Schools in Austria are facing an increasing shortage of staff. That is why the education department has been campaigning for extra teachers under the name ‘Class job’ since the autumn. The first part of the campaign targeted career switchers and has already received 1,000 applications. The second part focuses on secondary school students.
Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) stressed on Thursday that in order to cover the increased need for teachers in the long term and sustainably, more young people should be motivated to train as teachers. Therefore, the attractiveness of the teaching profession, especially for young people, should be emphasized in different ways in the second part of the “Class job” campaign.
High school graduates are encouraged by letter to choose the teaching job. In addition to advertising on the Internet, advertising material is distributed through schools and teacher training colleges (PH), which are jointly responsible for teacher training. The campaign will start well before the start of the admission and eligibility procedures for teacher training on 1 March.
In order to get more students to start teaching in advance, ‘Class Job’ also cooperates with the network of student and study guidance and is present at the major regional vocational training fairs. In addition, the PH will develop a concept for taster days for students and will start implementation next school year.
Joy of career changers – call for more
At the same time, the campaign for career changers must continue. In the past four months, some 1,000 people have signed up for the new career changer model, where you work in the normal teacher salary scale and not under a special contract that is usually less well paid. “This number exceeds all our expectations,” Polaschek said, pleased with these candidates that “should make classrooms even more colorful.” There were approximately equal numbers of applications from women and men and the average age is 40 years in all regions.
Requirements for admission to the new career changer model are appropriate education, three years of appropriate professional experience and, upon successful certification, a job in a school. In addition to teaching, a career change program must be followed within five years at a PH, where educational and didactic skills are learned.
A separate certification committee decides which applicants are eligible for the model. According to Polaschek, nearly 300 people have already received their certification so far and can use it to apply to schools. The model is available for general subjects (e.g. German, physics, gymnastics) at the secondary level (high school, AHS, BMHS).
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
