Hurdles in professional life

“We encourage women to shape their lives”

Monika Nigl, head of the career and further education advice center at waff, knows first-hand about the challenges women face in their professional lives.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Zwefo)

Monika Nigl, head of the waff advice center, concludes our women's theme week with an interview about women in the workplace, further training, differences in the "joy of advice" between the sexes - and where there is still room for improvement.

"Krone": There are more women than men in Vienna, so they play a correspondingly important role in the world of work. You advise women in this regard. What are your experiences?
Monika Nigl: That's right, and it is pleasing that the employment rate has risen slightly since 2008 and in Vienna this rate is four percent above the Austrian average - 76 percent. You can also see that part-time work is an important issue. In Vienna, the proportion is 45 percent, compared to 52 percent across Austria, which is much higher. The income situation is also better for Viennese women.

Nevertheless, there is still a gender pay gap.
This is a big issue, the gap is only closing very slowly, there is room for improvement, but here too the situation is better for Viennese women - it is 11 percent here and 17 percent across Austria.

Why is that?
The good childcare system and free kindergarten are particularly favorable. In addition, the education and training sector is well developed. And thirdly, the well-developed public transport system, which makes it easier to combine work and family life.

Nigl thinks it is "courageous" and good that young women are often more forward in their careers.

(Bild: Zwefo)

Nevertheless, unemployment rose by 6.7 percent year-on-year in January, are women particularly affected by this?
Yes. In a tight labor market, sectors in which women predominantly work are affected even more. And in jobs that are not so well-positioned, the risk of becoming unemployed is higher. But it's not just low-paid jobs that are affected, let's take the banking sector as an example, where many well-paid jobs have been lost in recent years. The labor market has changed a lot here and will continue to do so in the future.

There are also a number of company closures at the moment, such as Kika/Leiner or Palmers.
Retail is the largest collective agreement for women and at the same time a risky sector, with competition from online retail alone, but also company closures.

Are more women currently seeking advice?
There is a good demand for offers for employed women. Programs such as "Jobs PLUS Training", where employers specifically look for future skilled workers, are in high demand. In the area of parental leave, we are seeing increasing demand for support with career reorientation. Many women use our advice to reorient themselves or create better career opportunities through further training.

We address the needs of single parents because it is a major challenge to combine a child and a career.

Monika Nigl, waff

Bild: Zwefo

Where do these women come from and where do you want to go?
We primarily support women who have no or low qualifications. These are people who work in catering or cleaning and who want to earn more but don't want to work shifts or do less physically demanding work. We advise women to go into sectors where there is a high demand and where they can develop.

Which sectors are these?
The whole area of digitalization, the health and education sectors, for example. These are also sectors where lateral entry is possible. We build on existing skills - such as communication skills from the retail sector for the social media sector. We accompany them on their way to a more stable and better professional future.

How does the transition work?
First, the women make an individual appointment with us. We then clarify what qualifications and strengths the women have. If there are gaps, we try to close them with further training programs. Of course, retraining costs money, and waff covers a large part of this with up to 5000 euros. And then another important question is: How can I reconcile further training with my family situation? Many women face the challenge of coordinating work, training and private commitments. Our advisors are companions who encourage women and support them on their way.

Monika Nigl in an interview with editor Kathi Mötzl.

(Bild: Zwefo)

What age group of women do you target?
Our largest customer group is between 25 and 45 years old. But we also have women who are older. Due to the increased retirement age, a woman who is 50 still has 15 years of working life ahead of her. In this respect, it is relevant for women to look at their skills even at this age and perhaps take another step towards further training.

A large group are migrant women who often stay at home with children and where language problems are an issue. How do you want to reach these women?
Migrant women are a very large, diverse group. The first step is to look at their education, whether it was acquired abroad or in Germany. We also help with recognition here. Then we also offer information events in the first language so that immigrants can find their way around. Language skills are also a relevant topic, and we can also help with this. Many women who come to us first take a German course and then go on to do an apprenticeship.

Women are usually more willing to seek advice than men. Jobs change and women have to remain flexible.

Monika Nigl, waff

Bild: Zwefo

Another group are single parents. What are the issues here?
We pay particular attention to the needs of single parents, because it is a great challenge to combine a child and a job. For example, we offer counseling appointments at off-peak times during the day.

Young women are often accused of being work-shy or having too high expectations. What is your experience?
I wouldn't see it so negatively. It's good that things are questioned and that women are courageous. It can't be generalized anyway. Many young women who come to us have clear ideas about their professional future, have a good command of English and know what is important to them.

What challenges do women report in their day-to-day work?
Working hours are often an issue, especially irregular hours and short-term cover. Salary is also often a reason for dissatisfaction. Many women come to us because they want to develop and earn more or switch to a different sector.

Has the willingness to change increased?
Women are very willing to seek advice compared to men. Many women have now realized that a lot is changing. And they also understand that they can shape their own lives. We encourage women to do so.

When it comes to leadership: women often lack the self-confidence to do this.
We try to support women in this by making their skills visible. Working with role models is also important.

However, some women consciously decide against a career in favor of a family. What used to be normal is now viewed critically. How do you see that?
Basically, it's every woman's decision to shape her life the way she wants. At the same time, we see in our advice that having your own job and your own income brings many advantages in the long term. Those who are out of the labor market for a long time often find it more difficult to re-enter it later - also with regard to their pension and the risk of poverty in old age. It is important to make a well-informed decision.