Austria is investing 500 million euros in MINT universities of applied sciences – entry for 353 students!

Austria is investing 500 million euros in MINT universities of applied sciences – entry for 353 students!

In a groundbreaking step to strengthen Austria as an educational and economic location, the Federal Ministry of Education has presented a comprehensive initiative to create new university of applied sciences courses. These measures are part of a forward-looking plan aimed at meeting the high demand for highly qualified MINT (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology), which is becoming increasingly noticeable given the staffing difficulties in many companies. Loud vorarlberg.orf.at A total of 353 federally funded bachelor's and master's study places with a MINT focus were announced from October 2024.

The ministry is planning to invest almost 500 million euros in the expansion of technical colleges in Austria in order to further consolidate the successful model of the technical college. As part of this, 13 new study programs will be introduced with a particular focus on MINT and digitalization.

Education for the future

The new study programs also include part-time formats: 187 of the new study places are intended for part-time students, while 30 dual study programs offer the opportunity for integrated vocational training. This flexibility aims to increase the attractiveness of the training and at the same time strengthen access to the Matura for apprentices.

A key goal of these measures is to increase funding for preparation for the vocational school leaving certificate. This is intended to make the transition to the Matura easier for the apprentices and offer them better prospects. The importance of publicizing and supporting existing further training opportunities for skilled workers with apprenticeship qualifications is also emphasized in order to comprehensively support the Federal Government's skilled workers strategy. iv.at informs that these initiatives are also a response to the challenges of today's industry, which urgently requires skilled workers.

In summary, it can be said that with these measures the federal government not only wants to strengthen the education sector, but also actively contributes to making Austria's economic locations future-proof. By specifically promoting MINT skills, an important step is being taken towards an even more innovative and competitive Austria.