Slovak-Austrian pilot project "Young Stars", launched in 2014 and attracting attention across the EU, was groundbreaking for the introduction of dual education in Slovakia. At our “Austrian Business Circle” organised for the purpose of the signing ceremony, three companies already involved in the pilot project reported on their experiences in almost 10 years of apprenticeship education in Slovakia, how they support young people in their development and how valuable the educated specialists are for the company and beyond. All three - Miba Steeltec s.r.o. in Vráble, Pankl Automotive Slovakia s.r.o. in Topoľčany, ZKW Slovakia s.r.o. in Krušovce - agreed: dual training is and remains a success story and the key to highly qualified skilled labour. In addition, Rudolf Kottbauer presented the range of international in-house training programmes for companies provided by WIFI International.
The MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON COOPERATION IN VOCATIONAL AND COMPANY BASED TRAINING was solemnly signed between the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic represented by Karol Jakubík, Director General of the Section for Secondary Schools and Lifelong Learning and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy of the Republic of Austria represented by Georg Konetzky, Head of the National Market Strategies Section.
The Memorandum aims to strengthen the framework for further cooperation between the two Sides in the field of vocational training emphasizing on-the-job training, embedded in company environment and in training workshops. Cooperation between companies and vocational schools/universities/educational institutions will also to be further developed.
From left: Rudolf Kottbauer (WIFI International), Martin Schnabl (Pankl Automotive Slovakia), Patrik Rác (Miba Steeltec), Martina Krišková (ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Slovakia), Karol Jakubík (Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic), Georg Konetzky (Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy of the Republic of Austria), Bettina Trojer (ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Slovakia), Thomas Weier (ZKW Slovakia).
