Three jobs dominate

These apprenticeships are currently the most popular

Mirror, mirror on the wall, which profession is the most popular among apprentices across the country? When Doris Hummer, President of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce, took stock of the development of apprenticeship numbers in the federal state above the Enns on Friday morning, it also became clear which jobs are particularly popular with young people.

There are currently 212 apprenticeships, including fiber composite technicians and climate gardeners. The training programs and content are constantly being revised, so they are always up to date. This is particularly popular with young people, revealed Doris Hummer, President of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce, on Friday morning. "You also get paid for learning - that's one of the arguments for many young people in this country to earn their independence during their apprenticeship," said Hummer.

"Apprenticeships are still the most popular form of training for young people," said Doris Hummer, President of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

22,177 apprentices are currently doing an apprenticeship in Upper Austria, making the province the leader in comparison to other regions in Austria. In Vienna, 18,232 young people are doing an apprenticeship, in Lower Austria the figure is 16,987, while Burgenland is at the bottom of the apprenticeship league in Austria with 2505 apprentices.

Which jobs are particularly popular with apprentices in Upper Austria? The motto "never change a winning team" applies here, one might think. The professions of metal technology, electrical engineering and retail lead the hit list.

22,177 apprentices are currently undergoing training in Upper Austria.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

"Almost a third of apprentices in Upper Austria have opted for one of these three professions," says Eva-Maria Schupfer, Head of the Education Policy Department at the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce. The top ten also include motor vehicle technology, mechatronics, office administration, installation and building technology, information technology, process technology and cook. For girls, an apprenticeship in retail leads the hit list, for boys it is a job in the field of metal technology.

Economic conditions leave their mark
In general, the number of apprentices in Upper Austria declined last year. The number of new apprentices was 6362, compared to 6779 in 2023. Hummer explains the decline primarily with the difficult economic conditions, which in some cases made companies more cautious.