“You have to do something, but with this support it’s going great!”, says Nicole Mera, who successfully completed her final exam in computer science a few weeks ago, is celebrating her 44th birthday today and works with the “2. “Chance plus” could fulfill her heart’s desire.
1,000 final apprenticeship exams by Carinthians over 18 years old since 2008 means 1,000 people who were able to realize their career ambitions later but still. They were supported by the “2. Chance plus”, supported by bfi and AMS.
Who is the target group?
Anyone who is at least 18 years old and has not completed vocational training, but has professional experience, can have this second chance to take the final apprenticeship exam. The preparation for this takes place over 18 months. In addition to the technical qualification, for which there are also companies offering internships and vocational schools, the program emphasizes the promotion of personal skills.
Excited about this “2. Chance plus” is Nicole Mera: “I took the final exam in computer science in December 2024! I trained for it in 2000, but I was only able to work there for three years because people were not really welcome as women at that time. So I went back to the catering industry, where Corona thwarted my plans.” Then she discovered this opportunity – and took advantage of it. “You have to do something during your training, but the guidance is great! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”, said Mera, who was not only able to talk about her success on Thursday, but also celebrate her 44th birthday and report on other big goals: “I want to work in my new job and attend the evening HTL bee.”
“The participants benefit from the intensive support, the tailor-made training content and the close cooperation with companies and specialized organizations,” says Gottfried Pototschnig, director of the bfi.
Securing skilled workers is also important to the AMS. In addition, youth unemployment has increased over the past year: by 16.7 percent (241 young people), as AMS director Peter Wedenig explains: “We must not leave behind any employment potential or lose any talent. An internship is still a good insurance against unemployment.” Last year 144 people took part in the project; 67 percent of them were younger than 25 years old. Seven percent of the participants came from the over-50s group. This year, 60 new places are available for this.
The project “2. “Opportunity plus” for 77 professions so far. “In commercial and technical professions, for catering and hotels, for professions in the health and care sector,” Pototschnig explains.
This way you get a second chance
The project participants come from the AMS to the bfi, draw up their personal career plan with the support of trainers and work accordingly. Internships are carried out in companies, theory is learned in vocational schools, personal skills are trained in courses.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
