Study presented

Great satisfaction among Vorarlberg’s apprentices

(Bild: Illwerke-VKW)

The "Apprenticeship Report 2024" broadly confirms the excellent image of apprenticeships in Vorarlberg. A large proportion of apprentices are happy with their career choice. Interesting: income did not play a major role. 

Vorarlberg and apprenticeships - it's a perfect match. In no other federal state does dual training enjoy such a high status; anyone who has completed an apprenticeship in the state generally doesn't have to worry about finding a job. This good image means that almost half of 15-year-olds still opt for an apprenticeship.

To ensure that this remains the case and to counteract any undesirable developments at an early stage, the association "Lehre in Vorarlberg" (LiV), which was founded in 2019 by the state of Vorarlberg, the Chamber of Labor and the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce, has launched the so-called "Apprenticeship Report".

79 percent of apprentices are happy with their profession 
As part of the analysis, 1,300 of the 7,000 apprentices in Vorarlberg were surveyed and the answers were then processed with the support of a market research institute. The first "Apprenticeship Report" was presented on Monday - and it gives dual training in the state a good report card: According to the report, 79 percent of the apprentices surveyed stated that they were "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with their choice of training occupation - only two percent were "not satisfied".

Dual training continues to be a successful model in Vorarlberg, with almost half of 15-year-olds opting for an apprenticeship in Vorarlberg.

Marco Tittler, Wirtschaftslandesrat (ÖVP)

15 percent of apprentices would choose a different apprenticeship if they were faced with the decision again today. The young people liked their apprenticeship primarily because of the work itself (64 percent), the second strongest motive was "spending time with colleagues" (55 percent). 47 percent cited their apprenticeship income in this survey item.

Interest in the job more important than income
Speaking of money: When it comes to choosing an apprenticeship, money apparently plays a subordinate role, with only a quarter of respondents citing the apprentice's income as a decisive criterion. However, more than half of the young people made a conscious decision to choose an apprenticeship out of interest, while 26% were guided by their parents and 21% by family and relatives.

The high level of satisfaction among apprentices shows the great value of this practical training for our young people and the Vorarlberg economy.

Wilfried Hopfner, Präsident der Wirtschaftskammer

The apprenticeship report also shows that companies are very well advised to offer low-threshold access: Over 80 percent of apprentices have learned more about their profession through taster days, and for 56 percent of those surveyed, a successful taster day was a decisive factor in their career decision.

Only 29% want to remain loyal to their company
However, there is room for improvement for companies when it comes to long-term loyalty to the company: Only 29% of trainees want to stay with the company after their journeyman's examination. 14 percent would like to pursue their profession elsewhere, 13 percent each want to do additional vocational or academic training. And five percent each would like to take time out or change careers. So the days when people entered into a lifelong relationship with their company are definitely over.