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 schools

• 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 employed people.

Schools of vocational education (ISCED 3)

• 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)

• [Fachschule, Handelsschule]

Colleges of higher vocational education (ISCED 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

• [Höherere Lehranstalt; Bildungsanstalt, Handelsakademie]

Other VET school types

• Post-secondary Courses (ISCED 550), 4 - 6 semester; [Kolleg]

• Add-on Courses (ISCED 550), 6 semester; [Aufbaulehrgang]

• Foreperson and Master Craftsperson Courses (ISCED 550), 4 - 6 semester; [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.