Goodbye educational leave: what changes the training period brings!

Goodbye educational leave: what changes the training period brings!

Educational leave, an important component of further training funding in Austria, will be replaced by the new regulation called “further training time” on January 1, 2026. This was presented on April 2, 2025 by Federal Minister of Economics Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (ÖVP). The decision to abolish it was made in order to implement savings plans and optimize the effectiveness of educational leave. Instead of continuing educational leave, the government is pursuing the goal of creating a location policy measure to increase working hours and further qualify employees. How 5min.at reported, the further training period will come into force from January 1, 2026 and introduce mandatory educational advice.

The previous regulations for educational leave end on March 31, 2025, although the last opportunity to agree with the employer can be concluded by February 28, 2025. These transitional provisions make it possible to continue receiving further training allowance as long as the measures begin by May 31, 2025. Anyone who has already secured an educational leave can carry it out to the end, in detail Chamber of Labor explained.

Stricter requirements for further training periods

The upcoming regulation of the training period brings with it stricter requirements, which are primarily aimed at preventing abuse. In the future, the minimum number of hours for an educational measure will be 20 hours per week. For degree programs, employees must acquire at least 20 ECTS points, instead of the previously required 8 points. This new regulation was also emphasized by Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr, who emphasized its importance for individual educational careers and the national economy. An impairment by checking the relevance of labor market policy measures is also sought, such as Pulse24 reported.

An important component is the obligation that employees must have been employed by their current employer for at least one year before they can take advantage of the training period. In addition, it will no longer be possible to combine educational leave with parental leave. It is also necessary that employees define their current level of education, the training measure and the educational goal together with their employer before the start of the training period.

Financing and target groups

The financial resources for the new regulation are estimated at a maximum of 150 million euros annually. The focus is on those people who have less formal education and who should be enabled to continue their education through financial support. The federal government expects these measures to not only strengthen individual educational paths, but also substantial savings for the state, which should add up to several hundred million euros per year. The model should be finalized before the summer of 2025 to ensure timely implementation by the Public Employment Service (AMS).

Although educational leave as a concept is disappearing from the funding landscape, educational leave and part-time educational work can still be agreed between employers and employees without state support. These transition options are important to mitigate the current training framework while the new rules come into force. One-off changes during educational leave and termination options during this time have also been specified.

Overall, it shows that the Austrian government is determined to adapt further training opportunities to the current economic and social circumstances. The introduction of the continuing education period could usher in a new era in continuing vocational training in the country.