is the Abschlussprüfung that enables to professional qualifications; some schools offer one-year and two-year courses (from ninth school year).
German: Fachschule, Handelsschule
Duration of colleges for higher vocational education (ISCED 3/5)
- five year course; the final exam is the Reife- und Diplomprüfung (Reifeprüfung and VET Diploma) that opens up access to tertiary education and also to regulated professional activities.
- 4th to 5th grade of this programme as well as the educational achievement are ISCED 550 – short-cycle tertiary education
- German: Höherere Lehranstalt; Bildungsanstalt, Handelsakademie
Other VET school types
- Post-secondary Courses (ISCED 550), 4 – 6 semester; German: Kolleg
- Add-on Courses (ISCED 550), 6 semester; German: Aufbaulehrgang
- Foreperson and Master Craftsperson Courses (ISCED 550), 4 – 6 semester; German: Werkmeisterschule, Meisterschule
System of marks (grades)
1 = very good (best mark)
2 = well done
3 = satisfactory
4 = sufficient
5 = not sufficient (negative mark)
Duration
of a school year: from September to June, in general 40 weeks
of lessons per week: from 32 to 37
of a lesson: 45 min. or 50 min.
Useful links