New "Integration Service for Skilled Workers" Opened in Austria
The Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration and Media, Susanne Raab, visited the newly founded "Integration Service for Skilled Workers". The facility serves as a central point of contact for qualified skilled workers and their families as well as for companies operating in Austria. The service includes advice, information, and events on topics such as pre-integration, living and working in Austria as well as German language courses.
Given the shortage of skilled workers throughout Europe and in Austria, Minister Raab emphasizes the need to use domestic potential as well as to attract and integrate qualified skilled workers from abroad. / Picture: © Bundeskanzleramt (BKA) / Christoper Dunker
The "Integration Service for Skilled Workers" was launched in October and is part of the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF). It aims to help alleviate the current shortage of skilled workers in Austria and Europe by supporting and promoting qualified immigrants and key workers.
"We must utilize all potential within Austria, but at the same time we must do everything we can to attract qualified skilled workers to Austria," emphasizes Susanne Raab. "Integration plays a key role in this context." The "Integration Service for Skilled Workers" therefore also offers support before arrival in Austria, for example through online German courses and advice.
Further training and German language courses are available for companies to support the integration of foreign-skilled workers. "We need more qualified immigration and less immigration into the social system," says Raab. The Federal Minister sees the new service as a supplement to the government's existing measures to attract qualified skilled workers to Austria.
The "Integration Service for Skilled Workers" offers a wide range of services, from information and advice to German language courses and support with the recognition of foreign training and qualifications. In addition, the facility arranges contacts with regional and national partners and offers seminars and further training on living and working in Austria.
In addition to a comprehensive range of services for skilled workers, the Service Center also serves companies that employ foreign skilled workers: The integration service provides information about available offers and supports companies in establishing company measures for the social and linguistic integration of foreign skilled workers. The Service Center also offers companies demand-oriented German courses and further training so that companies can work as well as possible with international skilled workers.
In terms of practical solutions for integration issues in companies, the Integration Service provides companies with experts from the business world and existing best practices. Several initiatives for labor market integration are also available to companies, such as the ÖIF career platforms, where companies can present their vacancies to jobseekers from ÖIF German courses.
The facility is located at Garnisongasse 3 in Vienna's 9th district but offers its services throughout Austria - both locally and digitally. Interested parties can contact the "Integration Service for Skilled Workers" or in German "Integrationsservice für Fachkräfte" by email at fachkraft@integrationsfonds.at.