Educationcare 2.0: New training period from 2026 for low -income!

Educationcare 2.0: New training period from 2026 for low -income!

Vienna, Österreich - From 2026, the educational leave in Austria will be replaced by a new regulation, the further training period. This reform is primarily aimed at people with low formal education. According to vienna.at , the minimum allowance is raised to 32 euros per day, and the maximum available budget for the further training period is 150 million euros.

An essential prerequisite for the application for further training period is that interested people must have worked in an employment relationship between parental leave and further education that is subject to unemployment insurance. Furthermore, the application only has to be made after a year of employment with the employer or twelve months within the last two years before the start.

new focus and requirements

The further training period does not set an age limit for participation. In the event of further training that takes place out of court to the previous area of ​​activity, prior advice is imperative. In addition, the training goals must be laid down. Compared to the previous educational leave, the number of ECTS points required is also increased; Participants now have to demonstrate 20 ECTS points in university further training, while with existing care obligations there are only 16 points. This represents a significant increase, since only eight points were previously necessary, as was reported on Kleinezeitung.at

Furthermore, the further training offers will be focused more on seminar-based educational events in presence or live online format. Another important element is the obligation to confirm the participation after completing further training. If this is not presented, the further training allowance can be reclaimed.

motivation and evaluation of the reform

The reform for the introduction of the training period is considered urgently necessary by various political representatives. Minister of Social Affairs Korinna Schumann (SPÖ) emphasizes that the outdated model from 1998 is no longer up to date. In 2021, according to Auditors' Agenthof , around 14,000 people in the educational leave compared to 2010. Nevertheless, the Court of Auditors is of the opinion that there is a need for reform, especially with regard to the temporal and content requirements for further training.

The high expenses for the model - in 2021 they amounted to a total of 295.7 million euros - and the fact that a large part of the relevant training did not significantly cut after their further training underline the need for redesign. In addition, the part of the education is a more cost -effective instrument that is accompanied by a higher employment rate according to the measure.

Overall, the reform of the educational leave for further training could not only support the individual, but also help to combat the shortage of skilled workers in Austria. The legal elaborations should be completed by the summer of 2025 to enable the transitional regulations by the end of May 2025.